Titanic Struggle Recap

Let’s recap tonight’s titanic struggle….

FINAL – 12 innings
Cincinnati 7
Philadelphia 9
WP: Madson (2-0)
LP: Rhodes (3-3)
BOX SCORE

I just can’t relive that debacle, so I’m going to let Fay do it:

“That one hurts as much as Atlanta,” Dusty Baker said.

Friday’s 9-7, 10-inning loss to the Phillies that ended on Ryan Howard’s two-run, walk-off homer was eerily similar to the 10-9 loss May 20 in the Atlanta.

Mike Leake started both. Both had major ninth inning meltdowns. And both ended on walk-off home runs.

One big difference: This one is going to be harder to back from. The Reds went Cleveland after Atlanta debacle and started a roll on which they won seven of nine.

Tomorrow, they’ve got Ray Halladay. He’s probably still ticked about the loss in Cincinnati.

“We’ve got no choice but to bounce back,” Baker said.

Baker is getting second-guessed for leaving Leake in the ninth. It’s hard to argue with letting him start the ninth. He was at 83 pitches. After the leadoff double to Shane Vistorino, Leake got an out, gave up a blooper to Howard and broken-bat hit Jayson Werth.

I would have taken him out at that point. He was still at 93 pitches, but his limit is 100. Baker said he was trying to stay away from using left-handers Arthur Rhodes and Bill Bray.

Leake took the blame himself for giving up the three-run homer to Greg Dobbs on a 3-2 pitch.

“It should have never gotten to 3-2,” Leake said. “I should have put it in play before that.”

Francisco Cordero came on. He got an out. But he walked ben Francisco and gave up a home run to Cody Ransom.

“I’ve got cut down on the walks,” Cordero said. “Every time I walk, he scores. In a small ballpark like here or home, you can’t do that.”

Cordero has walked five batters in his last five outings. I know a lot of you out there in Redsland are calling for a new closer. I don’t see it happening. Cordero had converted seven in row before Friday. The Reds better hope he gets on another roll, or the second half could be rough.

That is what we get for laughing at the Cardinals recent late-game meltdown troubles….