Bailey shines in return to Cincinnati

CINCINNATI — One series after getting swept, the Cincinnati Reds were the ones with the brooms Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park. 

     Behind a solid pitching performance by pitcher Homer Bailey in his return game after a stint on the disabled list and rehab assignments in Louisville, the Reds blanked the Florida Marlins, 2-0.

     The game was a pitcher duel to a tee; that was, until the bottom of the sixth inning, with two outs.

     At that point of the game, the Reds (67-51) had just four hits against pitcher Anibal Sanchez, but with Jonny Gomes on first due to a walk, third baseman Miguel Cairo sent the baseball 383 feet over the left field fence, plating the game's only two runs, enough for the Reds to jump ahead by one game for first place in the NL Central after the St. Louis Cardinals (65-51) were dealt a 9-7 loss to the Chicago Cubs, Sunday.

     Cairo played in place of regular third baseman Scott Rolen, who had the day off.

     But the game and headlines go back to Bailey.

     The former first-round pick returned from the DL and to Cincinnati for the first time since pitching on May 23, with a vengeance. He went six innings on the mound, allowing no runs on three hits, no walks. Bailey struck out five for his second win of the year. Bailey dropped his ERA to 4.92 and is 2-2 on the year.

     Bailey's worst inning was the first one as he allowed two-out singles to Gaby Sanchez and Dan Uggla, but he capped off the inning with a ground out to third base, drawing a force out at second by Wes Helms.

     After the first inning, Bailey, who finished with 102 pitches (with 63 through three innings), 71 strikes, was on cruise control. In the next five innings, Bailey had four 1-2-3 innings, while in the process retiring 16 of 17 batters, with the last 10 going to the bench without reaching first base.

     In the fourth, Bailey ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts and in the fifth forced three ground ball outs. In his final inning of work, the right-hander forced three fly ball outs.

     For the 29,849 fans in attendance, the most heated moment wasn't reading the game-day temperature on the scoreboard, but seeing Joey Votto being ejected by home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn in the first inning (in the middle of the at-bat) for arguing ball and strikes.

     One tense moment for everyone at GABP came in the top of the seventh when the Marlins began the inning with consecutive singles by Uggla and Mike Stanton off right-handed reliever Logan Ondrusek. The right-hander followed with two outs (the second via strikeout) but then walked the bases loaded. 

     The 6-8, 225-pound Ondrusek reared back and fanned pinch-hitter Chad Tracey to end the inning.

     Sitting in fourth place in the NL East, the Marlins (57-59), threatened one last time in the ninth inning, sending the go-ahead run to the plate against closer Francisco Cordero.

     Though Cordero gained his 32nd save of the season, once again, he didn't make things easy on his club.

     Throwing in the high 90s, Cordero allowed Stanton to reach second with a double to start the inning. Cordero answered with a ground out to second and a called third strike.

     As the fans stood and cheered for the final out, boos started to echo in the park with a 3-2 walk to put the game-tying run on first in pinch hitter Cody Ross. At one point in the at-bat, Ross was down 0-2.

     But Cordero gained the save with a called strike three on Donnie Murphy, ending the game.

     The Reds had more drama in their win before the tense ninth inning took place.

     Jim Edmonds, who started the day as a bench player but entered the game to take over first base after Votto's ejection, had a very interesting day.

     Edmonds, who has been known for making circus and athletic catches in centerfield during his 17-year career, had some "poetic justice" served up to him by Marlins centerfielder Emilio Bonifacio the fourth inning, as Bonifacio leaped up the centerfield wall, robbing Edmonds of his first hit and home run while a member of the Reds.
     Edmonds did gain his first hit as a Red in the eighth inning with a double to centerfield, breaking an 0-for-12 hitting slump since being traded to Cincinnati last Monday.

     Seven Reds players had one hit vs. Florida Sunday, including Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs, Edmonds, Cairo, Ryan Hanigan and Paul Janish. Five Reds went 1-for-4 and two were 1-for-3.

     For the Marlins, Logan Morrison, Uggla and Stanton each went 2-for-4. The Marlins left nine total runners on base, with the Reds stranding seven.

     The loss for Florida goes to Sanchez, who drops to 9-8 this season. Sanchez pitched six innings, allowing two runs (off Cairo's HR), along with five hits and one walk. The Marlins starting pitcher collected seven strikeouts.

     Cincinnati is about to embark on a three-city, nine-game road trip, which starts Tuesday in Arizona. After a three-game set with the Diamondbacks, the Reds will play the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. The Reds will return to GABP on Friday, Aug. 27 to host the Chicago Cubs.

     NOTES: Reds mascots wore Cincinnati Bengals jerseys throughout the game as the Bengals have a home preseason game vs. the Denver Broncos … Orlando Cabrera was a bat boy Sunday, including wearing the BB jersey for four innings … Nick Masset (CIN) allowed one hit and had one strikeout in one inning of relief (8th) … The Reds finish the week at 3-3, back to where they started the week with a one-game lead over the Cardinals … Each team used four pitchers … Game time was 2 hours, 54 minutes … On Monday, the Reds have Bronson Arroyo (12-7, 3.94) scheduled to take the hill against Arizona's Daniel Hudson (3-0, 1.59) with a 9:40 p.m. ET start time from Chase Field in AZ.

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