A Year to Remember

Just two weeks ago, the Cincinnati Reds clinched the NL Central and Pitcher Homer Bailey threw a no-hitter. Can they continue their magic season?

By Greg Ackerman

The Cincinnati Reds are having a year to remember. After a rough 2011 season, the Reds have bounced back nicely.

The Reds have received a boost from rookie of the year candidate Todd Frazier, who stepped in nicely for All-Star Joey Votto when he went down with a knee injury on July 15, third year reliever Aroldis Chapman, who assumed the role of closer in late May, and starting pitcher Johnny Cueto, who finished the season with 19 wins.   

The Reds signed Ryan Madson to close during the offseason, but Madson went down with torn ligament in his right elbow, needing Tommy John Surgery and forcing him to miss the 2012 season. Sean Marshall assumed closer duties, but struggled early on. Chapman has taken over as closer, and has emerged as one of the elite closers in Major League Baseball, topping 35 saves and 100 strikeouts, putting him in consideration for the National League Cy Young Award.   

Chapman has been the anchor for the best bullpen in the Majors, with a league best 2.68 ERA. When Chapman took over as closer, he had not allowed an earned run through 21.1 innings and had a ridiculous 38 strikeouts and only seven walks. Chapman also appeared in his first career All-Star game in July.  

Cueto went 19-9 this season with a 2.78 ERA, putting him in consideration for the Cy Young Award.  

On September 22, the Reds faced the Dodgers with the chance to clinch the division.   After three scoreless innings, Jay Bruce hit his 34th home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth to give the Reds a 1-0 lead.   That was all the support Mat Latos would need, who pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out seven. Cy Young Candidate Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth to cap a 6-0 Reds victory, giving the Reds their second National League Central Title in the last three years.  

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Six days later, Homer Bailey threw the fifteenth no-hitter in Cincinnati Reds history, the first since Tom Browning’s perfect game on September 18, 1988 and the seventh in Major League Baseball this season. Bailey had a history of dominating the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his first five career starts against Pittsburgh, he was 5-0 with a 1.40 earned run average and the only three complete games of his career.  

Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett pitched an excellent game himself. The only run of the game was scored in the first inning when Todd Frazier drove in Brandon Phillips with an RBI single, giving the Reds an early one run lead. Burnett did not allow another run after that and finished the night with eight innings, one earned run, and five strikeouts.  

Bailey allowed a baserunner in the third inning when Clint Barmes reached on a Scott Rolen fielding error and. He then sat down the next 12 batters, but allowed a walk to Andrew McCutchen in the seventh inning. McCutchen stole second base, but was thrown out trying to steal third on the next pitch.

  

"Everybody knows McCutchen is fast," said Bailey in an interview with MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon. "I didn't care if he stole second or third, I was just trying not to give up a hit, trying not to get him to score. A lot of that credit has to go to Hanigan. I'm not always the quickest to the plate. He makes me look good.”

Bailey entered the ninth inning having thrown 99 pitches. He struck out pinch hitter Brock Holt to begin the ninth, then got Michael McKenry to fly out. Bailey then faced Alex Presley, who popped up to Brandon Phillips, completing Bailey’s no-hitter.  

Unfortunately, Reds manager Dusty Baker was absent for both the division clinching game and the no-hitter due to a mini-stroke. Baker returned Monday from an 11 game absence.  

The Reds are one of the favorites to win the World Series, and they hope to continue their magical performances during the postseason. With a healthy lineup, deep starting rotation, and the league’s best bullpen, they just might win their first World Series since 1990.