NEW YORK – Trailing by three runs in the ninth inning against the best team in baseball, the Cincinnati Reds' rally started with the improbable and ended with the unbelievable.
There was Jonathan India fouling changeup after changeup with the Reds down to their final strike and the tying run at third base. Once India finally saw a fastball, he hit a flare into center field for a two-run single to put the Reds ahead for a 4-3 victory on Tuesday.
The New York Yankees had a 49-0 record when leading after eight innings until the Reds' four-run rally. Yankees closer Clay Holmes entered with a 0.46 ERA, but he didn't record an out against the five batters he faced.
In the middle of a disappointing season, here were the Reds refusing to back down and silencing the Yankee Stadium crowd of 40,235.
"That’s an unbelievable win," India said. "I think that’s our best win of the year. It shows a lot of fight and who we are, what kind of team we are. I’m just happy we did it with this group because this group doesn’t stop fighting ever."
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It was one of those stunning wins that defied expectations. Holmes had allowed two earned runs all season and he gave up four Tuesday. He had no control of his sinker and he opened the door for the comeback: Walk, single, hit by pitch, single, hit by pitch.
Former Reds reliever Wandy Peralta replaced Holmes and nearly walked the tightrope with the bases loaded and no outs in a one-run game. Peralta induced a pair of groundballs and they both turned into outs at the plate.
India stood as the Reds' last chance and the crowd was so loud Peralta kept cupping his ear so he could hear the headset in his cap with the catcher's signs. Every one of India's swings came on pitches outside of the strike zone, fouling three straight changeups before he delivered the go-ahead hit.
"There is not a tougher at-bat," said Reds Manager David Bell, who overheard several players saying it was their favorite win of the season. "Jonathan wants to be up in those situations."
Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson said India's go-ahead hit gave him flashbacks to the team's series in San Diego last year. The Reds lost that game after rallying in the ninth inning in front of a sold-out crowd, but India's go-ahead homer was a signature moment in his Rookie of the Year campaign.
Maybe India's two-run single Tuesday will have a similar effect. It's been a tough sophomore season for India, but he's begun to look better in the batter's box.
As much as India helped win the game with his bat, his arm likely saved a run in the seventh inning. Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres lined a pitch off the base of the wall in center field. The ball bounced away from center fielder Nick Senzel and it looked like it would turn into an easy triple.
Senzel lobbed the ball toward the infield as Torres rounded second base. India fired a dart to third baseman Brandon Drury for the out to erase the potential leadoff triple. Torres looked in disbelief from the dirt when the umpire signaled he was out.
"I thought for sure he was going to be easy standing up," India said. "I don’t know what happened. My back was turned. I just heard Farmer saying, ‘three, three.’ I said I’m just going to wing it as hard as I can, I don’t care if it goes in the stands."
Said Bell: "I thought there was no chance. It took a perfect throw and that’s what he did."
India's defense showed up again in the ninth inning when he started a game-ending double play, which required a replay review to confirm the final out. India fielded the ball behind second base and made an underhand flip to shortstop Kyle Farmer, who did a pirouette before firing to first base.
It was a remarkable comeback for a Reds lineup that was shut down all evening by Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, who struck out 11 in seven innings. The Reds finally were back to full strength with their lineup, an extremely rare occurrence this year.
"It’s a very good lineup," India said. "Top to bottom, you’ve got solid hitters in there, guys that can do a lot. Guys that can, hit for power and just hit the ball, be simple. It was a good showing by us. Gerrit Cole was on his stuff tonight. We battled."
The comeback doesn't happen without the contributions from the Reds' bullpen, which permitted two hits in four scoreless innings. Rookie starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft found himself in a two-run deficit after 10 pitches, but he completed five innings while giving up three runs.
The Reds are on a five-game winning streak, their longest of the season. They're 21 games under .500 because of their 3-22 start to the season, but players want to show the team's potential before their roster changes at the trade deadline.
"Everybody in the clubhouse believes that we’re a lot closer than our record says," Bell said. "We’re a couple of steps away from being a really good team. You can’t talk about it. You have to go out and do it. It’s nice to be rewarded with some wins of late."
The beauty of baseball, a team mired in a miserable season can align the stars against one of the league's most unhittable pitchers for an astonishing comeback.
"It was," Stephenson said, "an unforgettable game."
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