An Objective Question

[Benihana]

As objective as it seems, was last nights victory the Reds' sweetest of the last five years?

I say yes.

[flyer85]

I liked this game of June 04 because I was there and it was a sellout.

Cincinnati Reds 6, Montreal Expos 3

Game Played on Saturday, June 5, 2004 (N) at Great American Ball Park

MON N 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 - 3 5 1
CIN N 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 6 10 0

BATTING

Montreal Expos AB R H RBI BB SO PO A
Wilkerson lf 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
Chavez cf 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
Vidro 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 4
Batista 3b 4 1 1 1 0 1 1 2
Johnson 1b 3 2 2 1 1 1 9 3
Cabrera ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 2
Sledge rf 4 0 1 1 0 0 4 0
Schneider c 3 0 1 0 1 1 9 2
Ohka p 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 1
Cepicky ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bentz p 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Tucker p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cordero p 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Totals 31 3 5 3 4 7 29 14

FIELDING -
DP: 1. Batista-Vidro-Johnson.
E: Batista (5).

BATTING -
2B: Sledge (4,off Wilson).
HR: Batista (5,9th inning off Graves 0 on 2 out); Johnson (1,9th inning off
Graves 0 on 2 out).
SH: Chavez (3,off Wilson).
IBB: Schneider (6,by Wilson).
Team LOB: 3.

Cincinnati Reds AB R H RBI BB SO PO A
Jimenez 2b 4 0 1 0 1 1 2 5
Lopez ss 5 0 0 0 0 1 5 6
Casey 1b 5 1 2 0 0 0 11 1
Griffey cf 4 2 1 1 1 2 0 0
Dunn lf 4 2 3 4 1 1 2 0
Larson 3b 4 1 2 0 0 1 2 3
Pena rf 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Riedling p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Graves p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Larkin ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Jones p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LaRue c 4 0 0 0 0 1 8 0
Wilson p 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 0
Freel rf 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 37 6 10 6 4 9 30 15

FIELDING -
DP: 3. Casey-Lopez-Casey, Lopez-Jimenez-Casey, Jimenez-Lopez-Casey.

BATTING -
2B: Casey (20,off Cordero).
HR: Griffey (15,4th inning off Ohka 0 on 0 out); Dunn 2 (17,4th inning off
Ohka 0 on 0 out,10th inning off Cordero 2 on 2 out).
IBB: Griffey (1,by Cordero).
Team LOB: 6.

BASERUNNING -
CS: Jimenez (5,2nd base by Ohka/Schneider).

PITCHING

Montreal Expos IP H R ER BB SO HR
Ohka 7 8 3 3 2 4 2
Bentz 0.2 0 0 0 1 1 0
Tucker 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0
Cordero L(1-1) 1.2 2 3 3 1 3 1
Totals 9.2 10 6 6 4 9 3

Cincinnati Reds IP H R ER BB SO HR
Wilson 6 1 1 1 4 4 0
Riedling 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
Graves 1 2 2 2 0 1 2
Jones W(4-1) 1 0 0 0 0 2 0
Totals 10 5 3 3 4 7 2

IBB: Cordero (2,Griffey); Wilson (1,Schneider).

[RedWilly]

I liked this game of June 04 because I was there and it was a sellout.

I like this game the best also because i was there as well...... What a game.....dont forget that was Paul wilson going for 8-0 but the bullpen blew another one fore him....one of many that year....good thing Dunn saved the day.
Another reason i loved that game was Nick Johnson tossed me a ball during BP.....which i still keep on my dresser

[redsfan30]

It was up there, that's for sure. The only other one that I can think of was in August of 2001 against the Cardinals. The similarities are frightening. Both games went 11 innings. Both games featured wierd stuff that resulted in those extra innings. Both games had the Reds trailing going into the home half of the 11th. Both games were won by walk-off homers by Griffey.

This one is more important to the overall picture though, because in 2001 they were so far in the hole that the win didn't mean anything. Fastforward to last night and that win is huge because it kept them in first place.

It sure was a fun night!

[IowaRed]

It was up there, that's for sure. The only other one that I can think of was in August of 2001 against the Cardinals. The similarities are frightening. Both games went 11 innings. Both games featured wierd stuff that resulted in those extra innings. Both games had the Reds trailing going into the home half of the 11th. Both games were won by walk-off homers by Griffey.

