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Wily! Wily! Pena's blast wins it
Reds slugger comes through on his bobblehead night
By Hal McCoy
Dayton Daily News
CINCINNATI | They came to praise Wily Mo Pena and take him home with them in the form of a bobblehead doll.
And they thought it would be enjoyable if they could take home a Cincinnati Reds victory, too.
What they got was absolute Hollywood schtick and schmaltz — a Pena bobblehead doll and two home runs from the massive Dominican, including a two-out game-winning rocket into the left-field seats that broke a tie and ended it abruptly — Reds 11, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 9.
After taking a curtain call shortly after his 428-foot dagger into the hearts of the D-Rays, Pena locked himself in a room to lift weights, so next time he can hit two into the infield of Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.
When he emerged, he wondered if the Reds could declare tonight Wily Mo Pena Bobblehead Night and added, "I hope (tonight) is another one so I can have a game like (Wednesday). I'm happy for the team first because it was a great game for everybody."
Well, almost everybody. Not Eric Milton.
To win, the Reds had to overcome a 9-4 deficit and they did it with six home runs, including Pena's pair.
First, though, Ken Griffey Jr., picked off second base earlier in the game when the Reds were tied, singled ahead of Pena in the ninth to tie it, 9-9.
"We did the little things and fortunately I was able to redeem myself and tie the game so Wily Mo could take us home," said Griffey.
Some did the little things, Wily Mo did the big, big things and the crowd was able to take him home along with the chills of a stunning turnaround.
They cheered loudly when Pena came to the plate, almost as loudly as they booed Milton after he was pounded for a grand slam in the fifth inning by Eduardo Perez.
Asked before the game what it felt like to be immortalized, Pena looked as if he had been told his native Dominican Republic was on fire. He speaks as much English as his interviewer speaks Spanish.
But when asked if the bobblehead looked like him, Pena smiled broadly and said, "No ... I'm much bigger."
And he nearly brought the house down when he led the second inning with a 411-foot home run to the grassy knoll beyond the center field wall to tie the game, 1-1, and the house nearly toppled with his game-winner.
This, after missing 29 days with a strained left quadriceps and returning Tuesday when the Reds came from 6-1 behind to win, 9-7.
Joe Randa hit a two-run homer, Jason LaRue hit a solo homer, Adam Dunn and pinch-hitter Jacob Cruz hit back-to-back homers as the Reds scrambled from five runs down to the tie that put Pena in the spotlight on his night.
"The night was scripted very well for Wily Mo," said manager Dave Miley. "He does things like that and that's definitely what he is capable of doing."
Fortunately it wasn't Eric Milton Bobblehead Night because the Great American Ball Park grass would have been littered with them, mostly with the heads broken off.
He tempted fate by walking the first batter in the fifth. Pitcher Doug Wachter bunted in front of the plate and catcher Jason LaRue foolishly tried to get the runner at second. His throw skipped in the dirt and both runners were safe.
Carl Crawford doubled for a run and Julio Lugo beat an infield single to fill the bases.
Milton gives up home runs in his sleep, in his dreams and in his worst nightmares and the one to Perez on a 2-and-0 church offering was the 22nd off Milton in 70 innings.
Before the game, former Reds manager Lou Piniella, now piecing together lineups for the Devil Rays, sat in the dugout and said, "I like the ballpark, but the ball sure carries here. I don't blame hitters coming in here and overswinging and thinking home run. You can leave a series with two or three homers in your pocket."
So prophetic of Lou, who left with the sting of two straight defeats in games he knows his team should have won if his bullpen was populated by human batting practice machines.
When all the home runs but one had been launched, Ryan Freel started the ninth with a walk with the Reds down, 9-8. Then Randa walked ... two outs, none on.
Brightness turned to darkness when Sean Casey grounded into a double play.
The lights came on with Griffey's game-tying single and Pena's blast into the left-field seats. And what did Piniella have to say afterward? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He wasn't talking.
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Originally Posted by Sea Ray
i love how Wily mo feels that he needs to go improve him self after a 2 HR night and the game winning blast. He seems dedicated now. I think he has matured.. if you had those guns you'd think he wouldnt need to get them bigger but Wily Mo feels he should be better... i love thsis kid. * calls a cloning business* we need 25 replicas of Wily Mo Pena ASAP! 
