Randy Flores wasn't going to throw a strike to Ken
Griffey Jr. until he had to. When the time finally game, it was in the dirt.
Flores walked in the go-ahead run and gave up a
three-run triple to Brandon Phillips in the seventh inning, and the Cardinals
failed to secure the series sweep in Cincinnati with a 6-2 loss to the Reds at
Great American Ball Park on Thursday night.
Joel Pineiro, in his first start since coming off the
15-day disabled list, gave up just two runs on three hits through five solid
innings, but the St. Louis bullpen surrendered four runs -- all in the
disastrous seventh inning.
Mark Worrell gave up a one-out double to David Ross and
a walk to Andy Phillips before Flores was summoned to clean up the mess.
Flores, through, only made it worse. He got Corey
Patterson to hit into a fielder's choice, but followed with two consecutive
two-out walks -- first to Paul Janish, which loaded the bases, and then to Ken
Griffey Jr., which allowed to go-ahead run to score.
With the Cardinals now trailing 3-2, Brandon Phillips
made it worse when he smacked a three-run triple down the first-base line.