This would be probably be my choice. Not only was Griffey's walk-off home run an inside the parker, it also stopped an 11 game Cardinals winning streak. I can still see Griffey sliding, almost jumping, towards home plate

[indyred]

With all the dramatics....If Ross catches the ball in the ninth does it still rank up there all time?......I almost would have liked it better seeing a 1-0 pitching duel with Arroyo getting the W in GAB...now that is rare as well..

[TOBTTReds]

This game was very much alike one that I was at a few years ago. Barry Larkin's first game off the DL as a pinch hitter, hits a walk off 2 run HR when we were down 1 in the 9th. It was awesome.

[minus5]

This game was very much alike one that I was at a few years ago. Barry Larkin's first game off the DL as a pinch hitter, hits a walk off 2 run HR when we were down 1 in the 9th. It was awesome.

I was going to mention that one, I was there for that as well. It was incredible.

[Redlegs23]

This game was very much alike one that I was at a few years ago. Barry Larkin's first game off the DL as a pinch hitter, hits a walk off 2 run HR when we were down 1 in the 9th. It was awesome.

I was at that game also. Great game, and probably ties last night as being the best game I've attended. I also saw a Kearns walk off that year. Another great game that I was lucky enough to attend was Jaun Castro's walk off base hit against the Yankees in front of a sold out crowd a couple of years back. Come to think of it, I've seen a lot of walk offs in recent years. To answer the question, I think last night was as good as any of the wins we've had in the past 5 years though due to the importance of the game. Yes, I know it's only the middle of May, but that would have been terrible to lose 2 of 3 to the Nationals.

[gonelong]

Opening Day 2005 was pretty sweet.

REDS 9TH: LOOPER REPLACED KOO (PITCHING); Kearns singled to
right; Dunn homered [Kearns scored]; Randa homered;
3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.

Mets 6, Reds 7.

GL

[DJF33]

Opening Day 2005 was pretty sweet.

REDS 9TH: LOOPER REPLACED KOO (PITCHING); Kearns singled to
right; Dunn homered [Kearns scored]; Randa homered;
3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.

Mets 6, Reds 7.

GL

This was my first thought as well.

The D. Ross drop at home had me thinking as well. When was the last time a game ended with an outfielder gunning someone at the plate? The last one I can remember was in like 2000 or 2001 on a Friday night home game againts the Indians. I think they won that game 2-1, and then the next day Griff homered a couple times and they throttled the Indians by double digits. That was a fun weekend.

[KronoRed]

Opening Day 2005 was pretty sweet.

Agreed.

I was there so it was the best

[Z-Fly]

I liked opening day 2005 also. Nothing is bigger in Cincinnati then opening day. For Randa to hit a walk off homerun on a big stage like that was simply Awesome.

[lollipopcurve]

I'd say yes, with the Larkin game second. Seeing Griffey's reaction was the best.

[Roy Tucker]

It was more than 5 years ago, but Pokey Reese's 3 run HR in the 12th over the Cards on 9/27/1999 takes the cake in my book.

I went to the last several games of that season and I've never seen a place go so bonkers before then or since then as to when Reese hit this shot. Coupled wth McGwire's 60th and the pennant chase, it was just unbelievable.

http://www.cincypost.com/sports/1999/reds092799.html

2 chances to win

Thrilling victory has Reds primed
By Jeff Horrigan, Post staff reporter

Shortly after Mark McGwire hit his 60th home run of the season in the eighth inning of Sunday's game at Cinergy Field, a pair of unknown sports memorabilia collectors whipped out their credit cards and bought more than 1,500 tickets to commemorate the St. Louis Cardinals slugger's feat.

While these untorn tickets may eventually provide the collectors a windfall from those looking to remember the day the single-season home run king joined Babe Ruth (1920s) and Jimmie Foxx (1930s) as the only players ever to hit 400 homers in a decade, it was Pokey Reese who provided more than 42,000 others with a priceless memory.

Some day soon, those folks may look upon those stubs and realize they witnessed the most exciting game of the 1999 season.

With one out in the 12th inning, Reese followed an Eddie Taubensee single and a Brian Johnson walk by belting a three-run homer that sent the Reds to a 7-5 win just when it appeared a golden opportunity had been blown.

McGwire's 60th and Fernando Tatis' second homer of the day, a two-run shot off Danny Graves in the ninth, erased a 4-1 lead and sent the game into extra innings. After the Reds stranded the go-ahead run in scoring position in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings, St. Louis grabbed the lead in the 12th on Edgar Renteria's run-scoring ground-rule double off Scott Williamson (12-7).

