The Reds were down to their final out Thursday, trailing by a run in the last regular-season game at Great American Ball Park this season. The club had been shut out, managing just three hits to that point and facing Brewers closer John Axford, who had converted 15 consecutive save opportunities.
But Todd Frazier wasn’t ready for it to end just yet. The rookie sent the first pitch he saw from Axford 422 feet to straightaway center to tie the game at 1 and keep the Reds alive.
Jay Bruce followed with his first hit of the game, a ground ball single through to left field to bring Dioner Navarro to the plate.
Navarro worked Axford to a full count, blasting two long flies foul down the right-field line before ripping a 3-2 curveball into the gap in right-center field. The triple scored Bruce from first, gave the Reds a 2-1 win and made Navarro the hero for the second time in three days.
“It’s a great feeling, man,” said Navarro, who was 2-for-3 with two RBIs in Wednesday’s 4-2 win. “It was a tough at-bat. I just wanted to put the ball in play and make something happen. I knew Jay was going to be running, and I tried to make something happen. Fortunately enough, the ball found the gap.”
The Reds’ 11th walk-off win puts them at 94-62 on the season and just behind the Nationals (95-61) for the best record in the National League. Washington defeated Philadelphia on Thursday night.
After finishing in the top 10 in the NL in runs scored in every month this year, the Reds have posted just 72 runs so far in September — the second fewest, ahead of the Dodgers.
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