Associated Press
SAN DIEGO ó The lights were on and the sun was going down when Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 18th inning to give the San Diego Padres a 12-9 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
It was the fourth time the Padres played at least 13 innings this season. They played a 22-innning game at home against Colorado on April 17-18, losing 2-1.
The last team to play a game of at least 22 and 17 innings in the same season was the 1989 Los Angeles Dodgers, who played two 22-inning games and a 17-inning game.
Scott Hairston started the winning rally with a one-out walk off Edinson Volquez (7-2), the second starting pitcher the Reds put on the mound in extra innings. Brian Giles reached on first baseman Joey Votto’s two-out throwing error, moving Hairston to third. Gonzalez then hit a full-count pitch over the fence in straightaway center field for his 14th homer.
The game lasted 5 hours, 57 minutes. It was the third-longest game in Reds history.
Josh Banks (1-0) scattered five hits over six innings for the win.
Paul Bako, the Reds’ last position player, pinch-hit for Aaron Harang and struck out with the bases loaded to end the top of the 17th.
The Padres struck out 19 times, giving them 58 in the four-game series.
The Reds used three starting pitchers in extra innings.
With no relievers left, Harang, the starter and loser in the series opener on Thursday night, came on to start the 13th. The Padres had runners in scoring position in the 13th and 14th innings before the rallies fizzled. Harang struck out nine in four innings.
Volquez, who struck out 12 while getting a no-decision in the Reds’ victory Friday night, pitched the 17th and 18th.
Bronson Arroyo, who beat the Padres on Saturday night, had a pinch-hit single with two outs in the 13th but was stranded.
The Reds went ahead three times in the late innings. The Padres tied it each time, twice on homers.
Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips hit a two-run homer in the seventh for a 6-5 lead.
San Diego’s Kevin Kouzmanoff homered off David Weathers leading off the Padres’ eighth to tie it. It was Kouzmanoff’s first career two-homer game and his fourth shot in six games.
In the ninth, Ken Griffey Jr. scored from second on pinch-hitter Ryan Freel’s two-out single off Trevor Hoffman for a 7-6 lead.
Scott Hairston brought the Padres back by homering off Francisco Cordero leading off the ninth. It was the first of two blown saves for the Reds.
Cincinnati jumped ahead 9-7 in the 11th when pinch-hitter Paul Janish singled off rookie Jared Wells (1-0), bringing in Griffey and Phillips.