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Sizemore's hit lifts Boston over Reds in 12 innings

May 7, 2014 - 6:24 AM Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Grady Sizemore's drive off the base of the Green Monster scored David Ortiz in the 12th inning, giving the Boston Red Sox a dramatic 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night in the first game between the teams in six years.

Ortiz led off the 12th with a single through the right side off Logan Ondrusek (0-2) and went to second on Mike Napoli's single.

He trotted home after neither Ryan Ludwick nor Skip Schumaker could chase down Sizemore's hit on a first-pitch fastball.

Earlier, Ludwick's sacrifice off Junichi Tazawa tied the score in a two-run eighth inning for the Reds.

The teams began a two-game series -- the first of two they will play this season.

It's the third regular-season series between the teams since Cincinnati beat Boston in the 1975 World Series. The Red Sox swept a three-game set at home in 2005 and took two out of three in Cincinnati in 2008.

Sizemore and Napoli each knocked in two runs and Sizemore had three hits for the Red Sox, who improved to 4-3 on an eight-game homestand.

"Grady has gotten some consistent at-bats," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "He went through a little bit of a stretch where there wasn't much to show for it, but a number of good swings over the last few swings. None bigger than to walk things off here tonight."

Joey Votto got Cincinnati's eighth-inning rally started with a one-out walk, going to third base on Brandon Phillips' double. Todd Frazier followed with a line-drive single to left field, scoring the first run, and Phillips made it home easily on Ludwick's sacrifice fly to right, tying the score at 3-3.

The Reds were feet away from taking a two-run lead in the ninth against Red Sox closer Koji Uehara when Tucker Barnhart flied out to the warning track in right with Zack Cozart on base.

Cozart, who led off with a single, later failed to score from third base on Chris Heisey's bunt single, which was fielded by Uehara in front of the mound.

Dustin Pedroia hit a one-out single for Boston in the ninth, but was caught trying to steal second. Shane Victorino and Ortiz both walked with two outs and Victorino stole third, but Sam LeCure got Napoli on a grounder to end the inning.

The Reds had a two-game winning streak stopped after taking the last two of a four-game series against Milwaukee to go 4-2 on a rain-shortened homestand.

Starter Homer Bailey allowed three runs on five hits and five walks in six innings with five strikeouts.

"Kind of uncharacteristic of me, but I just didn't have the right feel tonight," said Bailey. "Just one of those games."

Red Sox starter Felix Doubront gave up one run on five hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings, striking out three. The lefty remained winless in his last six starts despite leaving the game with a 3-1 lead.

Pedroia scored Boston's first run on Napoli's check-swing ground out in the first inning. It came after Ortiz grounded out on a would-be double play ball except Victorino was called safe at second base.

The Reds tied the game in the second on Schumaker's bloop RBI single to center field.

But the Reds intentionally walked Ortiz to load the bases in the third inning, leading to a pair of Red Sox runs. Bailey walked Napoli to force in the first, then gave up an RBI single to Sizemore that made the score 3-1.

Doubront came out after walking two batters in the sixth and Burke Badenhop threw just one pitch, getting Schumaker on a double play to end the inning.

Game Notes

Craig Breslow (1-0) pitched around a Phillips single in the 12th inning to get the win ... The teams will play another two-game series in Cincinnati on Aug. 12-13 ... The Reds will be without right fielder Jay Bruce for possibly up to a month after he had surgery Monday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.