Cincinnati Reds Lose in 19 Innings: Was Brandon Phillips Mental Lapse the Cause?

What was Brandon Phillips thinking while at second base in the 11th inning? He had been hit by a pitch by Kyle Kendrick and was moved to second when J.C. Romero walked Joey Votto.

There was only one out, and the score was tied at four. Was he busy having a conversation with shortstop Jimmy Rollins? Was he distracted by a fan in the crowd?

Whatever he was doing, he clearly was not minding the store. The promise of a big inning vanished when he was easily picked off by southpaw reliever Romero.

Romero proceeded to walk Scott Rolen, which would have put Phillips at third had he not been sent to the dugout. Jay Bruce, who had already homered in the 10th, was then walked, which would have forced Phillips in to score the go-ahead run.

Instead the bases were loaded for Ramon Hernandez, who hit a weak fielder’s choice to the shortstop. Phillips could have saved them eight more innings and so much time.

To the casual observer who looks only at highlights on SportsCenter or reads the box score, the culprit would appear to be closer Francisco Cordero.

Cordero blew his second save in 11 opportunities by surrendering a 10th-inning blast that left the yard by Ryan Howard and let the game continue.

The game continued, and reliever Carlos Fisher pitched nearly as long as did starter Travis Wood. Fisher was tagged with the loss, while second baseman Wilson Valdez was credited with the first win of his MLB career.

The game lasted 19 innings, 42 players were used and it took six hours and 11 minutes to complete. It was not close to the longest ever, however. In 1984 the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers (then in the AL) played 25 innings in eight hours and six minutes.

The game of baseball is made up of "what ifs?" If Hernandez had hit a single, the Reds could have gone ahead and possibly won.

If Drew Stubbs had not struck out in the eighth inning with Edgar Renteria on third, maybe he would have scored.

This is not the first time Phillips has had lapses in judgment or a loss of focus. He has been in the doghouse of Dusty Baker on a couple of instances for baserunning blunders.

He once hit a fairly routine fly ball to center field that should have been caught. He jogged instead of sprinted and was thrown out easily at second base when he could have had a triple.

Being picked off base has to be one of the most embarrassing things a player can do. It is the mental mistakes that kill you.

As Yogi Berra once said, "Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical."