Let me begin by apologizing for my absence over the last few days. Two jobs and house-sitting duty have left me with an extra-busy schedule this week, not to mention the added excitement of World Cup Soccer, and the NHL and NBA finals. Ok, just kidding about the last two - I've watched more baseball in the past two days than either of the two sports playoff series, but I have been one of those goofballs watching their fair share of soccer.

Anyway, enough about me. You don't want to read that, you want to read about the Reds, so here goes...

Back to Sunday's game: Beautiful seats. Crizappy game. I was the one sitting behind the plate shouting at the Reds' dugout to remind them that the pitcher who was shutting them out came into the game with an ERA over 6. I was officially out of it by the seventh inning - no, I don't mean drunk, I just mean sitting back, arms folded, scowl on face. And then the bullpen gave up five runs. (Note: Second game in a row the 'pen gave up five runs! That couldn't possibly happen a third time, right!? Wait for it...)

Monday: So, Wily Mo Who? ... Bronson Arroyo improved his record to 9-3 with a complete game, 2 run win over the hot-hot-hot New York Mets. He pitched all nine innings not because he had been ultra-conservative with his pitches or because he was completely dominant. No, he pitched a CG because Jerry Narron was afraid of his bullpen. Frankly, so am I. Aren't you? Good Lord.

Tuesday: Elizardo finally did what I expected him to do last Wednesday - he got hit hard. He gave up three runs in the first inning, before surprising the heck out of me and lasting for six, only giving up one more run. Seriously, I was impressed - he went back out there after getting a talking to from Hume via Javier Valentin, and showed some incredible poise. We were treated to so many 3-inning, 6-run outings from our starters last season, it's nice to see someone get scored upon pretty hard in the first and then go back out there and pitch some effective innings afterward. Go Lizard!
Of course, after the offense got it to 4-2, the bullpen came out and proceeded to give up - you guessed it! - 5 runs. Mets win, 9-2.

15 runs over the last three games that the 'pen has been used. Fifteen runs. Over... dunno. Like 8 innings. I have no desire to go check and find out the exact numbers, I know it's a horrible stat. Enough! ...Uncle!

So now, Rick White is gone, Jason Standridge is up in his place, and has yet to make an appearance. He was up and throwing at the same time as Weathers was last night, but Narron opted to bring in Weathers, who decided that giving up 4 runs would be his contribution to the game.

I don't know whether to hop on the "Run Narron out of Town" bandwagon or to feel sorry for the guy. Throughout April it seemed that every single move he made worked out perfectly in the team's favor. May, not so much, but then he got his golden touch back during that 8-game-win-streak. Now, well, it's absolutely gone, but look who the man has to work with... The 'pen has some horrendous arms in it, and we've got 16 catchers and 37 shortstops. That said, however, I'm tempted to join the "Run Narron out of Town" bandwagon simply because of his continued use of Quinton K. McCracken in late-inning PH situations. What a waste of a roster spot.

So where are we? Five games behind the Cardinals, who were absolutely pounded, 20-6, by the White Sox last night, and two games ahead of the Astros who have Roger Clemens starting for them tomorrow. What does all of that mean? Beats me, those are just the facts. I'm not making any more predictions.

Royals cast-off Joe Mays is starting for the Reds tonight. Again, not making any predictions. Just swearing, a lot. :)

Upcoming in the blog:

• A look at the minor leagues; my take on Denorfia, Votto, Bruce, and Bailey
• A review of the new 1975 World Championship DVD
• A giveaway of said DVD. 3 copies! Details coming soon!
• A review of 'Clutch Hits'

So much to do... Aargh!!

Go Redlegs!

Tonight is one of those nights where watching this team is the equivalent to banging your head against a brick wall for three hours.

This is the team I remember from 2005.

Pathetic.
_____
Three hours later...

I've been thinking.
If you lose seven of eight games and are still the Wild Card team... things ain't that bad.
Don't get me wrong - tonight's loss was a *grotesque* mess, but it still is only one game. (There is a "but.") BUT, if things don't start to change right now, this team is going to slowly but surely see other teams pass them by. If someone does decide to step up or take charge or light some kind of fire under this team's butt, then I see no reason why, especially if what Castellini says about making acquisitions if necessary is true, we can't have another month (or two, or three!) like April.