Cincinnati was unfazed. Taubensee and Johnson reached base against Mike Mohler (1-1), prompting manager Tony LaRussa to call on Bottalico to face Reese. Bottalico's first pitch crossed up catcher Marcus Jensen, whose passed ball allowed the runners to advance. He followed with a slider that Reese lined to the left-center field gap.

''I didn't think it was going to leave, but it had some carry on it and went out,'' Reese said. ''I don't think I've ever had a hit as big as that in my life.''

Few would argue. The Reds' fourth straight win, coupled with the New York Mets' 3-2 loss in Philadelphia, moved Cincinnati a full game ahead in the wild-card race. The Houston Astros' defeat in Milwaukee cut the deficit in the Central Division race to only a half-game.

New York and Houston are idle today, meaning the Reds can pull even in the Central and extend their wild-card lead to 1 1/2 games with a win this afternoon in the final home game of the regular season.

''I've been there, I've had that feeling before (and) they have destiny on their side,'' McGwire said.

Mike Cameron, whose three-run homer off Manny Aybar in the seventh gave the Reds a seemingly-secure 4-1 lead, agreed with the Cardinal slugger.

''Right now, momentum is on our side,'' Cameron said.

The Cameron and Reese homers were significant for other reasons, namely the milestones they allowed the Reds to reach. Cameron's 20th of the season gave Cincinnati four 20-homer hitters for the firsts time since 1987 - Eric Davis, 37; Dave Parker, 26; Kal Daniels, 26; Nick Esasky, 22 - and gave the club 200 homers for only the second time in history. The 1956 Reds belted a team-record 221 homers.

''For me, getting 20 was a big relief because I'd have been disappointed if I was stuck at 19,'' said Cameron, who was asked to give his first career curtain call by the 42,039 on hand - the collectors bumped ticket sales to 43,613.

Reese's 10th homer gave the Reds 10 players with 10-or-more homers - Greg Vaughn (43), Sean Casey (24), Cameron (20), Taubensee (20), Jeffrey Hammonds (17), Aaron Boone (14), Dmitri Young (12), Barry Larkin (12) and Michael Tucker (10).

''This is the most fun I've had in baseball,'' general manager Jim Bowden said. Bowden praised the character of the team and its ability to avoid controversy.

''I've never seen a group that's had so much fun and is closer together, with no off-field problems or any sort of problems,'' he said. ''Even when we won in '94 and '95, we always had a Kevin Mitchell story or a Tony Fernandez story. There was always something. This year, not much has gone on. The dog hasn't pooped on the field. The outfielder hasn't punched the manager. I hope next month is as fun as the previous five months.''

Manager Jack McKeon said his team hasn't had to worry about the pressure that appears to be affecting the sliding Astros and Mets.

''There's no pressure on us,'' he said. ''We're not supposed to be here. The pressure's on (Houston and New York). We're just playing relaxed and having fun.''


How they scored
REDS' FIRST: B.Larkin tripled to center. Casey singled to right, B.Larkin scored. Reds 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS' SECOND: Tatis homered to center on a 1-1 count. Reds 1, Cardinals 1.

REDS' SEVENTH: Aybar pitching. Reese singled to left. Stynes pinch-hitting for Guzman. On Aybar's wild pitch, Reese to second. Stynes safe on sacrifice plus fielder's choice, Reese to third. Cameron homered to left on a 1-1 count, Reese scored, Stynes scored. Reds 4, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS' EIGHTH: Sullivan pitching. McGwire homered to left on the first pitch. Reds 4, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS' NINTH: T.Howard bunt single to first. Graves pitching. Marrero pinch-running for T.Howard. Tatis homered to center on the first pitch, Marrero scored. Reds 4, Cardinals 4.

CARDINALS' TWELFTH: Paquette walked on a full count. Jensen sacrificed, pitcher Williamson to second baseman Reese, Paquette to second. Renteria doubled to right, Paquette scored. Cardinals 5, Reds 4.

REDS' TWELFTH: Taubensee singled to right. Robinson pinch-running for Taubensee. Johnson pinch-hitting for Williamson. Johnson walked, Robinson to second. LaRue pinch-running for Johnson. Bottalico pitching. On Jensen's passed ball, Robinson to third, LaRue to second. Reese homered to left on a 1-0 count, Robinson scored, LaRue scored. Reds 7, Cardinals 5.