Votto powers Reds to 12-11 win over Giants
The Cincinnati Reds appeared to be well on their way to ending their two game skid against the San Francisco Giants with a 9-1 lead after four innings only to see that lead disappear. In the end they were still able to do so; it just took a few extra innings.
Francisco Cordero pitched two scoreless innings and Joey Votto continued to chase the Triple Crown and make his case for NL MVP honors with a decisive RBI single to defeat the San Francisco Giants 12-11 in 12 innings Wednesday afternoon.
The Reds came out swinging in the first inning hitting three home runs off San Francisco starter Madison Bumgarner. Votto got the first of two for home on the day to start the scoring for Cincinnati. Jonny Gomes and Ryan Hannigan each added another to give the Reds a 4-0 midway through the first.
After another four-run inning in the third that gave the Reds an 8-1 lead Joey Votto hit his second home run in the fourth inning to give the Reds a 9-1 lead.
Votto made a great case for MVP honors with four hits and four RBIs on the night including two home runs and the game winning single in the 12th inning. He moved a step closer to winning the Triple Crown as well. His NL leading batting average improved to .326, and he moved within two home runs and RBIs of the National League leader in those categories, Albert Pujols.
San Francisco bounced back scoring two runs in the fifth and sixth innings before chasing Reds starter Homer Bailey out of the game. Bailey was still in line to earn the win with the Reds up 10-5. That is until the bullpen gave up six runs in the eighth to put the Giants up 11-10.
Short stop Paul Janish saved the Reds in the ninth with an RBI single to tie the score and send it to extra innings.
“We had such a comfortable lead for most of the game,” Votto said. “For them to come back like that, it could have been difficult to recover. Momentum plays a big role in a game like this. We just showed some resiliency to come back ourselves.”
The win kept the Giants from sweeping the Reds in the three-game series. Cincinnati improved to 73-54 on the season, and with the St. Louis Cardinals losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 stretched their lead in the NL Central to three and a half games.
After taking the day off on Thursday the Reds will start a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Johnny Cueto is scheduled to take the mound for the Reds against Tom Gorzelanny for the Cubs.
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