With six earned runs given up in the second inning, Liam Hendriks had a horrible start to the game. With two outs, Todd Redmond entered the game as a reliever and allowed two runs. Our chances of victory had dropped to 2% at this moment. Reds 8-0.
Edwin Encarnacion’s home run in the third inning gave us three runs, giving us a 5% chance to win. Reds 8-3.
In the fifth inning, Redmond gave up another score to give the Reds a 9-3 lead.
In the sixth, we added two more runs thanks to an RBI single by Adam Lind and a walk given to Jose Bautista with two outs. Reds 9–5.
In the seventh, we receive three more. Juan Francisco drove home two runs and Brett Lawrie hit a single home run. Reds 9–8
On a double by Dioner Navarro in the eighth, we knotted the game. 9–9.
Next, we defeated Aroldis Chapman 5 runs in the ninth inning. With an RBI double, Eric Kratz gave us our first lead. Melky Cabrera hit a single to bring home another. Encarnacion also scored his second home run of the encounter. Jays, 14–9.
Fourteen years prior:
Father’s Day is when John McDonald hits a home run. One of the few occasions I’ve ever stood up and applauded while watching a game on TV at home was after I completed the report.
You recall, I’m sure, that John had given the eulogy at his father’s burial two days before to the death of McDonald’s father, who passed away only five days earlier. John arrived at the game after all. It was only because we were losing badly that he entered the game.
“I want you to hit your next home run for me,” his father said to him. Additionally, I want you to point at me when you cross home plate.
Throughout his 16-year career, McDonald only hit 28 home homers. It was amazing that he hit one during that at-bat.
16 years prior:
Gibbons is fired by the Blue Jays. The Jays were 35-39 at the beginning of a season that was full of promise. Our previous year’s record was 83-79. David Eckstein and Rod Barajas were added. B.J. Ryan was recuperating from an injury. Frank Thomas was a second-year Jays player. The previous year, he had 95 RBI and 26 home runs.
They put Cito Gaston in lieu of Gibby. Under Cito, they did perform better, going 51-37 and leading the race until September, when they faltered and finished fourth in the AL East. Cito was more at ease. Gibby was aware that he would be fired if they lost. He played the game with the awareness that it may be his last.
For the next two seasons, Cito would be our manager, and he would finish fourth each time. We won’t name the manager who succeeded Cito, but Gibby came back after two more fourth-place showings.
