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Griffey's walk-off blast sends Reds to comeback win

Jul 1, 2008 - 3:41 AM By Doug Tifft PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Ken Griffey Jr. did not get the start on Monday night for the Cincinnati Reds, but he certainly left his mark on the ballgame.

Griffey's hit his 603rd career homer in the bottom of the ninth, sending the Reds home with a 4-3 walk-off win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After David Ross led off the inning with a double, Griffey - who entered as a defensive replacement one inning earlier - took Pittsburgh closer Matt Capps' (1-3) changeup 393 feet to right field to give the Reds the victory.

"That's a great win," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "We haven't had one of those (walk-off wins) in a long time."

"You just have to be ready," said Griffey of entering the game late. "And I knew if it was close that I was going to have a chance to swing the bat. So, an opportunity came about and I was able to get up there and help the team win."

Despite his Hall of Fame reputation as a slugger, Griffey was not coming to the plate looking to end the game with one swing.

"I was just trying to get the guy over, but I happened to get a ball up in the air and it went out," Griffey said.

Francisco Cordero (3-1) worked a scoreless ninth for the win.

Griffey's fifth career walk-off homer denied Pittsburgh starter Paul Maholm his second straight win and fourth in six games. The lefthander went seven innings, allowing two runs and five hits with five strikeouts.

The walk-off blast also meant that Cincinnati starter Aaron Harang avoided his 11th loss of the season - a mark which would have tied Oakland's Joe Blanton and San Francisco's Barry Zito for the most in the majors.

Harang, who permitted three runs and seven hits with eight strikeouts over seven innings, has suffered from hard luck, receiving only 57 runs of support from his offense in his 18 starts this season.

"I felt really good tonight," Harang said. "I've been working on a couple of things the last couple of bullpen sessions and, tonight, it felt like it just started to click."

Adam LaRoche, who drove in all three runs for the Pirates, went 3-for-3 in the game, including a two-run home run in the third off Harang.