What needs to be done to make a long-term run at the postseason?
Here's my take:

• Trade Jason LaRue. I know for this to happen we'll have to eat a large chunk of the contract he signed this past offseason, but why not? He's not catching anymore... I can't even remember the last time he started behind the plate (keep in mind I've missed a few games recently). There are some teams out there that need a catcher, and he's a decent defensive backstop, and he might be ice cold this season in terms of offense, but he's still a career .260 hitter, and he'll make it back there, if not for the Reds, then somewhere, before season's end. Right now he's a guy on the bench, and so long as Narron is bringing in K. McCracken to ground out, er... pinch hit, there's one less opportunity for LaRue to contribute.
• DFA/trade/lose-on-the-plane-to-New-York Quinton K. McCracken. Please raise your hand if you'd like to see his roster spot occupied by ANYONE ELSE. ...too bad Narron seems to despise RayRay. Everyone, hands down now.
• ACQUIRE SOME PITCHING. Yeah. I'm a master of the obvious.
  *this is not a complete list, it's just what I can think of off the top of my head at this moment*

The starting pitching continues to get it done. The offense continues to get it done... every other game. The bullpen continues to get it done for the other team.

Ooh! Just got off the phone with a friend who was given two Scout Seats for tomorrow's game. I had to rearrange my work schedule, but it's done, and I'm going. If we can win this game, great! ...it'll mean we put a crappy loss behind us. I'm not going to suggest what might happen if we lose...

To my Reds: Don't let this one miserable loss (two, actually, but who is counting?) stick in your minds and affect you tomorrow. Show some poise and resilience and go out tomorrow, and play like you've got nothing to lose. Aaron Harang has shown himself to be a fanstastic pitcher, and I'm glad to see that he will be on the mound tomorrow. I can almost guarantee that you give him some decent run support, and we'll come away from this with a victory. And then we can build from there.
And please, baseball gods, let Harang have a good... say... 9 innings in that arm.
;)

Go RotBeines! (I think I just skewered the heII out of the German language. My apologies! Entschuldigen Sie!)

I'm not too thrilled with how this game is unfolding right now...

It was 5-3, and then Weathers came in and gave up a run in the 7th. Chris Welsh had the audacity to say that "Weathers did his job..." PLEASE, explain to me HOW YOU FIGURE THAT!? And then Chris Hammond came in and gave up a homer in the 8th. Milton pitched six, gave up three, and gets the no decision. Contreras, who, shockingly, left in line for the loss, gets the no decision. It's a bullpen game now, and guess whose team has the better bullpen.

Jesus.

Two runners on and Narron pinch hits for Milton. Quinton K. McCracken... Ks.

Jesus.

I am ready to pull my hair out. Here's Coffey in to pitch in the top of the 9th.

::shakes head::

I don't want to see this go into extras...

<EDIT>
It doesn't matter anymore.
8-5 Sox going into the bottom of the 9th.
Jesus.
</EDIT>

Brandon Claussen pitched a horrific ballgame tonight. Oh, wait, I'm sorry, he threw a lot of pitches, but it wasn't what you could call "pitching." A lot of balls, a lot of full counts... 62 pitches in 2+ innings... 9 earned runs in all. Geez.

This was one of those games where you didn't seem to mind paying $6.50 for beer, and you were getting the attention of the beer vendor literally every time he came up or down the aisle. That is, if you stayed after the score made it to 10-3 in the third inning. (It hurts me to type that.)

I'm being completely serious when I ask this question: Did Eric Milton transfer his cruddy 2005 mojo to 2006 Brandon Claussen? Not so serious: Is this like a virus? Is this the kind of thing that you can only get rid of if you pass it on to someone else, like in 'The Ring'? 'cause if so, Claussen needs to stay the heII away from any Reds pitcher in the minors. Perhaps he could go have dinner with Roy Oswalt...? ::wrings hands Devilishly::

Alright, alright, enough silliness... Tomorrow it's The New Eric Milton vs. the Jose-Contreras-who-has-won-his-last-15-straight-decisions, and is 7-0 on the season. Yes, that's right. 7-0 with a 2.62 ERA. ::gulp:: On the bright side... Theoretically, Milton could get his ERA under 4 tomorrow. (I am so thrilled to be able to write that!)

I'm too tired to come up with some sort of a witty close, so I'll just ask for a favor... Please, dear Reds, don't make me have to write a post after tomorrow's game that has the word "ugly," or some other similar adjective, in the title.

