Cincinnati Reds
Maloney picks up his first W
By C. Trent Rosecrans, CNATI.com Posted September 17, 2009 10:33 PM ET
Four innings was a long time for Matt Maloney to wait.Maloney went five innings on Thursday night, the minimum to earn a win, and after throwing 96 pitches in those five innings, he retired to the clubhouse and waited for the Reds' bullpen to do its job so he could pick up his first big league victory..
Ramon Ramirez, Arthur Rhodes, Nick Massett and Francisco Cordero did what they've been doing most of the season -- shutting teams down. The Reds' bullpen is third in the National League with an ERA of 3.61 and haven't allowed a run on this homestand.
"I was in here (the clubhouse) talking to Homer (Bailey) and trying not to think about it too much," Maloney said. "I was a little anxious, but Coco, Massett, Ramon and Rhodes came in and nailed it down. It was a great job by the bullpen tonight."
The four relievers needed just 44 pitches to cover the four innings and give Maloney and the Reds the 3-2 victory over the Marlins in the first game of the four-game series against a team still in the playoff chase. With the loss, Florida fell to five games behind Colorado in the Wild Card hunt. The Reds have now won eight straight games at home and nine straight against the Marlins at Great American Ball Park. The last Florida win here in Cincinnati was April 19, 2006.
Cordero took the NL lead in saves with his 38th and his fourth in four days and fifth in six days.
"He told me he was OK, he hasn't thrown that many pitches," said Baker. Cordero threw 10 pitches Thursday and has 44 in his last five appearances combined. "It'd be different if he had a 25-, 35-pitch inning somewhere, but he hasn't. He's been doing it with the minimum of pitches and the same with Massett. (Cordero's) the save leader now and hopefully he can keep that lead."
After waiting out his four innings, Maloney got a shower of beer from his teammates, to go along with the lineup card and gameball. He'll be giving the lineup card and ball to his father, Joe, who was in attendance along with the rest of his family and his fiance, for safekeeping.
Maloney wasn't even scheduled to pitch Thursday. He got the assignment on Wednesday after Johnny Cueto fell ill with flu-like symptoms.
Maloney had last pitched on Sept. 8, but had to leave after five innings with a blister on his left middle finger. That blister has gone down for the most part, but he can still feel it.
"It was sore, but I was able to get through it and keep the ball down for the most part, except for Ross," Maloney said.
Because of the blister on his finger, he was down a pitch, unable to throw his cutter.
"I wanted to throw it, but it was just a little tender when I tried to throw it," Maloney said. "My sinker was good and I threw that more than I have in my other starts."
Maloney had the benefit of an early lead, as Darnell McDonald led off the Reds' first with a solo home run and Jay Bruce knocked in two later in the opening inning. That was enough, as Maloney didn't surrender a run until the fifth inning when he gave up a pair on a Hanley Ramirez single and a Dan Uggla double.
The Red bullpen was able to keep the lead for Maloney and then deliver him the gameball.
"It's fun for me to give him the lineup card," Baker said. "Back in the day, I wish I had mine. Back then, those things weren't as important to people as they are now. That's something he'll always have from his first win."
Categories: Cincinnati Reds, Featured Stories, News
Tags: Cincinnati Reds, Darnell McDonald, Dusty Baker, Florida Marlins, Matt Maloney
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