CINCINNATI - Jeremy Hellickson saw third-base coach Juan Samuel wave his arms wildly, allowing the pitcher to believe for a moment on opening day that he had a chance for an inside-the-park homer.
Samuel instead stopped Hellickson at third, a blessing for the pitcher as he chugged around the bases in the sixth inning of a 4-3 win over the Reds on Monday at Great American Ballpark. It was a big hit - providing the run that proved to be the difference - but the triple also exhausted the pitcher's afternoon.