Go Reds!

*deep breath*

Well, the White Sox are in town for the weekend, and starting for the Reds tonight is Brandon Claussen.

I have no idea how this is going to go. Absolutely no idea.

The Reds have lost six straight to the Sox, and our starter with an ERA over 5 and a 3-7 record is pitching. The Sox counter with Freddy Garcia who is also sporting a 5+ ERA, so... perhaps we'll score some runs? Maybe? ...please! Let's just say that tonight is not the night to wait until a late inning to score.

I'll have the radio on tonight at work.
Go Redlegs!

Before I get to yesterday's game, I have a question. Has anyone seen the commercial where Eric Gagne pitches to a trash bag? We're talking several pitches... at a trash bag. I saw this for the first time on the same day that Gagne was placed back on the DL. Not only did the trash bag win, apparently it also assisted in injuring him. Sorry, Dodgers.

______________________________________

If I would have said before the game that Elizardo Ramirez, along with a couple of pitchers from the 'pen, would combine for an 11 inning shutout, would you have laughed in my face? Yup. Believe me, I would have done the same thing had anyone suggested that we'd see three scoreless from anyone in the bullpen.

I like Elizardo Ramirez, but for whatever reason, I keep waiting for him to get lit up. I was thinking I'd be unlucky enough to have to witness it yesterday, but I was wrong. He pitched an absolutely amazing 8 innings, giving up only 5 hits, one BB, and recorded a career-high 10Ks in the process. Unfortunately for him, the offense took 10 innings off, and he was left with the no decision. Perhaps best of all, he only got stronger as he went along. 4 of the 5 hits came in the first three innings, and although the last hit - a double to Prince Fielder - led off the 7th inning, he didn't let it touch him AT ALL, and proceeded to strike out the side. He had great control and command, and his fastball made it up to 92 mph. He had a good change in the low 80s as well. I was impressed.

It's amazing how the performances of the two teams matched up as the game went along: The first batter of the game for each team struck out swinging. The second innings were identical - A lead-off K, followed by a single, followed by a 5-4-3 DP. Each team had a lead-off double, and the runner was left stranded on second without advancing. Each team had a lead-off walk that didn't make it to second. Each team had an error committed by the shortstop. The lines were identical after 9 - 0 runs, 6 hits, 1 error. Another odd thing about this game - there were six foul-outs, three to the catcher. I don't think I've seen that many foul-outs in a week, much less one game. I also saw three Reds batters strike out on three pitches. Junior, Dunn, and BP all committed this unholy sin, and that pisses me off.

The new Frontgate Party Suite plaza-area-thing that was introduced recently was full of Bengals yesterday. Several Bengals took batting practice before the game, and they were the leaders of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' during the seventh inning stretch. It was nice to see them all hanging out, wearing Reds hats, enjoying the game. That's the kind of stuff that makes me smile. I'd love to see the Reds have the kind of success turning the franchise around like the Bengals have had over the past two seasons.

Some people enjoy nice, long pitcher's duels. I don't mind them, but I much prefer an 8-4 ballgame, so long as it's the Reds doing a majority of the scoring. This worked out, though, because I got to see a towering three-run drive from #44. Until then, I can say, without any hint of exaggeration, that it seemed like this game would go on FOR-EV-ER. The 11th inning started off with Felipe striking out, and looking bad doing it. Dan Kolb, who had pitched a 1-2-3 10th, was still in there, so I figured it would be more of the same. Then Junior singled through the screwed-up shift the Brewers had on. And then Rich Aurilia singled, and the fans finally had something to cheer about. We were all standing, watching Dunn, and then he fouled off a pitch and swung through another one, and the count was 2-2. Every single Reds fan anywhere in the world was thinking the same thing I was right then: "He's either gonna strike out, or hit a long, deep drive." And he swung, and he launched the ball a long, long way. Finally, the five-game slide was over, and there was much joy in Reds-ville. After Dunner was mobbed at home plate, Junior ended up on his back, and he started running around before letting him off - that made me laugh hysterically.

All in all, it was a beautiful day at Great American. It was one of those nice, warm, sunny, slow days that makes you appreciate being there and being a Reds fan.

Go Redlegs.

The Reds lost 6-4 today. The 'pen gave up 2 runs. Do I really need to say that those were some important runs?

This is getting really, really old.

