Keisler gets it done at the plate and on the mound

[CincyRedsFan30]

Reds outslug Devil Rays
Reliever Keisler gets it done at the plate, on the mound

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | The Cincinnati Reds finally found a last-place team worse off than they are — the Tampa Bay Devil Rays — but the Reds had to be nudged, well, maybe shoved, by nearly-forgotten relief pitcher Randy Keisler to believe it.

After the top of the second inning, the Reds were down five runs to the D-Rays, which is like Switzerland being behind Qatar in downhill skiing.

Reds starter Ramon Ortiz was crushed for six runs and seven hits in the second inning and his departure was accompanied by a symphony of boos from 17,172 in Great American Ball Park.

Keisler, ignored like month-old milk during the team's 1-and-5 week of despairing losses to last-place Houston and last-place Colorado — not one pitch thrown in anger — came on to end the inning with a strikeout.

It was a harbinger of a bunch of good things from Keisler en route to a 9-7 win over the Devil Rays.

Keisler pitched 61/3 innings and gave up one run and two hits while striking out eight.

And he knew that a baseball bat was something other than a tool to lean-on when you have to stand in the on-deck circle.

First, he homered to lead off the third, torching a five-run inning that tied the game, 6-6.

Second, he doubled to lead off the fourth, torching a three-run inning that turned the game around.

When he struck out in his third at-bat, he received a standing ovation.

While his pitching proficiency — the length and efficiency — was unexpected, the homer and the double were from beyond the blue.

"All of it goes back to my dad, Dean, in Texas," said Keisler. "I've always been a big fan of hitting and my dad was a blue-collar worker for 50 years.

"He worked in the Houston area all day, but he'd come home and sit on a five-gallon bucket in the hot sun and catch me for 30 minutes, then he'd pitch to me in a batting cage he built. All he ever wanted was for me to be a ballplayer," Keisler added.

So where has Keisler been hiding? In the bullpen, doing not much of anything aside from consuming barbecue sunflower seeds.

"On the trip, I got up and warmed up one time for about two minutes," he said. "That's what worried me when I came in tonight. I told myself, 'C'mon, don't be wild.' I was worried, that was my concern."

No need, no concern.

Keisler walked none and his 6 1/3 innings are the most by a Cincinnati relief pitcher since Rick Mahler pitched 6 1/3 in 1990 for Reds manager Lou Piniella, now sitting in the Tampa Bay dugout.

"I don't like to sit that long, and I really wanted to pitch in Houston in front of the home folks, but that's the way my job works," said Keisler.

His job isn't to hit, but his single in the 14th inning earlier this season beat the Cleveland Indians.

"I had my own bat for that game, but I couldn't find it tonight," he said. "So Paul Wilson gave me one of his that is similar. He probably isn't going to get it back."

It was 6-1, Tampa Bay, when Keisler struck out former Cincinnati outfielder Reggie Taylor with a runner on second.

Then after pitching a 1-2-3 third, Keisler led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to right field. The Reds raked six straight hits against D-Rays starter Mark Hendrickson, including a two-run homer by Joe Randa and a run-scoring double by Wily Mo Pena to tie it, 6-6.

Keisler led the fourth with a double and scored on Sean Casey's sacrifice fly and Ken Griffey Jr. punched his ninth homer and the Reds led, 9-6.

"Being on the bases is stressful and I had no clue what I was doing or where I was," said Keisler.

That's stark contrast to when he was on the mound, when he knew where he was and what to do.

At one point he retired 14 straight until a one-out single by Julio Lugo in the seventh. Keisler gave up a solo home run to Toby Hall in the eighth.

Kent Mercker started the ninth and gave up a double and walk, but retired two D-Rays before David Weathers put the polish and gloss to the end of a five-game losing streak by retiring pinch-hitter Alex Sanchez.

[missionhockey21]

You gotta root for guys like Keisler who truly appreciate the chance just to play ball in the bigs.

[CincyRedsFan30]

And you can tell he really cares, unlike someone such as Graves, who said: "Oh well. I sucked. No biggie".

[DirtyKash]

So are the Reds going to put this Keisler dude in the rotation or what?!

[theFatty]

I hope they do find a spot for him to start. Give him a chance. Good things happen when he plays.

[missionhockey21]

I hope they do too. But I don't know DK, the rotation is so up in the air at this point. I guess it depends on the rehab of 3 pitchers (Wilson, Hudson, Hancock) and how long they keep Ortiz and Milton in the rotation before deciding enough is enough and sticking one or both in the pen.

[QuietAcre]

Because of the attitude of this organization in general, I worry that if Keisler (everytime I read his name I think of Keebler's Crackers) were given a "full-time job" with the Reds, that his attitude would go in the dumps, too. I think they should tell everyone on the roster "We can't make any guarantees that anyone will get to play today, we may just put Willy Mo in all nine slots".

[CincyRedsFan30]

Not everyone is going to have a bad attitude because they're given a full-time job.

[Reds_fan_4_life]

where the heck did this guy come from?? he's amazing and has been consistent and this year is the first time i have ever heard his name before, nice surprise