Hernandez's walk-off sends Reds to Opening Day win over Brewers
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
CINCINNATI — The 2011 edition of Opening Day in Cincinnati belongs to Ramon Hernandez.
Hernandez stepped to the plate with the Cincinnati Reds down to their final out. Trailing by two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the 12-year veteran simply sent the second pitch he saw into the right field bull pen, giving the Reds a 7-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park in walk-off fashion.
Not only did Hernandez help lift the Reds to their first win of the season with the 3-run, opposite-field home run, he propelled the reigning NL Central champions to their first Opening Day win since 2007, as they scored four runs in the final inning.
The Reds (1-0) clinched the NL Central crown in similar fashion last season when Jay Bruce hit a walk-off home run over the Houston Astros.
Thursday and the start of the 2011 season, though, belonged to Hernandez, who went 4-for-5 on the day, adding three singles.
"After I've been playing 12 years, for this to happen on Opening Day … it's amazing. For this to happen to the fans in Cincinnati, especially after last year, this will get people even more excited," Hernandez said.
"It's amazing. This is one of the best Opening Days I have had in my career, and I'm happy I helped my team win a ball game."
The last walk-off home run by the Reds to win on Opening Day was on April 4, 2005 by Joe Randa over the New York Mets.
The home run by Hernandez traveled 334 feet off of Brewers reliever John Axford, sending Joey Votto and Scott Rolen around the bases. Axford (0-1) was charged with the loss. The win went to Logan Ondrusek (1-0), who pitched a perfect ninth inning.
"I know he throws pretty hard and likes to use his fastball a lot, so I was trying to catch one of his fastballs and trying to hit it hard … trying to keep the inning going. He left it a little over the plate, and I hit it pretty well, and I hit it over the fence," Hernandez said.
"I hit it pretty well, and I know the ball travels pretty well here in right field."
For the Reds to even have a chance to gain comeback win No.1 this season (last year they had 45 comeback wins), it was up to the core of the lineup to produce.
Brandon Phillips led off the bottom of the ninth with a base hit to the centerfield fence, followed with a walk by reigning NL MVP Joey Votto. Scott Rolen, the third batter of the inning, hit into a fielder's choice but was safe at first after Phillips turned his body away from the tag at third, loading the bases.
With one out, Jonny Gomes hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Phillips. Then Hernandez etched his name into the history book of the Reds.
"The main thing is that we got it done," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "This is the first time we've won an opener since Walt (Jocketty) and I have been here."
Cincinnati collected three runs in the first eight innings, with Votto knocking in Phillips via sacrifice fly in the first inning. Drew Stubb homered in the fourth, and Votto hit a home run in the seventh. Last season, Votto hit a team-leading 37 home runs with 113 RBIs.
Baker talked about the swing of emotions in the ninth, as it looked as though the Reds were certain for defeat as some of the sell-out crowd had already left the ball park.
"First, you just try to stay positive and try to think something good is going to happen," Baker said. "Jonny kept the ball off the ground, and that gave Ramon another chance. This is how you win … figure out what they are trying to do to you and hit to the situation.
"Everyone was wondering if Ramon was going to be all right to play after missing some time in spring training. He told me he was fine, and I guess he was right."
Though the Reds pulled away with the win in the last at-bat, they had some missed opportunities against the Brewers, as they left 10 runners stranded on the bases, including four combined in the sixth and eighth innings. In the third inning, the Reds left the bases loaded.
"We kind of struggled to put together productive innings. Today we got some base runners but weren't able to capitalize and get them across," Reds centerfielder Drew Stubbs said. "I think it is a huge shot in the arm for us to start the year … it is always great to win the first one, and to do it in that fashion, it's even more special."
"You hate to see that (leaving runners on the bases)," Baker said. "They were getting some hits with runners in scoring position and we weren't, but if you keep putting them out there, sooner or later something is going to happen. The key is opportunities, and if you don't have opportunities, you don't have much of a chance."
The hits turning into runs Baker referenced came in the first inning when Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez became the first tandem to hit back-to-back home runs to start their team's season since the Reds did it in 1969. Weeks' 386-foot lead-off homer was the first leadoff Opening Day blast in the history of the Brewers' organization.