Perhaps the best thing about this game is that I was not around to watch it.

Well, The Lizard is pitching tomorrow, and I have every intention of attending the game. I sincerely hope to see a winner. (That was a bonehead sentence - When don't I want to see a winner?)

:)

Anyway, um... go Reds!?

I'd love to see Aaron Harang go out tonight and pitch the way we all know he is capable of pitching. In his last outing against the Brewers he pitched a 5H CG SO, and, boy, could this team use another start like that right now.

I keep reading that this is the time two seasons ago that the Reds started to fade. So what? That was 2004. Welcome to 2006. Things are gonna be different...

Go Redlegs!

<RANT>
Well, ***.
Someone please explain to me how you go out and win eight straight games and then lose the following four.
Oh, wait, I'm sorry, I think we already know the answer to that one: A lack of timely hitting, and the bullpen from HeII.
The Reds hit FOUR homers tonight, and still lose 6-5. How pathetic is that? Granted, Harang didn't have the outing I was looking for - at all - 5 IP, 4 ER, but that's still not a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad start. Joe Mays pitched two solid innings, and then in came Kent Mercker. 2/3 of an inning, 2 ER. Wonderful.

There's talk that Jason Standridge is coming up from AAA soon. I think everyone has conveniently forgotten that he was already up once this season, and although I don't have his exact stats in my brain - and I'm not looking them up - it really didn't go all that well. At this point, however, good Lord, I'm willing to see anything happen.

Last night, the Cardinals 'pen pitched 5 innings. They combined to give up one hit.

That must be nice.
</RANT>

Slightly off topic, but still important:
Wear seatbelts in cars and helmets when riding motorcycles.

Memo to Wayne Krivsky
RE: Bullpen *******

I don't think we can wait until mid-July to shore up a bullpen that is 14th in the league in ERA. This team is capable of a comeback any night of the week, but you must concede that coming back after five runs are scored against you in the eighth inning is nigh impossible.
I don't like what I've seen the past few games, I know other fans feel the same way, and I'm sure you can't be pleased with what has gone on. I'm not a big subscriber to the whole "quality start" theory of starting pitching, but that's what we've gotten the past few nights, and then the 'pen has come along and tanked the games. Yuck.
I doubt anyone is in alarm mode here in mid-June, 9 games above .500, but I think we still need to look ahead. We can't win ballgames with a 'pen that has an ERA right around 5.00!
The answers don't seem to be in Louisville, and I have yet to be thrilled about any of the recent DFA acquisitions. So where does that leave us?

Don't ask me! I'm not the GM! That's your job, so go... make something happen!

Sincerely,
A Reds fan who turned off the game before it was over today because she couldn't watch the horror unfold any longer.

Memo to Jerry Narron
RE: Esteban Yan

Dear Mr. Narron,

WHY!?

Sincerely,
A Reds Fan

I really have so much that I want to talk about, but not much time to do it in...

I want to talk about last night's win, tonight's loss, the "attendance issue," Bronson Arroyo, David Ross, Bronson Arroyo and David Ross (I'm cooking up a good Fake News & Rumors story here!), defense... Really, there is a ton of stuff I could talk about tonight, but I need sleep more.

I will say that tonight's 6-5 loss to the Cubs, though freakin' tragic, didn't bother me as much as losses tend to do. I guess it was the comeback that almost tied up the game... I was acutally singing along with the radio on the way home, as opposed to my usual gloomy silence. Perhaps it was the fact that there were 41,000+ fans in attendance, and most of them were cheering for the Redlegs. That was niiiiice! ::shrug:: You can't win 'em all, but I say tomorrow we start another long streak of Ws.

Now I have to go check the status of Austin Kearns and his leg, and see exactly why RayRay was able to pinch hit tonight... I'm praying that it's because McCracken is gone, but I'm guessing that Edwin is on the DL... Yes, according to reds.com, Edwin has been placed on the DL. Well, ****. EdE is hurt, Austin had another freakish accident... I can only hope that Freelie is up for a few days in RF, because I don't think I can take a full game of McCracken complete with multiple at bats. I'll break something.

Oh! And what the heII was the whole pinch-run-Eric-Milton thing about!? Was there nobody else in the dugout who could run!? HE JUST HAD SURGERY ON HIS KNEE!!! LaRue can't hit, he might as well run... McCracken could have been the pinch runner... geez, Dent! Did this bother ANYONE ELSE? ...the guys behind me were like, "no way that's Milton. That's something Bob Boone would have done." Yes, it was Milton.

