wrigley phantom
07-19-2007, 11:54 AM
ATLANTA -- Brandon Phillips' day off Wednesday turned into a busman's holiday.
For only the fourth time in 95 games this season, Phillips was out of the Reds' starting lineup and replaced by Jeff Keppinger at second base. Yet in a 5-4 win over the Braves in a 15-inning game that lasted four hours, 31 minutes, it was Phillips who helped deliver closure.
In his fourth at-bat of the day after entering in the ninth as a pinch-hitter, Phillips lined a Jose Ascanio (0-1) pitch through the middle to score Norris Hopper and Ken Griffey Jr. and break a 3-3 tie. It gave Cincinnati a three-game series sweep of Atlanta.
"Things happen on your day off. It's the last thing I expected," Phillips said. "You always have to remember there's never a day off in the National League. I know that from now on."
Phillips has been the Reds' hottest hitter out of the All-Star break, going 11-for-30 (.367) with two home runs and 12 RBIs. Overall, he's batting .283 with 19 homers, 59 RBIs and 17 steals.
"Hey, I can't even give you a day off without you helping us win," interim manager Pete Mackanin said he told Phillips.
A native of nearby Stone Mountain, Ga., Phillips asked for and received Wednesday off from Mackanin on Tuesday night. It was his first non-start since June 3 at Colorado.
"It's cool to see everybody and just chill with my family and my boys instead of trying to get to sleep early for a day game," Phillips said before the game. "I took them out to eat -- we went to Waffle House. It's one of my favorite places."
Phillips later admitted he didn't take batting practice or stretch before the game, and it showed when he went 0-for-3 with a double play in his first three at-bats.
"The first three at-bats, those were batting practice, because I didn't see any balls," he said. "My last at-bat, I got kind of warmed up and ended up getting a hit. I said, 'Thank you Jesus.' Fifteen innings, oh my gosh. I played a whole game and didn't even start."
Phillips also figured in the biggest defensive play of the game in the Braves' 10th.
Scott Hatteberg's RBI single in the top of the 10th gave Cincinnati a 3-2 lead, but it didn't last into the bottom half of the inning against closer David Weathers, who blew just his fourth save in 22 chances.
Edgar Renteria led off the Atlanta 10th with a lined single to left field off Weathers. Chipper Jones followed with an RBI double off the left-field wall and stole third base with Andruw Jones batting.
The game appeared moments from ending right there.
With the infield and outfield shaded in, Andruw Jones lined sharply to Ryan Freel in center field. Brian McCann was walked intentionally. Rather than walk Jeff Francoeur intentionally also to load the bases for a force play, Mackanin went an unconventional route.
Equivalent to a hockey move where the goalie is lifted for an extra skater, Mackanin went with five infielders and two outfielders. Freel was moved into the infield and stood right on second base.
"You choose how you can lose the game," Mackanin said of the move. "You have Weathers in there looking for a ground ball. Deep fly ball, it doesn't matter if you have two or three outfielders, the game is over."
Francoeur lined a high, hard liner to the right of second base, but Phillips made a superb leaping catch and fired to third base to double off Chipper Jones.
Game extended.
"He hit a bullet," Phillips said. "I just jumped up and for some reason, I got that high. I threw to third base. I'm glad I did because they would have ended up winning the game. We really wanted to win. We have to win every game."
In 13 games as the Reds' interim manager, Mackanin has demonstrated he isn't afraid to try anything. It's the kind of gusto that's helped give the club a 9-4 record since he took over for Jerry Narron.
"Anytime you have a man on third with nobody out and the game is on the line, you're in trouble," Mackanin said. "You have to scramble and gamble. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."
The Reds' sixth pitcher of the game, Michael Gosling (1-0) worked the final 2 1/3 innings in relief to record his first victory since Sept. 19, 2004, with Arizona.
Atlanta added a run and plenty of pressure in the bottom of the 15th, but out of position players, pitcher Kyle Davies was sent to pinch-hit with runners on first and second and two outs.
"Gosling did a great job," Mackanin said. "He came in and held his own. I was contemplating going to [Todd] Coffey but I knew he had [Jo-Jo] Reyes. Here I am coming down to the game on the line and I'm deciding which Braves pitcher is a better hitter."
Gosling struck out Davies to end the game.
Long forgotten was that Aaron Harang gave the Reds 7 2/3 innings and two earned runs allowed in a solid start. John Smoltz struck out a season-high 11 batters in seven innings for Atlanta. Griffey notched career hit No. 2,500 in the first inning.
But Griffey's hit No. 2,501 in the 15th inning aided in the winning rally and his run proved to be the difference.
It was a nice win to get after a long afternoon. It also moved the Reds to 4-3 on the road trip heading into four more road games at Florida.
"At this point, every game is nice to get," Griffey said. "We try to go out there, get a 'W' and turn this thing around. The first half was a little rough on us. We have to be able to do some things in the second half."
