Reds satisfied to end Bowden's satisfaction

[CincyRedsFan30]

Griffey's homer gives Reds stunning 11-inning win

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | The Kid is back. Long live The Kid.

Ken Griffey Jr., a surprise arrival off the disabled list Thursday afternoon, did something no movie script writer would dare turn into a movie, not even a low budget Grade B mess.

This was like The Natural, minus the shower of electrical sparks from broken floodlights. Griffey furnished the sparks, the electricity, the excitement, the everything.

He crushed a three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning, lifting the unbelievable Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 victory over the Washington Nationals Thursday in Great American Ball Park in a game they had all but lost.

Without Griffey, game gone.

With Griffey, baseball gone. Game over.

The Nationals scored three runs in the top of the 11th to take a 4-1 lead. But Felipe Lopez's run-scoring single, followed by Griffey's one-strike 413-foot drive into the right-field stands, ended it.

"One of those things," said Griffey. "I saw it, I hit it. I knew I hit it pretty well. It's awesome. I don't get many chances to hit a game-winning home run. To do that my first day back, with all the abuse I've taken the last couple of weeks, is just special."

Relief pitchers David Weathers and Rick White owe starter Bronson Arroyo a steak dinner, and not at the Outback, either. Something along the lines of Morton's of Chicago or Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.

Those two Cincinnati relief pitchers soiled a masterpiece. Arroyo presented Weathers a 1-0 lead in the ninth, but Weathers gave up a tying run that cost Arroyo his sixth victory, then White gave up a leadoff 11th inning home run to Nick Johnson and two more runs that nearly cost the Reds a victory.

If somebody told the Nationals they'd never see Bronson Arroyo again if they ate hornets, they'd say, "Pass the nest, pal."

If truth be told, although Arroyo has faced the Nationals twice this season, they haven't seen him yet, at least not his pitches.

When they tried to see his offerings April 26 in the nation's capital, they scored zero runs, had one hit and muttered something like, "Wait 'til next time."

Next time was Thursday, and the Nationals still haven't scored a run off the slender, long-haired righthander who strums a guitar as well as he fiddles with hitters.

This time the Nationals stroked six singles, but once again he held them without a run for eight innings — 16 straight innings over two starts. But because he needed 117 pitches to get there, Arroyo couldn't finish.

Weathers almost finished him, but Griffey finished it all.

"Arroyo is a lot of fun to play behind," said Griffey. "He is a guy who throws up zeros and gets us into the dugout quickly, ready to hit. You can't ask for more than that from a pitcher, unless he goes deep (homers)."

Arroyo has done that twice this year, but it was Griffey's moment Thursday.

"What was great was to look in the dugout and watch the reaction of the guys," Griffey added. "It was fun to see their reaction after I hit it. I'm always looking at the ball. This time I saw them, and they were jumping, and I don't think I got past first base before they were waiting on me at home plate."

It was the Reds' first extra-inning game of the year, and they are 9-2 in one-run games, the ultimate sign of a good team, a team that remains in first place in the NL Central.

The victory was particularly satisfying to those Reds who were in Cincinnati when current Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden was the Reds GM.

Bowden was seated near the Nationals dugout and was observed several times high-fiving those around him when the Nationals performed magic or when the Reds tripped over their toes.

"That's an awesome feeling to do something like that," said Griffey. "To come back and do something like that to help the team out, that's why you play. After I hit it, I was on Cloud Nine ... one of those things you can't describe."

The Reds had 12 hits, but Griffey's double and home run were the only extra-base hits.

Arroyo was given firm support defensively, if not offensively. Griffey made a diving, sliding catch across the outfield grass, Austin Kearns speared a hard-hit line drive, and second baseman Brandon Phillips snagged a hard line drive headed for the outfield when the Nationals had two runners on in the eighth inning and the Reds led, 1-0.

Lopez, batting leadoff, had three hits, scored two runs and stole his 16th base. Edwin Encarnacion, batting second, had two hits and drove in the Reds run in the fifth after Lopez singled and stole second.

[missionhockey21]

I just watched Baseball Tonight a few minutes ago, wow. Even though I knew what was coming, to see the Griffey homerun was something else. I must of had the most stupid big grin on my face that I've had in quite awhile. I am really hoping that walk-off shot is what Griffey needs to get on a tear and really lift this offense. You could tell from the interview shown on BBTN, that he was just totally elated.

[CincyRedsFan30]

It was nice to see him excited about playing. As soon as he hit it, he watched the ball go out and then looked at the players and threw his arms in the air and kind of pumped his fist. Then of course the standing o he got.

Just a fun ending to a game that was great for Arroyo but not so great for Weathers and White.