Narron is going to come back tomorrow and slap Bucky Dent, I can feel it.

Since the stadium was packed tonight, can we please please please stop it with the newspaper articles and the incessant post-game conversations about no one showing up? It was a THURSDAY NIGHT for ****'s sake! And, I'm ashamed to say that this matters, but Jimmy Buffet was in town, and for whatever reason, Cincinnatians flock to see him like he's the second coming of Christ. I was working, or I would have been there, it's as simple as that. I kept saying 'wait until tomorrow, wait until Saturday.' Guess what? SELL-OUT. Boo. Yah.

Thank you, that is all. Goodnight.

Go 'legs!

I admit it: I was one of the nay-sayers when I saw the starting lineup tonight. Scott Hatteberg hitting 3rd? Aurilia hitting cleanup? ::groan, sigh, etc.:: I think I did a quadruple-take at the television when the batting order was on the screen.

Well, that ended up working out pretty well, didn't it!? Aurilia went 4 for 5 with 5 RBI. Hatteberg went 2 for 3, with 2 BB and 2 RBI. Those two batted in every single Reds run between them. I am suitably chastened, and completely OK with being wrong!

So, yes, the Reds scored seven runs tonight. That's without Junior and Edwin in the lineup. AND that's with Dunner and Kearnsie going 0 for 9. Kudos to Lopez with his 2 BBs and 2 runs scored, and Freel for his two hits with two runs scored. Can't bat in runners with nobody on base!

I just got an even bigger surprise... I knew Bronson was pitching tomorrow, but I just discovered that it's Glendon Rusch going for the Cubs. I could giggle like a schoolgirl right now, but I won't. Can Arroyo make it 3-0 in starts against the Rusch-led Chicago Northsiders? I certainly hope so. Believe me, I tried like heII the other day to switch shifts for tomorrow so I could make it to the game, and now that I know it's Rusch pitching, keeping in mind that the Reds (And Arroyo!) tend to beat him like... what's a good simile?... like a Salvation Army drum (that one OK?), I will try again to finagle my way out of work. Probably won't happen, though.

Ahhhhh... life is so sweet right now. Castellini says he will do whatever it takes in July, Junior is hitting like a monster, the pitching is good... I'm happy. It's like a dream. Sure, this team still has its problems, but what team doesn't? I'd love to see Dunn start hitting the ball with some consistency, and see some sort of resolution in the catching situation - although, admittedly, I have no idea what the best resolution would be. I'd love to see another great arm in the 'pen, and Claussen start pitching to his potential (whatever the heck that means), and I'd love to see the Reds get some respect for what they have accomplished so far.

I am well aware that it is merely June. I am well aware that the season is only 1/3 of the way complete. I am also aware that anything could happen between now and August or September, so I'm looking at the standings today, June 8, 2006. The Reds are in first place. I consider that an accomplishment, especially after the sub-par May that this team experienced - a month in which some predicted that the "real" Reds had finally shown their faces, and April was as good as it would get.

I've seen the good this season, I've seen the ugly... I now see resilience and patience, and guys stepping up when called upon. Dunn and LaRue are slumping, so Ross and Aurilia are there to back them up. (Well, LaRue isn't slumping, he assures us that he's just a slow starter. Anyone else groaning right now?) Junior is amazing, and I really don't know any other adjective that fits so well there. Harang, Arroyo, Milton, Ramirez = a solid rotation, and Brandon Phillips has been a fantastic addition to a team that began the season with 4 decent second basemen. I know I'd rather have one everyday guy, who is hitting over .315 to boot! We've also seen that a rested Freel is a great-leadoff-hitting Freel. ...I really don't know how I got off on the let-me-run-down-the-positives-of-the-Reds tangent, but it's a Reds blog, so I can throw that in there whenever I want. ;)

So, if we could just ship Quinton "G 6-3" McCracken out on the next bus to... Bangor, I would be even more pleased with this team.
(I think Narron finally learned his lesson - Javy was the first/only pinch hitter of the evening, and McCracken made no appearances.)
I don't know exactly when my dislike of McCracken developed into full-blown "Get off my team" -edness, but it happened quickly, and it just keeps getting worse. Am I wrong? Seriously. Am I missing something good out of this sub-.200 hitting guy? Waaaaiiiiit. It was the night he was playing CF and dropped the fly ball that ended up scoring the deciding run... was it the Phillies who were in town? I think it was Claussen that night, and he pitched an absolute gem, even with Quinton's error. Punk. (Sorry, I try to plan out my posts before I sit down and write them, but sometimes it's kinda a stream-of-consciousness thing, and apparently my anti-Quinton tirade falls into that category.) I'm willing to possibly negotiate some sort of a truce if you were to, say, get a couple of key hits or make a great grab or two to end an inning. Do that and we'll talk. Until then you will be the guy who grounds out. A lot.

