These are the Reds' top 10 games of the 2010s
CINCINNATI -- The MLB action of the 2010s has already ended, and the years saw the Reds and their players reach some very lofty highs and more than their fair share of crushing lows.
Following 15 years without a playoff game, Cincinnati reached the postseason three times (2010, '12, '13), with two National League Central division championships to their credit in the past decade. There were also a pair of no-hitters thrown.
Throughout the decade, there were many great games, with some more memorable than the rest.
Here’s a look at the top 10 Reds games from 2010-19:
1) Reds vs. Astros
Date: Sept. 28, 2010
The Reds clinched the division on one of the most exciting moments in the franchise’s history as Jay Bruce led off the bottom of the ninth by hitting the first pitch from Tim Byrdak to center field for a walk-off home run, giving the team a 3-2 victory over Houston that had Great American Ball Park shaking.
2) Reds vs. Cardinals
Date: June 6, 2017
Then a utility player getting a start in left field, Scooter Gennett -- a Cincinnati native -- hit a franchise-record four home runs and tied another team record with 10 RBIs during a 5-for-5 performance, as the Reds enjoyed a 13-1 rout over St. Louis at GABP.
3) Reds vs. Nationals
Date: May 13, 2012
Following a rain delay that lasted more than 3 1/2 hours ahead of first pitch on Mother’s Day, Joey Votto’s three-home run game -- including a grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning -- gave Cincinnati a thrilling 9-6 win over Washington. Votto became the first player in Major League history to have a walk-off grand slam as part of a three-homer game.
4) Reds at Pirates
Date: Sept. 28, 2012
The Reds had already clinched their division and were playing while manager Dusty Baker was away recovering from a stroke. Homer Bailey successfully put all of that aside during a 1-0 win over the Pirates. Bailey threw the 16th no-hitter in club history and the first since Tom Browning threw a perfect game against the Dodgers on Sept. 16, 1988. Bailey allowed one walk and struck out 10 and earned gracious applause from the 34,796 fans at PNC Park.
5) Reds at Giants
Date: Oct. 6, 2012
It wasn’t just that the Reds opened the NLDS at AT&T Park with a 5-2 victory in Game 1. It was how they got it. Ace Johnny Cueto left after only six pitches in the first inning because of a right oblique strain. Reliever Sam LeCure picked up Cueto with 1 2/3 scoreless innings and starter Mat Latos delivered four strong innings of relief. Meanwhile, Brandon Phillips went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs to help defeat Giants ace Matt Cain.
6) Reds vs. Giants
Date: July 2, 2013
Homer Bailey tossed his second no-hitter with a 3-0 victory over San Francisco. It was the first no-hitter in the big leagues since Bailey's previous no-hitter against Pittsburgh. He became the first pitcher since Nolan Ryan in 1974 and '75 to throw two no-hitters without another big league pitcher achieving the feat in between. Bailey’s final four pitches of the 109 that he threw in this game were all 97 mph fastballs, as he got Gregor Blanco to ground out to third baseman Todd Frazier, sparking a celebration before the crowd of 27,509 fans at GABP.
7) Reds vs. Cardinals
Date: Aug. 10, 2010
The rivalry between the NL Central foes escalated quickly on the heels of Brandon Phillips being quoted in a story about his hatred of the Cardinals, while also using derogatory and disparaging words. When Phillips batted leadoff in the bottom of the first inning, he tried to tap a friendly hello with his bat to Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina’s shin guard, which was shooed away. Molina and Phillips had a heated exchange, which emptied both benches and led to an ugly brawl that involved Scott Rolen and friend/former teammate Chris Carpenter. Johnny Cueto found himself pinned against the backstop and kicked Cardinals backup catcher Jason LaRue in the head. LaRue sustained a concussion and was forced to retire shortly thereafter. Cincinnati lost the game, 8-4, but soon began a seven-game winning streak on its way to winning the division while St. Louis faded.
8) Reds at Rockies
Date: July 29, 2012
Hall of Fame radio voice and Cincinnati icon Marty Brennaman made a claim a couple of weeks earlier that he would shave off his well-known “poofy hair” if the Reds could break out with a 10-game win streak. The team delivered that 10th consecutive victory with a 7-2 win over the Rockies at Coors Field that completed a three-game sweep and a 6-0 road trip. Several players looked toward the Reds' radio booth and pantomimed shaving their heads at Brennaman. A few days later on Aug. 3, Brennaman made good on his promise and had his head shaved at GABP and turned the moment into something good by raising awareness and money for the Dragonfly Foundation, which assists children fighting cancer. Brennaman has kept the short-haired look to this day.
9) Reds vs. Dodgers
Date: Aug. 19, 2016
Just back from bereavement leave after the death of his father, reliever Michael Lorenzen pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings during a 9-2 win over Los Angeles. But a touching and electric moment came in the seventh inning, when Lorenzen hit a three-run homer -- the first of his career. Lorenzen had tears flowing as each teammate hugged him in the dugout, while fans asked for a curtain call that he obliged.
10) Reds vs. D-backs
Date: July 19, 2012
In a 7-6 thriller of a victory over Arizona, the Reds trailed 6-0 before scoring seven answered runs over rallies in the sixth and seventh innings. Brandon Phillips collected a home run and five RBIs, but Todd Frazier provided the go-ahead run with his RBI single in the bottom of the seventh. It gave them a four-game split in the series, the team’s first without an injured Joey Votto while he was out because of knee surgery.
“That was pretty fun,” Frazier said at the time. “Especially in the beginning there, we were a little dead. We couldn’t really put anything together. Brandon was the spark plug and got us going. We know we can hit. Do we want Joey in there? Of course. At the same time, we have to play without him. We understand that. We have to put big innings together.”