Reds Hang On In Wild One Over D’Backs.

After a great start to the game it seemed it was going to be a rout, it turned into a nail biting chomping ending for the Reds on Wednesday night at Great American Ballpark.

The Reds eventually won the game 10-7 over the D’backs but they had an 8-0 lead through the first four innings and had to hang on and avoid disaster.

In a game where we thought it was gonna be a runaway for Cincinnati they needed closer Aroldis Chapman to earn his first ever two inning save when he took over in the top of eighth for an injured Jonathan Broxton. Chapman also had to hit for the first time and probably the last because Dusty Baker did not properly double switch when he had to replace Broxton.

Shin Soo-Choo lead off the first inning with a homerun to left off of D’backs starter Brandon McCarthy, his 6th leadoff homerun of the season. In the second inning, Reds unusual used four straight two out hits that included a Mike Leake RBI ground rule double and a Choo two run single, Reds lead 4-0 at that point.

In the third inning, more consecutive hitting this time it was three straight one out hits, included a Devin Mesoraco two run single, to make it 7-0. Joey Votto RBI single scoring Choo in the 4th to make it 8-0. You thinking game over right?

Leake retired the first 10 batters he faced until he allowed a Martin Prado one out single in the fourth.

Arizona scored four runs in the fifth against Leake to make the game interesting. Final line for Leake 6IP, 4ER, 6H, 0BB, 3SO getting win number 11 of the season.

D’backs kept battling got another run in the seventh against Manny Parra and JJ Hoover the run came with two outs. Broxton came in for the eighth, Gerardo Parra doubled off the left field wall. The ruling was a double but the play was reviewed and the umpires ruled it a homerun.

Then things unraveled for Broxton and the Reds in the inning. He walked the next batter on four pitches and had to exited the game with an elbow inury. It’s likely he will be headed back to the disabled list.

Baker had to go get Chapman from the bullpen, but with the pitchers spot due to bat third in the bottom of the 8th he didn’t ask for a double switch.

Chapman walked a batter with one out, he got a ground ball off of the next batter to shortstop. Former red Didi Gregouris slide into Brandon Phillips at second to broke up the double play and forced an errant throw that went off of Votto’s glove allowed a run to score for Arizona to make it 8-7.

Chapman’s first at bat of his career ran it to a full count but struck out, still got an standing ovation by the GABP crowd. Next batter Choo singled his fourth hit of the game. Todd Frazier cane up and with probably the ugliest swing ever lined a RBI single to center to make it 9-7. Reds got one more on a Phillips infield RBI single.

In the ninth inning, Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth despite having the tying run at the plate. He threw a career high 35 pitches earning his 32nd save of the year. The win helped the Reds picked up a game in the NL Central and moved to 2.5 games out of first place Pirates.

Today’s pitching match up for the finale of the four game series and the season matchup will be Mat Latos and Trevor Cahill. First pitch is at 12:35pm, you can catch the game on MLB Network or listen to it on the radio (700 WLW).