Here are Reds' best Opening Day moments

CINCINNATI -- No city does Opening Day like Cincinnati. The first game of any season is always special, but the Reds have made some openers more memorable than others.

Because of their status as baseball’s first professional team, almost all of the Reds’ Opening Day games have been played at home -- giving Cincinnatians something to look forward to every winter.

Without further ado, here are the top five Reds moments on Opening Day:

1. Rose races home from second on a wild pitch
April 4, 1974
This game almost had so much going on in one day. In the top of the first inning for the Braves, Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth for the lead on the all-time list with his 714th career home run. It also happened to be legendary radio voice Marty Brennaman’s first regular-season game behind the microphone for the Reds. Vice President Gerald Ford threw the ceremonial first pitch and was also at Riverfront Stadium to see Aaron make history.

The day belonged to the Reds, however. Pete Rose went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a walk and three runs in the 7-6 win over Atlanta. Rose hit an RBI double to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth to force extras. He hit a two-out double in the 11th and scored the winning run by coming home from second base on a wild pitch. It was another play for the ages by the future all-time hits leader.

2. Hernandez slugs a walk-off home run
March 31, 2011
Catcher Ramon Hernandez was 4-for-5, but it was his three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth that defeated the Brewers, 7-6, on a blustery day at Great American Ball Park.

Cincinnati trailed, 6-2, after 6 1/2 innings before scoring one run in the bottom of the seventh and rallying in the ninth. Against closer John Axford, Brandon Phillips led off with a single and Joey Votto walked. A fielder’s choice moved the runners before Jonny Gomes hit a sacrifice fly. On an 0-1 count against Axford, Hernandez hit a drive to the opposite field that landed in the right-field bullpen to end it.

3. Back-to-back homers in the ninth
April 4, 2005
Facing the Mets at GABP, the Reds were trailing, 6-4, before they scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 7-6 win. Reliever Braden Looper failed to record an out as Austin Kearns led off with a single and Adam Dunn hit a two-run homer to right-center field.

The next batter, Joe Randa, promptly ended the game by taking Looper deep to left field on a full count for Cincinnati’s first-ever walk-off homer on Opening Day, and it sparked a celebration.

4. What a pitchers’ duel!
April 21, 1943
Reds lefty Johnny Vander Meer and Cardinals righty Mort Cooper exchanged 10 shutout innings before Cincinnati broke through for a 1-0 win in 11 innings at Crosley Field. Lonny Frey led off the 11th with a single near second base and advanced on Mike McCormick’s sacrifice bunt. Max Marshall ended the day with an RBI single to right field. Remarkably for current times, the game lasted only 2 hours, 17 minutes.

Vander Meer allowed only two hits, with five walks and three strikeouts. He did not give up a hit after the third inning and retired 22 of his final 23 batters faced.

5. Juuuuuust a bit outside
April 2, 2007
The Reds earned a 5-1 victory over the Cubs at GABP as starting pitcher Aaron Harang allowed one unearned run and six hits over seven innings. But the game will always be forever known for what happened just before it started. Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory delivered what was arguably the worst ceremonial first pitch of all time.

With Reds legend Eric Davis stationed behind the plate to receive the pitch, Mallory heaved the ball between the plate and the first-base dugout, nowhere near its intended target. An umpire retrieved the ball and comically signaled that Mallory was ejected from the game. The indelible moment became a national sensation as Mallory was later invited to discuss his blunder on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show.