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As if it weren’t bad enough to spend 81 days in Cincinnati (that sounds like a forthcoming Michael Moore documentary- the plight of… um, what do they make there?), the Reds also have to make their yearly pilgrimage to the city that hates them back.

The Philllies have won 11 of their last 12 games against the Reds at Citizens Bank Park. 11-of-12. The streak started with a 4-3 win on July 8th, 2009. That was the third game of a four game series. The Phillies had won the opening game, 22-1. The next day, they lost, 4-3, but began their consecutive sellout streak, which is, obviously, still ongoing.

They went on to win the final game of that series, 6-4. But that was just the beginning. It really started getting funner last July.

One year to the day of that 4-3 win, the Phillies opened a four game set against the Reds. What has happened since has been nothing short of incredible.

July 8th, 2010

Phillies 4, Reds 3

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Things didn’t start off well for our Ohioan friends. While covering first early in the game, Johnny Cueto took a ball flush to the nuts. Not only that, but he also somehow managed to grab Shane Victorino’s cup, all as part of an odd play that allowed Jimmy Rollins to score. Victorino, of course, was picked off on the next play, but the damage had been done. Cueto was doubled over in pain and the Phillies had the lead, 2-1.

They would go on to win the game, 4-3, thanks to a Brian Schneider walk-off in the 12th inning.

 

July 9th, 2010

Phillies 9, Reds 7

Sounds innocent enough, no? No.

Down 7-1 in the bottom of the ninth, with two men on and one man having already scored, Greg Dobbs came to the plate. Greg. Dobbs. Boom: Home run. 7-5.

After a walk to Ben Francisco, Cody Fucking Ransom stepped into the box. Boom: Home run. 7-7.

The score would remain that way until the bottom of the 11th… when The Big Piece inserted himself into the chalky white box next to Reds catcher Corky Miller. Boom: Oppo Boppo (do we capitalize that?). Phils win, 9-7.

 

July 10th, 2010

Phillies 1, Reds 0

Surely if Reds rookie Travis Wood took a perfect game into the ninth inning against Roy Hallday, the Reds would emerge victorious, no? No.

Carlos Ruiz promptly broke up Wood’s bid for history with a double to center field. He would remain stranded on third base to end the inning, however.

The score remained 0-0 until the the bottom of the 11th. Ruiz again stepped to the plate… and doubled- again. Two batters later, after the Reds walked pitcher Wilson Valdez and got Ross Gload to fly out, Jimmy Rollins singled in Ruiz. Phils win, 1-0.

 

July 11th, 2010

Phillies 1, Reds 0

By the time the final game of the four-game set rolled around, the Reds were busy suffering from victim’s remorse and trying to figure out if it was something they did. Maybe they shouldn’t have served dinner cold? Didn’t matter. The Phils won again, 1-0, thanks to 7 2/3 innings of shutout ball from Colbert Hamels (who would throw a complete game shutout against the Reds in Game 3 of the NLDS).

 

Oh hey… speaking of the NLDS, the Red were back in Philly on October 6th, 2010

Phillies 4, Reds 0

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Um, yeah, Roy Halladay threw only the second no-hitter in postseason history.

 

October 8th, 2010

Phillies 7, Reds 4

After taking 4-0 lead in Game 2 of the series, the Reds looked poised – no, no, destined – to send the series back to Cincy tied at one game a piece. No? No.

The Phillies scored two runs in the fifth, added another in the sixth, then Rollins smoked a 100 M.P.H. pitch from Aroldis Chapman into right field… Jay Bruce lost it in the lights and two runs scored. 5-4 Phillies. They tacked on two more runs and won, 7-4. Hamels would sew the series up with the aforementioned complete game shutout.

 

May 23rd, 2011

Phillies 10, Reds 3

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Coming into CBP with revenge on their minds, the Reds would face the Phillies, who essentially hadn’t hit the ball in 10 days. Of course, they arrived just in time to welcome back Mr. Chaseton Utley. The Phillies touched up rockstar Bronson Arroyo for nine runs in 2 2/3 innings. Hamels got the win – again – and so did the Phils, 10-3.

 

May 24th, 2011

Reds 6, Phillies 3

YAY THE REDS WON! THE REDS WON! MANDATE: GET IT ON!

 

May 25h and 26th, 2011

Phillies 5, Reds 4

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Halladay, ace, surrendered a 3-0 lead. With the score tied, 3-3, in the top of the 10th, the Reds went up one, with a home run by the redemptive Jay Bruce. In the bottom of the inning, The Big Piece entered the batter’s box. Boom: home run. Tie game.

The Phillies would shut the Reds down with the arms of Kyle Kendrick, J.C. Romero, David Herndon, Danys Baez, and WILSON VALDEZ, before winning the game in the bottom of the 19th inning.

Valdez, who started the game in the field, got the win. He became the first player to do that since Babe Ruth, in 1921.

 

May 26th, 2011

Phillies 10, Reds 4

Just hours after history, the Reds quickly fell behind, 4-0. For the second game in a row, against another ace, they came back to tie the game.

It didn’t last.

The Phillies quickly regained their lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Cliff Lee – this multi-trick pony – smoked a bases loaded double that bounced over the center field fence. 6-4 Phillies. With another run on the board, Lee again came to the plate in the seventh and lined a single into center field, scoring John Mayberry Jr. 8-4 Phillies.They would add two more runs, winning the game, 10-4. It marked the 11th time in 12 games at CBP that the Phillies beat the Reds.

 

Nut shots, come from behind wins, blown perfect games, no-hitters, unlikely heroes, star returns, pitching hitters and hitting pitchers… just another day with the wacky, and wonderful, Cincinnati Reds.

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