GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NL: MILWAUKEE (56-45) at CINCINNATI (43-59)

Valentin's game-winning single in 10th lifts Reds past Brewers

<h3>CINCINNATI 6, MILWAUKEE 5</h3>CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Javier Valentin singled home the winningrun in the 10th inning to give the Cincinnati Reds a 6-5 victoryover the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.


The win gave the last-place Reds three wins over the NationalLeague Central Division-leading Brewers in the four-game series.

Adam Dunn led off the bottom of the 10th with a double to deepleft field off Milwaukee closer Francisco Cordero. EdwinEncarnacion followed with a single under rookie third basemanRyan Braun's glove.


That set the stage for Valentin, who ripped Cordero's two-strikeoffering into left field, scoring Dunn with the winning run.

Cordero (0-3) took the loss after blowing the save in the ninthinning. The righthander allowed two runs on five hits and awalk in 1 1/3 innings.


Rookie Jared Burton (2-1) pitched a perfect 10th inning torecord the win for the Reds.


Cincinnati pinch hitter Norris Hopper led off the bottom of theninth with a double to right field off Cordero, then scored thetying run on a single up the middle by Scott Hatteberg.

Cordero eventually got out of the inning by inducing a doubleplay grounder by Brandon Phillips.


The Brewers had taken a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning when CoreyHart singled home Bill Hall. Hall led off the top of theeighth with a double to deep right field off reliever ToddCoffey. After Kevin Mench grounded out to Coffey, Hart followedwith a single to center, plating Hall with the go-ahead run.

Ken Griffey, Jr. snapped an 0-for-13 slump with his 25th homerun off Milwaukee starter Dave Bush in the first inning. Helater doubled off the glove of Tony Graffanino at first base toplate Hatteberg with the second run of the game in the third.

The Brewers tied the game with a pair of runs off Reds starterRyan Livingston in the fourth. J.J. Hardy doubled to start theinning and Braun, who had a seven-game hitting streak stopped onWednesday, singled to plate Hardy.


Griffey's third hit of the game, a single with two out in thesixth, led to a bases loaded at-bat for Jeff Keppinger.Keppinger delivered a two-run single on a 3-2 pitch to make it4-2.


Braun hit his 17th home run to lead off the sixth, andGraffanino his ninth homer of the season to tie the score atfour in the seventh.


Making his first start at home this season, Livingston pitchedsix innings, allowing three runs on five hits. The rookielefthander struck out one and walked one.


Bush struggled through 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs onseven hits, walking three and striking out four.

 

Valentin's game-winning single in 10th lifts Reds past Brewers

<h3>CINCINNATI 6, MILWAUKEE 5</h3>CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Javier Valentin singled home the winningrun in the 10th inning to give the Cincinnati Reds a 6-5 victoryover the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.


The win gave the last-place Reds three wins over the NationalLeague Central Division-leading Brewers in the four-game series.

Adam Dunn led off the bottom of the 10th with a double to deepleft field off Milwaukee closer Francisco Cordero. EdwinEncarnacion followed with a single under rookie third basemanRyan Braun's glove.


That set the stage for Valentin, who ripped Cordero's two-strikeoffering into left field, scoring Dunn with the winning run.

"It's good. I'm not going to change," said Valentin, who "feltlost" in his first four at bats. Valentin had a walkoff singlein the Reds' 12-inning victory over the Brewers on Monday.

"I knew I was going to be mobbed," Valentin said. "I toldmyself to enjoy it and not cry but those guys hit hard."

Cordero (0-3) took the loss after blowing the save in the ninthinning. The righthander allowed two runs on five hits and awalk in 1 1/3 innings.


"I had to send Frankie back out there," Milwaukee manager NedYost said. "(Chris) Spurling pitched two innings last night and(Matt) Wise threw 25 pitches plus we have a doubleheader onSaturday."


Yost was confident his closer could pull the team through.

"It was one of those things," Yost said. "Any time you can putthe ball in play off Frankie, you have to tip your hat to thehitter. He's been in tough situations all year and when heneeds a strikeout, he went and got them."


Rookie Jared Burton (2-1) pitched a perfect 10th inning torecord the win for the Reds.


Cincinnati pinch hitter Norris Hopper led off the bottom of theninth with a double to right field off Cordero, then scored thetying run on a single up the middle by Scott Hatteberg.

Hopper tried to bunt his way on but hit a little flare behindfirst base that Tony Graffanino could not reach.


"I made a good pitch. I'm not mad at myself," Cordero said."It was a slider down and away. It was the pitch I wanted tomake but I'm facing big league hitters. The only little mistakeI made was getting a pitch a little up to Hatteberg. I thoughthe was going to bunt."


Cordero eventually got out of the inning by inducing a doubleplay grounder by Brandon Phillips.


"I consider Cordero to be one of the best closers in the league,and to do that against him is fantastic," Cincinnati interimmanager Pete Mackanin said. "That was a real nice team efforta nice win with a depleted bench. Hopper. I like to watch thatguy play. I don't know what it is, but he makes me smile."

The Brewers had taken a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning when CoreyHart singled home Bill Hall. Hall led off the top of theeighth with a double to deep right field off reliever ToddCoffey. After Kevin Mench grounded out to Coffey, Hart followedwith a single to center, plating Hall with the go-ahead run.

Ken Griffey, Jr. snapped an 0-for-13 slump with his 25th homerun off Milwaukee starter Dave Bush in the first inning. Helater doubled off the glove of Tony Graffanino at first base toplate Hatteberg with the second run of the game in the third.

The Brewers tied the game with a pair of runs off Reds starterRyan Livingston in the fourth. J.J. Hardy doubled to start theinning and Braun, who had a seven-game hitting streak stopped onWednesday, singled to plate Hardy.


Griffey's third hit of the game, a single with two out in thesixth, led to a bases loaded at-bat for Jeff Keppinger.Keppinger delivered a two-run single on a 3-2 pitch to make it4-2.


Griffey was a triple short of hitting for the cycle.

"You can't lead the league in doubles if you hit triples,"Griffey said. "Triples are overrated. Two guys would have tofall down for me to hit a triple. They don't pay for triples."

Braun hit his 17th home run to lead off the sixth, andGraffanino his ninth homer of the season to tie the score atfour in the seventh.


Making his first start at home this season, Livingston pitchedsix innings, allowing three runs on five hits. The rookielefthander struck out one and walked one.


Bush struggled through 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs onseven hits, walking three and striking out four.