A Titanic Struggle, indeed

Positives

Todd Frazier was the hero tonight. The Jersey Boy went 3-6 with two runs scored, but his big blast was a two-run homer to center field in the top of the fifteenth that provided the margin of victory. While hitting .268/.337/.490, Frazier leads the Reds in homers (8) and RBI (23). That’ll do, Todd. That’ll do.

Excellent outing by Mike Leake: one run allowed on 7 hits in 6.2 innings pitched. Leake wasn’t able to pick up his third win of the season, but he did drop his ERA to 2.91. What a wonderful season this kid is having.

Billy Hamilton was fun to watch tonight; he had a couple of hits and a walk, and every time on base was an adventure. Hamilton had one stolen base, then was caught trying to steal home (at least, that’s how it’s scored). Hamilton thought it was a balk, and the Nationals’ TV guys (especially color guy FP Santangelo) thought it was a balk, because Stephen Strasburg sped up/altered his delivery. If that’s the case, the Reds were denied a run that would have won the game, ultimately.

But that wasn’t all…in the bottom of the 14th, Logan Ondrusek did what Logan Ondrusek does: surrendered a leadoff double. With two outs, however, Hamilton made an incredible diving catch in center field to save the game and send it to the fifteenth inning. Beautiful.

(By the way, Brandon Phillips only went 1-7 at the plate, but he made a gorgeous game-saving defensive play — a diving stab of a liner — of his own earlier in the game.)

In the seventh inning, with one run across and a runner in scoring position in a 2-1 game, Sam Lecure entered the game. As usual, he stranded the runner and put out the fire. Jonathan Broxton followed that up with a scoreless eighth inning.

Chris Heisey had three doubles, the first time he’s accomplished that feat as a major leaguer. Skip Schumaker had a single, a double, and a walk.

It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but JJ Hoover pitched two scoreless innings. That’s something, right?

Negatives

The Reds have gone 3-39 with runners in scoring position the last two nights. Ugh.

Aroldis Chapman entered with the Reds leading 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning. After a leadoff double and two fly balls, the game was tied and Chapman had chalked up a blown save. Kudos to manager Bryan Price, however, for allowing Chapman to pitch the tenth inning as well.

In the 11th inning, Frazier led off with a single. Price then asked Neftali Soto — who had entered as a defensive replacement! — to lay down a bunt. After he embarrassed himself with that task, and after Frazier stole second to get into scoring position, Soto struck out. Later, in the 13th inning, Soto botched another sac bunt opportunity when Devin Mesoraco was gunned down at third. Soto is now 3-39 in his major league career.

This roster is so thin, it’s almost laughable. Kudos to GM Walt Jocketty for that one.

Bottom of the 11th, go-ahead run on third, and Ryan Ludwick stands still and watches strike three go right down the middle of the plate. We teach our nine-year-olds to protect the plate in that situation.

In the 14th inning — and this really happened — Price used his last position player, Ramon Santiago — to pinch hit. And bunt. Seems like using a pitcher might have been a better option, but what do I know? (Don’t answer that.)

Not so random thoughts

Well, that was a crazy game, frustrating and exciting all at the same time. I was a little disappointed that Aaron Harang didn’t get to pitch in relief for the Reds, though.

Devin Mesoraco was almost unstoppable until tonight, when he moved into the cleanup spot in the lineup. Mes proceeded to go 0-6. Baseball is a funny game.

As Nick Kirby noted, the Reds have gotten some outstanding starting pitching, mostly from unlikely sources. Johnny Cueto: 1.25 ERA, 0.71 WHIP; Alfredo Simon: 2.45 ERA, 1.03 WHIP; Mike Leake: 2.91 ERA, 1.02 WHIP.

Chapman blew the save, and Ondrusek was predictably bad, but the bullpen had a pretty good night overall: 8.1 innings pitched, two runs allowed on six hits (and Ondrusek surrendered half of those hits).

Now the Reds will have Johnny Cueto going to the mound tomorrow with a chance to secure a series victory for the good guys. Important win tonight.