Stupid Birds Lose Again

What a great game! It feels that way in retrospect, anyway. I can vaguely recall being ready to give up hope when White came into the game. Luckily, Griffey just about erased that memory with a game-winning three-run shot in the 9th. His second in the game and in New Busch Stadium. I believe there are now no current ball parks that have not witnessed a Ken Griffey Jr. home run. He's hit home runs in 43 parks, tied for first all time-with Fred McGriff.

Griffey got a standing ovation from me in my apartment all by myself last night. I'm sure there were at least a few people in the crowd and at their own homes standing for him, too. His 9th inning homer put the Reds up 8-7. Todd Coffey kept it as such and got his third save.

Griffey hit his first home run, a solo, in the 5th to put the Reds up 3-2. The bad Encarnacion (Juan) threw in a two-run homer in the bottom of the 5th to put the stupid birds in the lead. Claussen was done after the 5th.

Rick White pitched the 6th. He gave up a two-run homer to Chris Duncan so he could be like Claussen. The Reds are down 6-4 in the 6th thanks to crappy pitching. Despair begins to set in. But then Lopez scores on a sacrifice fly in the 7th. It's 6-5 now! But then Estaban Yan has to join the home run party, giving one to Yadier Molina. Alas! It is the end of the 8th and the good team is behind 7-5. Fear not, dear reader. The Reds still had a few tricks up their sleeves.

Isringhausen came in to pitch for the stupid birds. Lopez doubled. Then Aurilia was walked. Griffey then came striding to the plate. Isringhausen was so in awe of his bedazzled awesome that he threw the ball into the ground, a wild pitch, and the runners advanced. It meant nothing however, because shortly thereafter Griffey smashed a ball out to the seats in right field and strode away from the plate as all the land rejoiced. Well, not really, as they were in St. Louis. So, all the land grumbled and whined, while here in the great kingdom of Cincinnati, all rejoiced.

It wasn't exactly the pounding I had hoped for with the absence of Poo-Holes, but it's just about as good.