Reds 3, Twins 2

Pokey Reese is greeted by teammates after his game-winning hit.
(Craig Ruttle photo)
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Pokey Reese got the game-winning hit. But he deferred star of the game status to Juan Castro.

“That's the guy you should be talking to,” Reese said. “He did a great job. I just happened to get the game-winning hit.”

Reese's RBI single came in the 10th inning of the Reds' 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins before a crowd of 40,169 Sunday at Cinergy Field. Castro scored the winning run after getting aboard with a one-out double.

“It was a tremendous at-bat,” Reds manager Jack McKeon said of Castro, who saw nine pitches from Minnesota reliever LaTroy Hawkins.

Castro nearly won the game with a shot down the right-field line that missed the foul pole by a few feet.

“I was praying,” Castro said.

He fouled off two more pitches, all fastballs, before lining the ball up the middle. Castro took off running hard.

“I was thinking double,” he said.

Juan Castro scores the winning run.
(Craig Ruttle photo)
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When center fielder Jacque Jones bobbled the ball, it was no contest.

Next up, Reese.

“I've faced Hawkins tons of times,” Reese said, “in spring training and the minors. He usually gets me on fastballs. He was throwing all fastballs. I said, "If he throws me a fastball, let it fly.'”

Reese lined the ball up the middle. Jones was charging hard, but the ball bounced over his head.

The win completed a three-game sweep of the Twins. It also put the Reds back in first place in the National League Central, a half game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals.

“This is a big one,” McKeon said. “Now, we can get 10 games over, then 15 games.”

The Reds are 31-24, equalling their high water mark for games over .500 for the year.

Sunday was their 20th come-from-behind win. They are 13-3 in one-run games.

Dante Bichette homered for the fourth straight game.
(AP photo)
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“That shows you've got a pretty good bullpen,” McKeon said. “You have (Danny) Graves, (Scott) Williamson and (Scott) Sullivan who can go two innings.”

McKeon need every bit of the his bullpen Sunday. Starter Osvaldo Fernandez injured his throwing arm while batting in the third inning.

Elmer Dessens replaced him and gave up runs in the fourth and fifth to put the Reds behind 2-0.

The Reds tied it in their half of the fifth with a two-out rally. Ken Griffey Jr. started it with a single to right. Dante Bichette hit the next pitch from Minnesota ace Mark Redman out of left field to make it 2-2.

It was the fourth straight game in which Bichette has hit a home run.

The bullpen held the Twins from there. Sullivan and Williamson went two innings each to take it to extra innings. Graves (8-0) pitched the 10th and got the win.

After a rocky start to a 12-game homestand — they lost back-to-back series to Florida and Montreal — the Reds are 5-4.

“What's good is we're getting a lot of guys to contribute,” McKeon said. “Castro, (Chris) Stynes, (Michael) Tucker and Benny (Santiago) all have helped us.”

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