Jul 26, 2007, 20:35 GMT
Cincinnati, OH - Ken Griffey Jr. belted career home run number 588, but Javier Valentin was the hero for Cincinnati, with an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th that gave the Reds a 6-5 comeback win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Adam Dunn led off the 10th with a double to center, moved up on Edwin Encarnacion's single to left, and came home when Valentin grounded sharply into right for the win, as the Reds took three of four from the Brewers.
Griffey finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs. Bobby Livingston started and lasted six innings for the Reds, giving up five hits and three runs with a strikeout and a walk. Jared Burton (2-1) pitched one scoreless inning.
Milwaukee starter Dave Bush also earned a no-decision, giving up seven hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings, fanning four and walking three. Francisco Cordero (0-3) allowed the game-tying run in the ninth, and game-winner in the 10th. Ryn Braun and Tony Graffanino each homered for the Brewers, who have dropped five of seven.
Griffey gave the Reds the early lead by belting his 25th homer of the season to right-center, a solo shot with two outs in the first. The future Hall-of- Famer doubled the Cincinnati lead in the third when, after Scott Hatteberg hit a leadoff triple to right, Griffey roped a one-out double to right.
The Brewers knotted the game with two runs in the fourth. JJ Hardy led off with a double to left, moved up on a wild pitch, and came home on Braun's single to center. The Brewers loaded the bases with one out later in the inning, but only plated one more run, on a Graffanino groundout.
Griffey started a two-out rally in the fifth with a single to center, and Bush walked the next two batters, loading the bases. Jeff Keppinger plated two runs with a single to left, putting the Reds on top, 4-2.
Braun got one of those runs back right away, leading off the sixth with his 17th homer of the season. Graffanino then tied things with a leadoff blast of his own, his ninth homer of the season, to start the seventh.
Bill Hall led off the eighth with a double to right, and Hart's one-out single to center plated the go-ahead run for the Brewers. The Reds were able to tie things in their last at-bat, though, with pinch-hitter Norris Hopper doubling to right to lead things off against Cordero, and Hatteberg singling him in. Cordero was able to bear down and retire the next three batters, sending the game to extra innings.
Game Notes
Prior to the game, the Reds placed shortstop Pedro Lopez on the 15-day disabled list with a broken left cheekbone. Lopez was carted off the field in the eighth inning of Wednesday's 7-3 victory over Milwaukee after being hit in the face by a Matt Wise pitch. To fill the roster spot, the Reds reinstated infielder Juan Castro from the 15-day DL...The Reds took a 76-75-1 lead in the overall series between the teams.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
Your Talkback on this Story