Giving up the home runs was Reds starter Edinson Volquez. Volquez gained the no-decision as he went six innings, allowing five runs (all earned) on seven hits, two walks. He allowed his third home run of the game in the fifth inning, a 421-foot shot to centerfield by Ryan Braun that put the Brewers up 5-2.
Volquez finished with 91 pitches, 63 for strikes.
After a rough first two innings where he allowed four runs on five hits, he ended his day with five strikeouts.
"I threw a lot of good pitches, Carlos Gomez hit a very good pitch … it happens," Volquez said. "Everyone knows what we can do, like last year we came back and won the game."
After the first two innings Volquez allowed one more run in the next four, settling down and giving up two more hits.
Volquez said the weather wasn't a factor today, as it was his first game in Ohio weather after spending the spring in Arizona. Game-time temperature was 41 degrees.
"I think I was a little bit excited in the first inning, after that I just calmed down and threw my pitches," Volquez said. "I just talked to myself to calm down and make pitches.
"All I can do is get ready for my next start, we have 161 games left."
Jordan Smith, Bill Bray and Sam LeCure also pitched in relief for the Reds. Starting the game for Milwaukee was Yovani Gallardo, who tossed six innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out three in his second Opening Day start.
The final run by the Brewers came in the seventh with Casey McGehee singling in Braun.
The Reds tallied 12 hits, four for extra bases, as they have an off-day Friday and will play again on Saturday night at 7:10 p.m. with Travis Wood taking the mound for his first start of the season.
GAME NOTES: This was Volquez's first Opening Day start … The Reds are 4-9-1 in their last 14 openers … Votto has homered in two straight Opening Day games … Weeks hit his 22nd career lead-off home run … On April 7, 1969, Pete Rose and Bobby Tolan combined for the feat of consecutive homers to lead off their team's season against Don Drysdale at Riverfront Stadium … The Reds played in front of a sell-out crowd of 42,398 … There were a combined 18 runners stranded … Gallardo threw 101 pitches, 69 for strikes … Gomes had the lone Reds' error.
BOX SCORE
MIL 310 010 100 — 6 9 0
CIN 100 100 104 — 7 12 1[[In-content Ad]]
Hernandez stepped to the plate with the Cincinnati Reds down to their final out. Trailing by two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the 12-year veteran simply sent the second pitch he saw into the right field bull pen, giving the Reds a 7-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park in walk-off fashion.
Not only did Hernandez help lift the Reds to their first win of the season with the 3-run, opposite-field home run, he propelled the reigning NL Central champions to their first Opening Day win since 2007, as they scored four runs in the final inning.
The Reds (1-0) clinched the NL Central crown in similar fashion last season when Jay Bruce hit a walk-off home run over the Houston Astros.
Thursday and the start of the 2011 season, though, belonged to Hernandez, who went 4-for-5 on the day, adding three singles.
"After I've been playing 12 years, for this to happen on Opening Day … it's amazing. For this to happen to the fans in Cincinnati, especially after last year, this will get people even more excited," Hernandez said.
"It's amazing. This is one of the best Opening Days I have had in my career, and I'm happy I helped my team win a ball game."
The last walk-off home run by the Reds to win on Opening Day was on April 4, 2005 by Joe Randa over the New York Mets.
The home run by Hernandez traveled 334 feet off of Brewers reliever John Axford, sending Joey Votto and Scott Rolen around the bases. Axford (0-1) was charged with the loss. The win went to Logan Ondrusek (1-0), who pitched a perfect ninth inning.
"I know he throws pretty hard and likes to use his fastball a lot, so I was trying to catch one of his fastballs and trying to hit it hard … trying to keep the inning going. He left it a little over the plate, and I hit it pretty well, and I hit it over the fence," Hernandez said.
"I hit it pretty well, and I know the ball travels pretty well here in right field."
For the Reds to even have a chance to gain comeback win No.1 this season (last year they had 45 comeback wins), it was up to the core of the lineup to produce.
Brandon Phillips led off the bottom of the ninth with a base hit to the centerfield fence, followed with a walk by reigning NL MVP Joey Votto. Scott Rolen, the third batter of the inning, hit into a fielder's choice but was safe at first after Phillips turned his body away from the tag at third, loading the bases.
