Paul bracket: Reds (09) defeat Yankees (09) in six games

Game One: 09 Reds 4, 09 Yankees 3 (11 innings)
WP: K Wells (2-1)
LP: Aceves (0-1)
Save: Cordero (6)
HR: R Hernandez (1), Teixeira (1), Posada (3), H Matsui (1)

Game Two: 09 Yankees 18, 09 Reds 6
WP: Burnett (3-0)
LP: Cueto (3-1)
HR: L Nix (3), Teixeira 2 (3), Swisher 2 (5), A Rodriguez (3), Votto (5), A Gonzalez (2)

Game Three: 09 Reds 4, 09 Yankees 1
WP: Harang (1-1)
LP: Pettitte (2-1)
Save: Cordero (7)
HR: Damon (2)

Game Four: 09 Reds 5, 09 Yankees 4
WP: Volquez (1-0)
LP Chamberlain (1-2)
Save: Cordero (8)
HR: A Rodriguez (4), Gardner (2), Rolen (1)

Game Five: 09 Yankees 6, 09 Reds 1
WP: Sabathia (4-0)
LP: Arroyo (2-1)
Save: Rivera (5)
HR: Jeter (1)

Game Six: 09 Reds 7, 09 Yankees 3
WP: Cueto (4-1)
LP: Burnett (3-1)
HR: Gomes 2 (5), A Rodriguez (5), Bruce 3

A hero a day was the theme for the 2009 Reds as they knocked out the 2009 Yankees. The Reds got eight homers in the six games from seven different hitters.

Ramon Hernandez's 11-inning homer gave Game One to the Reds. They had jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning. The Yankees mishandled a pair of bunts to load the bases with no outs. Joey Votto walked to bring home one run, and Johnny Gomes doubled in another two before CC Sabathia escaped. The Yanks responded with three solo homers to tie it: Jorge Posada in the fifth and Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui back-to-back in the seventh, all off Bronson Arroyo. The bullpens locked it down after that until Hernandez hit his game-winner off Alfredo Aceves. Francisco Cordero got the first two out in the bottom of the 11th, then walked Teixeira, Matsui and Posada to load the bases before retiring Nick Swisher to end it.

The Yankees clubbed Johnny Cueto for six runs in the first inning of Game Two. With long man Kip Wells having gone two innings the previous day, Cueto took a further beating in the second (three runs) and fourth (five runs). Teixeira and Swisher each homered twice, and Alex Rodriguez added another long ball. Teixeira had six RBIs for the game, Swisher five; Rodriguez, Teixeira and Swisher each scored three runs.

The series moved to Cincinnati for Game Three, and Johnny Damon took Aaron Harang deep in the first at-bat. But that was all the scoring the Yankees would muster. Harang himself drove home two runs in the Reds' four-run second inning. The Yankees left at least one runner in scoring position in the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth innings.

The Reds took Game Four as well, scoring in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings for a 5-1 lead behind Edinson Volquez. The Yankees scored one in the eighth and two in the ninth, but it wasn't enough. Volquez didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning and only four in seven innings of work. Scott Rolen scored twice and and drove in two for the Reds.

 The Yankees bounced back in Game Five. Derek Jeter hit a two-run homer off Arroyo in the first inning, and the Yanks added a run in the second. Sabathia held the Reds scored until the sixth inning, and the Yankees opened up the lead with a three-run eighth. Mariano Rivera had to get the last out after Phil Hughes walked the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth.

The Reds went ahead and clinched the series in Yankee Stadium in Game Six. Posada doubled home Matsui in the second for the first run of the game, but the Reds countered with two in the top of the third -- Chris Dickerson's single followed by doubled by Votto and Brandon Phillips. Gomes hit a two-run homer for a 4-1 lead in the fifth, and Jay Bruce hit a two-run shot in the seventh to make it 6-1. In the bottom of the eighth, Robinson Cano reached on a strikeout-passed ball and Rodriguez followed with a homer, but Gomes went deep in the top of the ninth to make it 7-3, and Cordero got three outs in the bottom of the inning to secure the series.

Player of the Series: Johnny Gomes was 8-for-19 with six RBIs and three runs scored. He also had two homers, three walks and a double.

Player availability: With two off days, the bullpen is good to go. Cueto cannot pitch until Game Three. The fourth starter shuffle will continue; Volquez will not be considered for the fourth round.

Projected rotation: Arroyo-Harang-Cueto-XXX-(Arroyo)-(Harang)-(Cueto).