Haynes leads Reds' shutout of Cardinals

CINCINNATI -- The final memory from Cinergy Field might be Jimmy Haynes hitting.

The right-hander singled twice, driving in three runs, and pitched eight innings Thursday afternoon as the Reds beat the Cardinals 7-0 in their final game before the players' strike deadline.

If the rest of the season is wiped out, the game will go down as the last one played at a stadium that was the setting for so many historic moments -- Pete Rose bowling over Ray Fosse, Hank Aaron's 714th homer, Rose's record-setting hit No. 4,192.

Haynes provided the latest -- and possibly the last -- highlight, though it never crossed his mind. Cinergy Field is scheduled to be torn down after the season to make room for a new ballpark.

"I just wanted to make pitches and win the ballgame," Haynes said. "I try not to do too much thinking out there."

The circumstances were tough to ignore.

Voicing opinions

There were several strike-related banners in the crowd of 20,503, including one in the outfield that read, "We'll Still Come." A young girl held up a sign that said, "Strikes Make Little Girls Cry."

Several other banners deemed derogatory were confiscated at the gates.

There was one concession to the possibility that it was the final game at the stadium. Ushers punched holes in fans' tickets instead of tearing them, leaving them intact as a souvenir.

As the Reds lined up for high-fives after Ken Griffey Jr. made an off-balance catch for the final out, there was little enthusiasm. Shortstop Barry Larkin, a Cincinnati native who joined the Reds in 1986, looked into the stands as he walked off the field.

"It was weird after the game," Larkin said. "Jimmy Haynes pitches a great game, we win, and normally, we're running off the field and coming in here and doing our little dance.

"Today, I was kind of looking up in the stands. The people were up there clapping and everything, but it was a little different. Now, it might be over and we'll have to do something else."