With one out, Jonny Gomes hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Phillips. Then Hernandez etched his name into the history book of the Reds.
"The main thing is that we got it done," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "This is the first time we've won an opener since Walt (Jocketty) and I have been here."
Cincinnati collected three runs in the first eight innings, with Votto knocking in Phillips via sacrifice fly in the first inning. Drew Stubb homered in the fourth, and Votto hit a home run in the seventh. Last season, Votto hit a team-leading 37 home runs with 113 RBIs.
Baker talked about the swing of emotions in the ninth, as it looked as though the Reds were certain for defeat as some of the sell-out crowd had already left the ball park.
"First, you just try to stay positive and try to think something good is going to happen," Baker said. "Jonny kept the ball off the ground, and that gave Ramon another chance. This is how you win … figure out what they are trying to do to you and hit to the situation.
"Everyone was wondering if Ramon was going to be all right to play after missing some time in spring training. He told me he was fine, and I guess he was right."
Though the Reds pulled away with the win in the last at-bat, they had some missed opportunities against the Brewers, as they left 10 runners stranded on the bases, including four combined in the sixth and eighth innings. In the third inning, the Reds left the bases loaded.
"We kind of struggled to put together productive innings. Today we got some base runners but weren't able to capitalize and get them across," Reds centerfielder Drew Stubbs said. "I think it is a huge shot in the arm for us to start the year … it is always great to win the first one, and to do it in that fashion, it's even more special."
"You hate to see that (leaving runners on the bases)," Baker said. "They were getting some hits with runners in scoring position and we weren't, but if you keep putting them out there, sooner or later something is going to happen. The key is opportunities, and if you don't have opportunities, you don't have much of a chance."
The hits turning into runs Baker referenced came in the first inning when Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez became the first tandem to hit back-to-back home runs to start their team's season since the Reds did it in 1969. Weeks' 386-foot lead-off homer was the first leadoff Opening Day blast in the history of the Brewers' organization.
Giving up the home runs was Reds starter Edinson Volquez. Volquez gained the no-decision as he went six innings, allowing five runs (all earned) on seven hits, two walks. He allowed his third home run of the game in the fifth inning, a 421-foot shot to centerfield by Ryan Braun that put the Brewers up 5-2.
Volquez finished with 91 pitches, 63 for strikes.
After a rough first two innings where he allowed four runs on five hits, he ended his day with five strikeouts.
"I threw a lot of good pitches, Carlos Gomez hit a very good pitch … it happens," Volquez said. "Everyone knows what we can do, like last year we came back and won the game."
After the first two innings Volquez allowed one more run in the next four, settling down and giving up two more hits.
Volquez said the weather wasn't a factor today, as it was his first game in Ohio weather after spending the spring in Arizona. Game-time temperature was 41 degrees.
"I think I was a little bit excited in the first inning, after that I just calmed down and threw my pitches," Volquez said. "I just talked to myself to calm down and make pitches.
"All I can do is get ready for my next start, we have 161 games left."
Jordan Smith, Bill Bray and Sam LeCure also pitched in relief for the Reds. Starting the game for Milwaukee was Yovani Gallardo, who tossed six innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out three in his second Opening Day start.
The final run by the Brewers came in the seventh with Casey McGehee singling in Braun.
The Reds tallied 12 hits, four for extra bases, as they have an off-day Friday and will play again on Saturday night at 7:10 p.m. with Travis Wood taking the mound for his first start of the season.
GAME NOTES: This was Volquez's first Opening Day start … The Reds are 4-9-1 in their last 14 openers … Votto has homered in two straight Opening Day games … Weeks hit his 22nd career lead-off home run … On April 7, 1969, Pete Rose and Bobby Tolan combined for the feat of consecutive homers to lead off their team's season against Don Drysdale at Riverfront Stadium … The Reds played in front of a sell-out crowd of 42,398 … There were a combined 18 runners stranded … Gallardo threw 101 pitches, 69 for strikes … Gomes had the lone Reds' error.
BOX SCORE
MIL 310 010 100 — 6 9 0
CIN 100 100 104 — 7 12 1[[In-content Ad]]