Reds 6, D-Backs 5: Eddie's big night

Brandon Phillips summed up Edwin Encarnacion's final at-bat nicely.

"He can't for (squat). But he sure can hit."

Phillips didn't say squat, but this is a family blog.

After failing to get down a bunt on three pitches, Encarnacion rocketed one into the left field seats for a three-run, walkoff home run.

Dusty Baker wanted it to happen this way -- really.

"You can't let him swing in that situation," Baker said. "He was struggling. I told (coach Chris Speier), 'I kind of hope he doesn't get it down so can hit a three-run homer, and he hit a three-run homer."

Say what you will about Encarnacion, he hits with runners on. He led the team with a .360 average last year.

"Being on the other side, he was one of the guys I didn't want to see up there in that situation," Baker said. "He's a clutch man."

This blog would have been full of comments urging the Reds to send Encarnacion to Louisville had he swung through that 2-2 pitch from Brandon Lyon. Encarnacion's been awful this spring and he made an throwing error in the fourth that led to two unearned runs Wednesday.

Encarnacion had to hear the boos. But he said he didn't let it get to him.

"I said there's five more innings anything can happen," he said. "Look at what happened."