Reds Beat Mets in 13 Innings

Even in Game No. 161. with the end of the season almost here, the Reds found themselves grinding out a dogfight of a game in extra innings.

To get a 5-4, 13-inning win over the Mets, the Reds turned to their bag of tricks, with a suicide squeeze by Drew Stubbs scoring Juan Francisco with the go-ahead run.

With one out in the top of the 13th against reliever Dale Thayer, Francisco slugged a triple to the center-field wall with a slide into third that barely beat the tag. Next up was Drew Stubbs, who bunted toward third base as Francisco broke for home.

Stubbs wasn't sure, but he thinks the last time he laid down a squeeze bunt was in college, several years ago.

"I can't remember the last instance," Stubbs said. "It's something you work on every day in your situational rounds of batting practice. It's not something you use very often. In a big situation like that, it's very important to be able to execute.

"In that situation, when you squeeze, you just do everything you can to get the bunt down on the ground and fair."

The ending of the game was even more out of the ordinary than the squeeze play. Though Sam LeCure earned the win with a perfect 12th, closer Francisco Cordero held on by the skin of his teeth to get his 37th save. He escaped the bottom of the 13th having allowed no runs, but not before issuing four walks and being charged with a balk.

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