Mets deliver the pitch and Randa rakes

[CincyRedsFan30]

Mets deliver the pitch and Randa rakes

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | Adam Dunn wanted to tell a tale about Joe Randa and he didn't want to tell the story, "Because if I do, he is going to kill me."

Pushed, prodded and prompted, Dunn relented, although in mid-story he said, "Oh, Randa is going to kill me."

It was in the euphoria of the clubhouse after Dunn's second home run, a two-run rip in the ninth inning, tied Monday's Opening Day game when all seemed lost. Then Randa's home run beat the New York Mets, 7-6.

In the long and storied history of the Cincinnati franchise that began in 1876, when Atlanta's Julio Franco was a rookie, Randa's home run was the first game-ending, sudden-death, thanks-for-coming walk-off home run by a Cincinnati batter on Opening Day.

Dunn said his Randa story happened soon after spring training began. Dunn and Austin Kearns were out to dinner with the team's new infielders, Randa and Rich Aurilia.

"Aurilia was wrapping spaghetti tightly around his fork because he is Italian and knows how to do that," Dunn said. "We commented on it and Randa says, 'I don't know about that. All I know is that this year I'm going to rake,' We weren't even talking about that."

In baseball vernacular, raking is hitting and Dunn mentioned the same thing before Monday's game. Asked an unrelated question, Dunn said, "I don't know, but Joe Randa is going to rake."

Talk about prophetic.

In his first two at-bats with the Reds, facing Pedro Martinez, Randa struck out, two of 12 whiffs recorded by Martinez in six innings.

"After two at-bats, I thought I would get booed," said Randa.

His third time up, he doubled and scored a run, cutting New York's lead to 6-4.

And that's what it was when the Reds came to bat in the ninth against Braden Looper.

Kearns singled, bringing up Dunn, who had nearly knocked out third-floor windows of a Covington, Ky., condominium with a 424-foot, three-run homer off Martinez in the first inning.

Dunn struck again, this one 10 feet longer, a 434-foot game-tying blast.

Randa, standing on deck, now was a believer, a believer in what he had heard about Dunn and the Cincinnati Reds.

"I'd only seen Dunn on TV and everybody said he was goofy," said Randa. "They were right. But that's a special guy in the middle of the lineup. They talk about his strikeouts (two Monday), but he is a power hitter with a big swing and he is going to strike out."

Now the game was tied and it was Randa's turn. He worked the count to 3-and-2 and sent those remaining of the 42,794 into delirium with his game-ending home run.

"I hear they do that a lot here, win games in the ninth inning," said Randa. "I'm new, so that was pretty special."

Even with two homers in one game, Dunn doesn't lead the majors in home runs. Former Cincinnati outfielder Dmitri Young hit three for the Detroit Tigers on Monday and Dunn said, "That's great. I love Dmitri and I'm going to call him."

Then he turned his attention to Randa and said, "I told you he rakes. And for some reason we always do well in the ninth inning and I hope we don't lose that touch."

Asked if he knew Randa's blast was a home run, Dunn said, "If it wasn't gone I would have looked really stupid because I was the first one out of the dugout to congratulate him.

"Randa fits into this clubhouse so well," Dunn added. "We couldn't have gone out and gotten any better players than what we did. Randa reminds me so much of Aaron Boone. They could be brothers."

As far as Randa is concerned, from what he sees in the Reds clubhouse, they all could be a Band of Brothers.

[redsrbetter]

I love the comrardere on this team so much. It will work for them and help them in team unity. This team just makes me want to follow them even during slumps. They always are having fun it seems.

[volzok]

As I have been saying all spring: Chemistry equals wins. Thats why I feel so good about this team. I know whenever we are behind this year, they wont give up.