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StumbleuponREDS 8, PIRATES 6
Ramirez, Votto lead Reds in rally past Pirates
Thursday, September 04, 2008
CINCINNATI — A decision that faced the Cincinnati Reds was decided by a strained right groin.
The decision? Josh Fogg or Ramon Ramirez?
Fogg is 2-7 with a 7.58 earned run average. It isn't likely he'll be with the Reds next season.
Ramirez is 0-0 with a 2.70 ERA in two outstanding appearances in the last week, his first two major-league appearances. There is a chance Ramirez will be with the Reds next season.
Shouldn't he be pitching instead of Fogg? The Reds didn't see it that way Thursday and Fogg started — giving up five runs and four hits in three innings.
Then he trundled home from third base in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly and strained his right groin.
The soon-to-be 26 Ramirez, a right-hander, replaced Fogg and pitched three perfect innings — nine up, nine gone — as the Reds worked their way methodically back into the game and beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-6, scoring three runs in the eighth.
It isn't likely Fogg will make his next start, so Ramirez steps in, continuing his audition for next season and beyond.
"That's why we put Ramirez into the game in that situation," said manager Dusty Baker. "This was a potential start day for him. Fogg's groin situation is a dangerous situation for a pitcher.
"The way the young man (Ramirez) has pitched he certainly earned the right to start," Baker added. "The way the kid is throwing, how do you not consider giving him strong consideration?"
In his major-league debut, an emergency start last Saturday, he held the San Francisco Giants to three runs and five hits over seven innings and turned a 6-3 lead over to the bullpen, which promptly blew it up and Ramirez received no decision.
"My confidence was very high today and every time I pitch I try to be positive," said Ramirez. "I'll be ready any time they need me, in the bullpen or starting. I'm working hard and I'm ready for anything."
Said Baker of Ramirez's day, "He threw great, just excellent. When you're down 5-0, that's what you want — a guy to come in and throw zeros. Stop the scoring, give us a chance to come back. Impressive. He doesn't appear nervous, rattled or scared. And he throws strikes, including off-speed pitches for strikes, which is great for a young pitcher."
After falling behind, 5-0, with Fogg on the mound, the Reds chipped away, or as Baker put it, "We slow-walked 'em with a bunch of ones until we could get that crooked number (three in the eighth)."
The Reds scored one run in each inning from the second through the sixth to tie it, 5-5. And it was 6-6 in the eighth when the Reds filled the bases and Joey Votto poked a tie-breaking, game-winning single.
"He is a clutch RBI man and he is getting better, that's what I like," said Baker. "He is more confident and more comfortable."
Said Votto, who also homered in the fifth and batted .382 in August and drove in 18 runs, "Just one of those stretches and I don't know why. We're trying to win as many games as we can to transfer into next year and I'm trying to do as well as I can and hope that transfers into next year as well."
Votto had two hits, drove in two and scored one. Jay Bruce also homered, his 15th. Votto's was his 17th and the Reds will be baseball's only team with two rookies with 15 or more home runs.
Amazingly, the No. 9 spot in the batting order had four straight hits. Fogg singled in the third, Ramirez singled in the fourth, his first major-league hit, pinch-hitter Andy Phillips singled and scored a run in the sixth and pinch-hitter Corey Patterson beat out a bunt single in the eighth.
The victory enabled the Reds to avoid being swept and Baker said, "It was important because they were gaining on us, trying to get out of the cellar. Sure didn't start out too good, down 5-0.
"What I like is that we executed — a number of bunts and some double plays," said Baker. "We played a good game."
