Riverfront Stadium shook with renewed energy on Monday night as the Cincinnati Reds clawed their way back into the League Championship Series. Trailing the series 2–0, the Reds leaned on Omar Vizquel’s all-around brilliance and a late offensive surge to power past the Kansas City Royals 9–5 in Game 3.
Vizquel, who entered the game hitting .333 in the postseason, turned in one of the finest performances of his Reds tenure. He went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, three runs scored, and two RBI — including a fifth-inning solo blast that helped ignite Cincinnati’s middle-inning rally.
Shannon Stewart delivered the knockout blow in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run homer off Mike Stanton, putting the Reds up 9–5 and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Early Trouble, Midgame Breakthrough
Kansas City jumped out early, scoring in the first and third innings to build a 3–1 lead. But the Reds punched back in the fifth — a solo shot from Vizquel and a two-run homer from Eric Davis turned the deficit into a 5–3 Cincinnati lead.
Kansas City responded with two in the top of the seventh to tie the game, but the Reds didn’t flinch. In the bottom of the eighth, Cincinnati strung together five hits off Stanton and Kenny Rogers, including Stewart’s longball and Vizquel’s RBI double, capping a four-run outburst that broke the tie and sealed the win.
Reds Bats Roar
- Omar Vizquel: 3-for-4, HR (1), 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI
- Shannon Stewart: 3-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, SB
- Eric Davis: 2-for-5, HR (2), 3 RBI
- Fernando Vina: 3-for-4, 2B, R, RBI
- Kevin McReynolds: HR (1), BB, 2 R
Royals’ Effort Falls Short
Despite 11 hits, Kansas City couldn’t keep pace. Quinton Veras had a pair of doubles and scored twice, and Jeromy Burnitz drove in two with a pair of hits, but the Royals stranded six and were shut down by Arthur Rhodes over the final 2.2 innings.
Pitching Lines
- Joey Hamilton (CIN): 6.1 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
- Arthur Rhodes (W, 1–0): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
- Denny Neagle (KC): 6.1 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 3 HR allowed
- Mike Stanton (L, 0–1): 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, HR allowed
Cincinnati’s win cuts Kansas City’s series lead to 2–1, with Game 4 set for Tuesday at Riverfront Stadium. The Reds will hand the ball to veteran righty Jose Rijo, while the Royals counter with southpaw Rheal Cormier in what promises to be another high-stakes battle in this back-and-forth October showdown.