The Reds already had their three-game series with the Astros won with two victories before Wednesday, but that’s not quite enough when the opponent has 100 losses and you’re in a dogfight to the end for a playoff spot.
It took five hours and 18 minutes, several missed chances and a few hair-whitening moments for both sides before the Reds eventually got their sweep. They eked out a 6-5 victory over Houston in 13 innings on Jay Bruce’s third double of the game, a two-run knock, while Billy Hamilton reached five times and stole four bases in his first big league start.
“It doesn’t matter, as long as you win,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “If you’re going to be out there for that long, you might as well win. That was some game. It wasn’t the prettiest game.”
The second-place Pirates dropped their third straight game to the Padres while the Cardinals beat the Rockies to keep the Reds 2 1/2 games out of first place and a half-game behind Pittsburgh, where the Reds — now a season-high 21 games over .500 at 87-66 — will open a three-game series on Friday after a day off.
A Nationals loss to the Braves put the Reds’ magic number to clinch the second NL Wild Card spot at five.
Part of a stretch of 6 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the bullpen after Manny Parra was charged with two runs in the sixth, Reds reliever Alfredo Simon came through for a victory with three innings of work.
“I just tried to keep the game like that, until we could score the run,” Simon said. “It was a big game for us. I tried to do the best I could to keep a zero on the board.”
Simon, who pitched three innings on Monday, escaped a big threat in the 12th. Chris Carter hit a single to right field, followed by a sharp roller into right by L.J. Hoes. Simon struck out Matt Pagnozzi and with his 53rd pitch of the night, got Brandon Barnes to fly out to right field.
“That was about his limit,” Baker said. “That’s a very valuable man that reminds me of Pedro Borbon that can throw that much and still be effective.”
In the top of the 13th against Jorge De Leon, Hamilton reached for the fifth time by drawing his second walk of the game. Hamilton then notched his fourth steal of the night by taking second, despite a pitchout, and became the first player in the live ball era to record four steals in his first start.
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