The Reds outlasted the Blue Jays to win 7-6 in the tenth inning in Sarasota yesterday.

Brandon “Pickle Man” Claussen got his second spring training start. He allowed two earned runs on five hits in four innings of work. He's well on his way to getting into the seventh inning, like he promised after his last start.

Jimmy Journell and Matt Belisle each contributed a scoreless inning of relief and Brian Shackelford contributed two scoreless innings. Jason Standridge's two strike outs in his inning of work were drowned out by the two home runs he allowed to blow the lead. Allan Simpson came in in the tenth to walk one, strike out one, give up an unearned run on an error he himself made, and get the unearned win in the bottom of the inning.

Third baseman Edwin Encarnación continued his spring training hotness by going 2-for-3. Dewayne Wise went 1-for-2 with a home run in the seventh inning. It was Wise's second home run of spring training, making him only the second Red with more than one home run.

The win brought the Reds record to 7-5.

Another Saturday, another post to RHM's Red Hot Diaries. This time I want to type a few words about EE - Edwin Encarnacion. Going into this afternoon's ST game against Toronto he had five homers and 12 RBI. Nobody else even had two, except now Dewayne Wise hit one off Francisco Rosario in today's game. So they're tied now.

Last year, the Reds parked Felipe Lopez on the bench and gave Rich Aurilia the starting job at SS. Once Aurilia got hurt, all Lopez did was have ann all-star year and one of the best offensive seasons by a shortstop in Reds history. Who knows what he might have accomplished if he hadn't started the year playing behind Aurilia.

Thankfully, it doesn't look like they'll get the chance to make the same mistake with EE. He's not only hitting, he's played errorless ball over there at the hot corner. Something tells me EE isn't going to be hitting in the eight hole this year. You don't hit a guy like EE in front of the pitcher where he's pretty much guaranteed to see diddly squat to swing at, you stick him in the middle of the lineup somewhere and let him drive in runs in bunches.

I only saw EE once in the minors, a game here in Buffalo between the Bisons and the Bats last May. EE went 0-for-4 with a K, but Andy Abad (now with the Reds) climbed the left field wall to rob him of a dinger. EE also made a great defensive play that day by going deep in the hole to snag a grounder and start a 6-4-3 DP. He's the real deal. I'm going to be really upset with Jerry Narron if this kid starts the season playing behind Aurilia or anybody else.

“The Dominican Babe Ruth” indeed. Ruth played for the Yankees. I'm for calling him “The Dominican Tony Perez.”

HMZ

P.S.: The final is in from Sarasota: Cincinnati 7, Toronto 6, 11 innings. :-)))

This week's podcast includes:

• Saturday's win over the Yankees
• Sunday's loss to Tampa Bay
• Monday's tilt against the Phillies
• Tuesday's titanic struggle with the Blue Jays
• Wednesday's battle against the Twins
• Wednesday's other battle against the Pirates
• Thursday's more successful battle agains the Pirates
• Friday's triumph over the Yankees
• The roster cuts
• Poor, poor Barry Bonds

Red Hot Mama Reviews Reds News for March 11, 2006. (2.6 MB, 3:45)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Reds rallied in the ninth to win over the group of scrubs posing as the Yankees yesterday. The Reds walked off with a score of 5-4 in Sarasota.

Phil Dumatrait got the start and allowed one run on four hits during the course of three innings of work. Kent Mercker held the Yankees scoreless in his one-inning long first appearance. David Weathers allowed a run in an inning of relief, and Elizardo Ramirez allowed two runs in two innings. Chris Hammond and Ryan Wagner contributed scoreless innings, with Wagner getting the win.

Rich Aurilia, Tuffy Rhodes, and Austin Kearns each contributed an RBI. Guy-Whose-Name-You're-Probably-Beginning-to-Remember Dewayne Wise had a hit and a run scored. Chris “Heartthrob” Denorfia put the ball into play that, after an error, allowed the winning run to score.

The win brings the Reds record to 6-5. Today the Reds host the Blue Jays at 1:05 p.m.

BRADENTON, FL -- After the 2-1 loss to the Reds on Thursday, the Pirates were quick to blame their poor luck on Mother Nature.

The Reds score came on a two-run home run from Reds' third baseman, Edwin Encarnación. The home run was the 23-year old's fifth in six games in the 2006 spring training season. By comparison, slugger Adam Dunn hit four home runs in 23 games in last year's spring training season.

Nevertheless, Pirates pitcher Ian Snell credited the 20-27 mph wind, not the baseball prodigy, with the home run he allowed.

“You just laugh when one goes out like that. I thought Chris Duffy actually was going to have to come in on it, and he ended up at the wall,” said Snell. “I also laughed when the bright sun caused me to walk Dunn twice, as well as when a lower-than-usual dew point limited me to a single strike-out against a team that features Wily Mo [Peña].”

Snell was so pleased with his loss that he couldn't stop smiling.

“Oh, man, it felt great out there,” Snell said, smiling. “Everything was working.”

Asked about his pitcher's befuddling happiness about defeat, manager Jim Tracy was understanding.

“Go easy on the kid,” said Tracy. “He just lost to the Reds.”