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Rookie Bruce homers to lift Reds past Braves

Jun 1, 2008 - 1:24 AM By Doug Tifft PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Rookie phenom Jay Bruce continues to show why he was named baseball's No. 1 prospect by Baseball America prior to the start of the season.

Bruce made his first home run a memorable one, drilling a walk-off shot to deep right field off Manny Acosta in the 10th inning to lift the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-7 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

"I've got nothing to say right now. It's awesome," Bruce said. "That was my first walk-off home run ever. In my whole life."

Playing in only his fifth major league game, the 21-year-old rookie center fielder is 11-for-19 (.571) with four RBI and eight runs scored since being promoted from Class AAA Louisville on Tuesday.

"It's crazy (to think that I have only been here five days). This is the place to be for sure," Bruce said.

Bruce's talent is obvious, especially for those who have seen his game for a while.

"He's young and he can do some things that not a lot of people can do," said Reds rookie first baseman Joey Votto, who came up through the minors with Bruce. "He is up here doing some cool things at 21 years old."

Even those who have not seen Bruce for that long can recognize that he has the tools to be a superstar.

"How good can he be? ... No one knows," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of Bruce.

It was fitting that a game which featured six home runs would end in a walk-off blast in homer-happy Great American Ballpark, including the 599th of Ken Griffey Jr.'s career.

Griffey belted a two-run homer in the first off Atlanta rookie righthander Jair Jurrjens, leaving him one short of becoming only the sixth player in major league history to hit 600 career home runs.

With the milestone upon him, Griffey will have to face the increased pressure that comes along with it. His manager certainly is experienced in how to handle a slugger on the brink of such a milestone.

"I have been through that with Barry (Bonds in San Francisco), Hank (Aaron in Atlanta) and Sammy (Sosa in Chicago)," Baker said. "So, hey man, just enjoy it."

Jurrjens, who lasted just 4 1/3 innings in his shortest outing of the season, became the 339th different pitcher that Griffey has homered off in his career.

Griffey, who had three RBI on Saturday, connected for his 597th home run on April 23, then went 90 at-bats - the second-longest homerless drought of his career - without hitting 598. It only took 29 more at-bats before Griffey connected for 599 on Saturday.

"You can tell (that he was going to hit one). He has has been swinging the bat great, hitting line drives at everybody," Baker said. "Sooner or later you are going to elevate one."

Brandon Phillips followed Griffey with his 11th home run of the season. The two first-inning blasts tied the total that Jurrjens had allowed all season entering the game.

After a 41-pitch first inning Jurrjens allowing six runs on nine hits.

The Braves used the long ball to rally from a 5-2 deficit. Mark Teixeira had a three-run homer, Greg Norton added a two-run shot and Jeff Francoeur hit a solo home run that gave Atlanta a 7-6 lead..

A controversial call in the bottom of the ninth kept the game going into extra innings for the second straight game.

Cincinnati's Adam Dunn started the inning with a leadoff walk. After Ryan Freel came in to pinch-run, Joey Votto lined a double to right that came inches away from ending the game.

David Ross then grounded out to Acosta (3-2), but Freel narrowly beat the throw home and scored on a controversial play that could have given Atlanta the victory.

"That was beautiful by Dunn to get on, and that was a very heads-up play by Freel," Baker said. "I mean, he was safe. He timed it perfectly," Baker said.

Francisco Cordero (2-0) worked a scoreless 10th for the win.

Atlanta dropped to 0-5 on the season in extra-inning games and suffered the 20th consecutive one-run loss on the road, a streak that dates to 2007. The 20 losses are tied for the second-longest such streak in major league history, behind Kansas City, which lost 21 straight one-run road games from 2000 to 2001.