Game 2: Reds 6, Diamondbacks 5

Well. That was fun.

Wednesday's game definintely had its ups and downs, but it's hard to complain when you win like that. Baseball can be a funny game, and we saw that tonight. Before his game-winning home run, Edwin Encarnacion looked like the goat, throwing away a potentially inning-ending double play ball at the plate in the top of the fifth, instead tying the game and leading to Arizona retaking the lead. Great to see redemption for EdE, whose game-winning blast in the bottom of the ninth put the Reds in the win column for the first time in the Dusty Baker era.

It's easy to rationalize mistakes by players you like, and Edwin being in the lineup daily is something I want, but I was worried for him after his second straight game with an error directly leading to runs for the Diamondbacks. Perhaps the throwing issues will continue, and perhaps the homer will snap him out of his funk, but it was definitely a fun night, especially after comments by a certain color man immediately before the winning swing. I ended up writing so much about Cowboy that he got his own post, it's below this one.

THE GOOD THINGS...

- Production out of the first two spots of the order. After the opener I was concerned about the 0-for-8 Corey Patterson and Jeff Keppinger dropped on us. The fear coming into this year was that Patterson would offensively be a big zero, and Keppinger wouldn't hit anymore because pitchers figured him out. Those fears may well still be true, but Wednesday both had nice performances at the dish. Keppinger had three singles, continuing to hone his "all seeing-eye singles" offensive attack (I kid, but he really did seem to build that batting average in 2007 on that kind of hit, not that there's something un-noble about that). Patterson opened scoring for the Reds with a solo shot leading off the fourth, which was nice.

- Brandon's dinger was a no-doubter. I'm not sure if that homer qualifies as one of his league-leading "most homers that are barely homers" stats, because it only landed a few rows back. It was a no-doubter off the bat, though. Haren breezed through the lineup the first time around, but the Reds touched him up a little bit later.

- Great snap throw by Paul Bako to nab Hudson straying too far off first in the 7th. I don't know that Bako has this great reputation as a defender (he certainly doesn't have a history of hitting much) but that was a very mindful, attentive play.

- Jeremy Affeldt is a guy I haven't really watched much through his big-league career, but being a former Charleston Alley Cats I've always rooted him on any time his name came up. His spring stats made me cringe and his ninth did too, but he did a nice job recovering from the mess he made and keeping the Reds in the game.

- Kent Mercker looked very good in his one inning of work. Located his fastball very well. Gotta love the hick way he curves the bill of his cap. If I saw that guy walking into an auto parts store no way would I think "millionaire" on sight. I love baseball.

- When it comes down to it, yeah, the Reds had a major defensive misplay tonight by EdE. Yes, Dan Haren started a rally with a double, AND had a sac fly. Yes, they trailed nearly the entire game, and yes, Todd Coffey's performance was reason for concern. But all of that goes away when you win like that. Walkoffs never get old. Arizona is a good team, let's win the rubber game tomorrow and move on to the Phillies.