"Those games are great when you win, but you hate them when you lose," Mackanin said.
For only the fourth time in 95 games this season, Phillips was out of the Reds' starting lineup and replaced by Jeff Keppinger at second base. Yet in a 5-4 win over the Braves in a 15-inning game that lasted four hours, 31 minutes, it was Phillips who helped deliver closure.
In his fourth at-bat of the day after entering in the ninth as a pinch-hitter, Phillips lined a Jose Ascanio (0-1) pitch through the middle to score Norris Hopper and Ken Griffey Jr. and break a 3-3 tie. It gave Cincinnati a three-game series sweep of Atlanta.
"Things happen on your day off. It's the last thing I expected," Phillips said. "You always have to remember there's never a day off in the National League. I know that from now on."
Phillips has been the Reds' hottest hitter out of the All-Star break, going 11-for-30 (.367) with two home runs and 12 RBIs. Overall, he's batting .283 with 19 homers, 59 RBIs and 17 steals.
"Hey, I can't even give you a day off without you helping us win," interim manager Pete Mackanin said he told Phillips.
A native of nearby Stone Mountain, Ga., Phillips asked for and received Wednesday off from Mackanin on Tuesday night. It was his first non-start since June 3 at Colorado.
"It's cool to see everybody and just chill with my family and my boys instead of trying to get to sleep early for a day game," Phillips said before the game. "I took them out to eat -- we went to Waffle House. It's one of my favorite places."
Phillips later admitted he didn't take batting practice or stretch before the game, and it showed when he went 0-for-3 with a double play in his first three at-bats.
"The first three at-bats, those were batting practice, because I didn't see any balls," he said. "My last at-bat, I got kind of warmed up and ended up getting a hit. I said, 'Thank you Jesus.' Fifteen innings, oh my gosh. I played a whole game and didn't even start."
Phillips also figured in the biggest defensive play of the game in the Braves' 10th.
Scott Hatteberg's RBI single in the top of the 10th gave Cincinnati a 3-2 lead, but it didn't last into the bottom half of the inning against closer David Weathers, who blew just his fourth save in 22 chances.
Edgar Renteria led off the Atlanta 10th with a lined single to left field off Weathers. Chipper Jones followed with an RBI double off the left-field wall and stole third base with Andruw Jones batting.
The game appeared moments from ending right there.
With the infield and outfield shaded in, Andruw Jones lined sharply to Ryan Freel in center field. Brian McCann was walked intentionally. Rather than walk Jeff Francoeur intentionally also to load the bases for a force play, Mackanin went an unconventional route.
Equivalent to a hockey move where the goalie is lifted for an extra skater, Mackanin went with five infielders and two outfielders. Freel was moved into the infield and stood right on second base.
"You choose how you can lose the game," Mackanin said of the move. "You have Weathers in there looking for a ground ball. Deep fly ball, it doesn't matter if you have two or three outfielders, the game is over."
Francoeur lined a high, hard liner to the right of second base, but Phillips made a superb leaping catch and fired to third base to double off Chipper Jones.
Game extended.
"He hit a bullet," Phillips said. "I just jumped up and for some reason, I got that high. I threw to third base. I'm glad I did because they would have ended up winning the game. We really wanted to win. We have to win every game."
In 13 games as the Reds' interim manager, Mackanin has demonstrated he isn't afraid to try anything. It's the kind of gusto that's helped give the club a 9-4 record since he took over for Jerry Narron.
"Anytime you have a man on third with nobody out and the game is on the line, you're in trouble," Mackanin said. "You have to scramble and gamble. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."
The Reds' sixth pitcher of the game, Michael Gosling (1-0) worked the final 2 1/3 innings in relief to record his first victory since Sept. 19, 2004, with Arizona.
Atlanta added a run and plenty of pressure in the bottom of the 15th, but out of position players, pitcher Kyle Davies was sent to pinch-hit with runners on first and second and two outs.
"Gosling did a great job," Mackanin said. "He came in and held his own. I was contemplating going to [Todd] Coffey but I knew he had [Jo-Jo] Reyes. Here I am coming down to the game on the line and I'm deciding which Braves pitcher is a better hitter."
Gosling struck out Davies to end the game.
Long forgotten was that Aaron Harang gave the Reds 7 2/3 innings and two earned runs allowed in a solid start. John Smoltz struck out a season-high 11 batters in seven innings for Atlanta. Griffey notched career hit No. 2,500 in the first inning.
But Griffey's hit No. 2,501 in the 15th inning aided in the winning rally and his run proved to be the difference.
It was a nice win to get after a long afternoon. It also moved the Reds to 4-3 on the road trip heading into four more road games at Florida.
"At this point, every game is nice to get," Griffey said. "We try to go out there, get a 'W' and turn this thing around. The first half was a little rough on us. We have to be able to do some things in the second half."
"Those games are great when you win, but you hate them when you lose," Mackanin said.