Reds Keep Ohio Cup: Cincinnati Wins Series Against Cleveland Indians

The Reds took two-of-three from the Cleveland Indians over the weekend.

Friday: Reds 3, Indians 1

On Friday, Bronson Arroyo allowed a first-inning home run to Grady Sizemore then blanked the Indians over the next seven.  The win brought Arroyo's record to 6-3.

Arroyo was the beneficiary of a two-run eighth inning by the Reds.  Fresh up from Louisville, Jonny Gomes delivered a pinch-hit double.  Adam Rosales doubled home Chris Dickerson, who was running for Gomes.  Alex Gonzalez singled in Rosales to provide an insurance run.

Francisco Cordero shut down Cleveland in the ninth to get the save.

Saturday: Indians 7, Reds 6

Homer Bailey pitched very well in Spring Training despite losing the fifth starter spot to Micah Owings.  The Reds and their fans have been waiting for Bailey to live up to the hype that has surrounded him since the day he was drafted.

It did not happen on Saturday night.  He gave up six runs on three hits while walking six in 4 1/3 innings.

Joey Votto returned to the lineup.  He showed no sign of the dizziness that has bothered him over the last week and a half.  Votto homered his first two times to the plate, with the second being a 436-foot blast into the moon deck in right field.

David Weathers was responsible for the Cleveland run in the eighth that proved to be the winning run.  The loss was Weathers' first decision of the year.

Brandon Phillips left the game after hurting his thumb on a ground ball in the eighth.  X-rays confirmed a broken right thumb.  Phillips hopes to sit out for a couple of days and avoid the disabled list.

Sunday: Reds 4, Indians 3

What a day for a ballgame!  The sun would occasionally hide behind the clouds, just to cool us off for a few minutes.

Joey Votto was scratched from the lineup.

Homer Bailey was sent back to Louisville.  Utility player Wilkin Castillo was called up to take his roster spot.

The big play of the game came with two outs in the seventh.  The Reds were leading 3-1 when Grady Sizemore hit an RBI triple to right field.  Jerry Hairston's relay throw skipped by Adam Rosales at third base and Sizemore broke for home.  Jonny Gomes was backing up third base and fired a strike to catcher Ryan Hanigan.  Sizemore was called out at the plate. 

The call was then overturned because third-base umpire Rob Drake called obstruction, saying Rosales got in Sizemore's way at third base.  Of course, the replay was not shown in the park.  Television replays showed that Rosales was not in his way at all.

The horrible call allowed the game to be tied at 3.  It stayed that way until the bottom of 11th.  Ramon Hernandez led off the inning with a single.  Adam Rosales put down a perfect sacrifice bunt that advanced pinch-runner Paul Janish to second.  Alex Gonzalez ripped a ball to center off of Luis Vizcaino that scored Janish for the walk-off win.

Johnny Cueto started for the Reds.  He threw first-pitch strikes to 22 of the 29 batters he faced.  It was the seventh straight start in which Cueto has pitched at least seven innings.

David Weathers, Francisco Cordero and Arthur Rhodes each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.  Rookie Carlos Fisher made his Major League debut, pitching a scoreless 11th to earn the victory.