Miley's ninth-inning gamble gives Reds some momentum

[CincyRedsFan30]

Miley's ninth-inning gamble gives Reds some momentum

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | Dave Miley not only earned his managerial spurs Wednesday in Busch Stadium, he earned a pair of rattlesnake boots, a silver belt buckle and a fully saddled Palomino.

When he intentionally walked Larry Walker to fill the bases with one out and a one-run lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the ninth, the word "sheer" was muttered throughout the press box: sheer madness, sheer stupidity . . . then sheer luck and sheer genius.

Take your pick. It worked, even though putting a bat in Albert Pujols' hands in that situation is like giving an ice pick to Jack the Ripper and telling him, "Now play nice."

Pujols, batting .388 for his career against the Reds, obliged by bouncing into a double play and the Reds won, 6-5.

Does this put Miley in the pantheon of managers such as Casey Stengel? If so, is it the Stengel who won umpteen championships with the New York Yankees or the Stengel who once lifted his ball cap and a bird flew out?

Miley remained jittery after the game and when somebody started to ask about the strategy he interrupted and said, "Do you have to?"

Oh, yeah.

"If Walker puts the ball in play, he ties or wins the game," said Miley, explaining why he intentionally walked the Cardinals outfielder to fill the bases. "I don't like to walk anybody in that lineup."

After the walk, third baseman Joe Randa leaped to intercept a high grounder, stepped on third for a force, fired to first to get Pujols . . . game over, and one could have filled the Hindenberg with the air of relief expelled in the Reds dugout.

"Randa made a great play, so what we did looked good," Miley said. "If Pujols hits it off the wall, it would have been talked about differently."

After a day off to reflect on the sheerness of it all, Miley needs to put something supernatural together for tonight. He might be a genius, but now he needs to be a miracle-worker.

The Houston Astros are the opposition tonight in Great American Ball Park and they've beaten on the Reds — 11 straight victories — like a 3-year-old pounding a cheap drum.

And call it a double whammy with a Texas twist because Houston's pitcher is Roy Oswalt, who probably could send his sister to the mound and she would beat Cincinnati if her last name is Oswalt.

For his career, Oswalt is 12-0 against the Reds, who talk about him as if he is Roy Hobbs, The Natural.

If Miley asks if anybody wants the night off, the line might extend from the dugout to the clubhouse dining room.

Clearly, if the Reds intend to be better than last season, intend to contend, they need to start treating the National League Central like a fun playground instead of a losing battleground.

Against their NLC brethren last season, the Reds were stepped-on children — 14 games under .500 at 38-52.

They couldn't even beat up on the teams below them in the standings, going 9-10 against fifth-place Pittsburgh and only 10-8 against last-place Milwaukee.

They were 5-14 against division and National League champion St. Louis, 6-11 against second-place Houston and 8-9 against third-place Chicago.

So far in this embryonic season, they are 1-4 against the NL Central, 0-3 against Houston and 1-1 against St. Louis.

And Miley needs to stir things up immediately.

Sixteen of their next 19 games are against the entire roster of the NL Central.

"We know we have to beat the teams in our division, do a better job than we have been doing because every game won or lost is a two-game swing in the standings," Miley said.

It could be an early burial or a quick vault to the top.

[missionhockey21]

I am glad Miley realizes how serious it is for us to win now in the division.

Anyway, that play was real lucky.... imagine if we had Larson at 3B still, we would be on a 5 game losing streak. Great play by Randa, really saved both Graves and Miley's butts.

[CincyRedsFan30]

I am glad Miley realizes how serious it is for us to win now in the division.

Anyway, that play was real lucky.... imagine if we had Larson at 3B still, we would be on a 5 game losing streak. Great play by Randa, really saved both Graves and Miley's butts.

Yup. It sounds like he's really motivated and that the team might be too.

We would definitely be on a five-game losing streak right now if we still had Larson at 3B. Randa is such a gritty player. Maybe it will lead to fewer Grave(s) Situations this year.

[missionhockey21]

Randa really seems like a player from another era. Just an everyday player, not trying to show off or make Sportscenter. All he wants the is W and he isn't affraid to get his jersey dirty while playing at 110% to do it.

[missionhockey21]

Randa has a 18.73 RC/27. lol

[volzok]

I think if Larson was our 3B, the Reds would be 0-8 with an outside chance of 1-7 . Every game the Reds have won, Randa has played the major impact with the bat and glove.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Randa has a 18.73 RC/27. lol

Wow!!! LOL

[redsrbetter]

Honestly I would have done the same thing as Miley in that situation. You have to set up for the DP. Or else you risk at least a tie game after Walker hits it anywhere in play. Which is easily done Graves vs. Walker. Then you would have Pujols up after that with a man on third and 2 outs for the chance to win it. It was risky but a great decision.

We probably will not have a thread without saying how great Randa has been for a while, so I will continue to agree that he is our man right now.