CINCINNATI – Ryan Franklin was dumbfounded.
As he watched Reds pitcher Micah Owings round the bases on his two-out, pinch-hit homer in the ninth, the previously perfect St. Louis closer was reminded that there’s no margin for error at Great American Ball Park.
“That’s an out anywhere else,” Franklin said of the solo homer that barely cleared the left-field wall. “That’s what happens.”
The Reds hit five homers, including two solo shots in the ninth off Franklin (1-0) to tie it, but Colby Rasmus’ double in the 10th inning sent St. Louis to an 8-7 victory Sunday that salvaged the final game of the series.
“That was a blast,” said Jay Bruce, who hit one of the Reds’ five homers.
It was dramatic right down to the 401st and final pitch – Paul Janish fouled out with the bases loaded to end it after 4 hours, 23 minutes.
“What a game,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “Good luck asking me questions because I don’t remember much of anything except a 1-2 slider that Janish popped up. I can’t think of anything else that happened, really.”
METS 8, PIRATES 4: Livan Hernandez survived a shaky start to go six innings as host New York won its seventh in row.
Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo and Omir Santos each drove in a pair of runs for the Mets, who haven’t lost since May 2 at Philadelphia.
BRAVES 4, PHILLIES 2: Casey Kotchman had three hits and three RBI, and Kenshin Kawakami pitched six effective innings as Atlanta rallied in Philadelphia.
Kotchman hit a two-out, two-run single off Jack Taschner (1-1) in the seventh inning to give the Braves a 3-2 lead. He also had an RBI double in the ninth.
ROCKIES 3, MARLINS 2: Aaron Cook pitched six solid innings, and Troy Tulowitzki homered to lead host Colorado.
Cook (2-1) allowed two runs – one earned – and four hits, helping the Rockies snap a three-game skid.
ASTROS 12, PADRES 5: Miguel Tejada and Carlos Lee each drove in four runs as host Houston ace Roy Oswalt won his first game of the season.
Oswalt (1-2) gave up four runs and six hits in six innings.
DIAMONDBACKS 10, NATIONALS 8: Chris Snyder and Eric Byrnes each drove in three runs as host Arizona gave manager A.J. Hinch his first victory, ending a three-game skid.
GIANTS 7, DODGERS 5, 13 inn.: Randy Winn hit a tiebreaking two-run single with the bases loaded in the 13th inning and finished with four hits as San Francisco won at Los Angeles.
