Saturday, August 18, 2001
Brewers 5, Reds 1
Awed Dunn aids Rijo with big catch
By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Reds right fielder Adam Dunn, who made two nice running catches Friday night, including one in the eighth inning to help out Jose Rijo, knew the magnitude of what he witnessed before 29,214 fans at Cinergy Field.
Rijo, 36, made a scintillating comeback of two innings of scoreless relief after a six-year layoff.
“Bases loaded, one out (in the ninth) and he reached back and threw some unbelievable pitches,” Dunn said. “The crowd was cheering. I had goosebumps out there.”
Dunn's two nice plays came in a 5-1 loss to the Brewers. But history will forget the game itself on this beautifully clear evening that was awash in a golden glow named Jose Antonio Rijo.
Baseball occasionally gives you great moments like this. Aged warrior saved by a fast, young gun. Past meets future, and the present wins. It won't be quite so easy to forget this was the Reds' sixth straight loss. And if the Reds continue at this pace — they are 18-42 at home and appear certain to shatter the all-time franchise record for home losses (52) — history certainly won't forget that.
But the continued solid play of relatively new Reds Dunn and leadoff hitter Todd Walker at least gives the fans some hope that a full season with these guys and a healthy Ken Griffey Jr. may just not be this moribund.
“We're not playing well now, but it's going to come,” Dunn said.
Dunn was glad to hear the cheers in the ballpark Friday.
He had been booed in the top of the fourth inning when he tried but failed to cut off a ball hit toward the line and his momentum took him out of position to field the carom. Jeromy Burnitz turned it into a triple.
“The ball slices away from you out there,” he said. “It's different than left.”
He then made a promise to anybody within earshot.
“One day I'm going to be good out there,” he said. “I'm going to keep working at it. I'm going to make myself a good outfielder.”
Dunn is a converted infielder/pitcher who did not become an outfielder until he turned pro, and has only been at the pro game for three seasons. Almost the entirety his pro outfield play has been in left field, until the Reds moved him to right soon after his arrival because of his strong arm.
It's hard to imagine Dunn being displaced from right field now.
Until you listen to him.
“I have a good arm, but Austin Kearns' arm is unbelievable,” he said. “I think I'm just keeping it (right field) warm for him.”
The Reds had a season-high walkup of almost 5,000 fans hoping to see Jose Rijo on Danny Graves' bobblehead doll night. Other than Rijo, the Reds' highlight had to be the bobblehead doll, because there wasn't a lot else good that happened. With a home record like this, the Reds' front office should have found a way to rig the doll so that its head shook from side-to-side, instead of bouncing up and down.
This is a team that leaves you shaking your head.
The Reds didn't get good starting pitching (Lance Davis gave up five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings), they mustered only one run and their best fielding play came by converted outfielder Dmitri Young. He made a nice barehanded grab and throw in the top of the seventh.
Suddenly, the crowd woke up at exactly 9:31 p.m. when Rijo got up in the Reds' bullpen with two outs in the Reds' 7th and Griffey Jr. at the plate. Griffey grounded out, but Rijo came running in from the bullpen and got a standing ovation.
“I was so excited I didn't know whether to throw the ball to the plate or run it up there,” said Rijo, grinning.
He pitched two scoreless innings, striking out Richie Sexson and Jose Hernandez back-to-back with the bases loaded in the ninth.
Rijo darn near took first baseman Sean Casey's hand off with a high five.
“Jose! Jose! Jose!” chanted the crowd.
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Brewers 5, Reds 1
