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Encarnacion's walk-off homer dooms Diamondbacks

Apr 3, 2008 - 4:38 AM By Doug Tifft PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Edwin Encarnacion was having a tough night until one swing of the bat changed everything.

Encarnacion belted a three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Cincinnati Reds a 6-5 comeback victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Prior to his late-inning heroics, the third baseman committed a costly throwing error that triggered a two-run fifth in which the Diamondbacks grabbed a 4-3 lead. At the plate, Encarnacion was hitless in his first three at-bats, striking out twice.

"That's going to happen to anybody," Encarnacion said of his early struggles. "I was thinking, 'Keep my head up. Don't worry about the error I made. Keep my head up and keep working.'"

Encarnacion got his shot at redemption.

With the Reds trailing, 5-3, after eight, Brandon Phillips opened the ninth with a single to right field off Brandon Lyon (0-1).

"My job being the leadoff hitter of the inning is just to go up there and try to get on base," Phillips said. "I did that."

After Adam Dunn followed with another single to left-center, Encarnacion belted Lyon's two-strike fastball into the left field stands to send the Reds to their first win of the season.

"I put myself in a bad situation and just couldn't make enough quality pitches to get out of it," Lyon said. "I was trying to go away and left it over the plate - and maybe even in - and he put a good swing on it."

"I just tried to make contact with two strikes and put the ball in play, but I am glad that I got a home run to win the game," Encarnacion said.

Phillips knew what his teammate was capable of and told him to keep his head up after the early struggles.

"He made an error at the beginning of the game," Phillips said. "I told him, 'Don't get down, even the good players make errors. Later on in this game, you are going to end up winning this game for us.' He looked at me as he was walking towards the plate and we both smiled at each other."

The victory also was the first for new manager Dusty Baker, who signed a three-year deal with Cincinnati in October in an effort to help the team snap its streak of seven consecutive losing seasons.

Despite surrendering a hit and two walks in the top of the ninth, Jeremy Affeldt (1-0) picked up the win.

The rally spoiled Dan Haren's debut with the Diamondbacks.

Haren, who was the centerpiece of an eight-player trade with Oakland in December, tossed six frames, allowing three runs and four hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

However, what should have been a good night for the righthander was ruined by Encarnacion and a touch of the flu.

"I didn't have as much energy, but once you get out there, the adrenaline takes over," Haren said.

Phillips finished with two hits and two RBI for the Reds.

Stephen Drew belted a solo homer and Haren drove in a run for the Diamondbacks with a sacrifice fly.