And in conclusion: (finally!)
Reds = good. Me = happy. Arroyo = better than Rusch. Thursday night vs. Cubs = win? We shall see...

Go REDS!

I was at work today... all day - from 9am-11:30pm - and the thing that made the last few hours absolutely fly by was being able to listen to the Reds beat the Cards 7-0 in St. Louis.

I spent a good portion of the day desperately trying to figure out who the Reds drafted in the first round of the draft today. I finally figured that out around 6 after calling everyone I could think of who might be near a tv or a computer. It was amazing, my cell phone's wireless internet told me the first seven picks. And the 11th pick. And I think the 17th pick was there too. Then somehow I found the 9th pick. WHERE WAS THE REDS' PICK? I'm telling you, there's a vast anti-Reds conspiracy afoot. ...Ok, I'm only half-serious, but...

I had the radio on 700 WLW during the game, of course. Unfortunately, I was only able to hear snippets here and there as I couldn't sit at my desk the whole time. I heard "long fly ball, deep to..." in the first inning, as Marty called Felipe's homer. I also got back just in time to hear someone say something about a player walking off the field under his own power. I knew Junior was on base, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. It ended up being Edwin Encarnacion with a mild ankle sprain, but it was a couple of tense minutes there until I could discover the facts. (Phew.)
I called Dunner's homer right before it happened. It wasn't hard, the guy was frickin' due. He was overdue even. 3 RBI tonight - I expect more from you over the next few weeks, Adam. (Seriously, this is a great time to de-slump, especially with the Cubs in town for four games this weekend.)
That was the point of the game where I think I realized that this was ours. Milton was pitching almost lights out, and the lead was 5 runs, soon to be more... I know I've said this before, but I've got to say it again:

It is a very exciting time to be a Reds fan, and I love this team.

So the world didn't end, and the Reds won. All in all, a **** fine day!

Go Redlegs!

I find it interesting that Baseball America, in its mock draft that looks forward to tomorrow's potential draft picks, has the Reds going after another outfielder. From Texas. (Drew Stubbs.)
Granted, they are noting that the Reds do pick seventh, and that the top pitchers may be off the shelf by the time the Reds pick, but I still think the Reds would go for a pitcher - any pitcher, after drafting an outfielder - from Texas - last year.
Of course that's merely my opinion, and I couldn't draft for this team if my life depended on it.

In other news, the ESPN SportsNation poll of the moment poses this question:

"Will the Cardinals fall out of first place in the NL Central without Albert Pujols?"

So far, 19,710 people have answered the question, and 53% of the respondents say yes.

Here is a map of the state by state results. Note that those in Missouri are most likely to believe that the Cards will make it without Pujols. Looks like 71% of Ohioans, including yours truly, believe otherwise.

Makes sense.

Internationally, 55% of those taking the poll believe the Cardinals will fall from first.

After tonight, anything seems possible. :)
GO REDLEGS!

Guys, gals, I think I just liveblogged the best Reds game of the year.
Yes, there have been some great ones, but this one was against the Cardinals, in St. Louis.

Ken Griffey, Jr. you are still my hero. 2 homers, 4 RBI... amazing. I think you're Freelie's hero too, because it looks like he kissed you after you hit the go-ahead dinger in the 9th.
Felipe, I haven't forgotten about you and your four hits, and two (?) runs scored.

To the Cards fan who was heckling Junior while he was in the on-deck circle during his AB in the 9th. BOOYAH, and thank you. (In case you missed it, Junior could be seen pressing his index finger to his lips as if saying "Shhh" while looking into the stands as he walked back to the dugout. This was confirmed by Jim Day after the game.)

:)

Holy ****, I'm excited about this team right now.

Reds vs. Cardinals.June 5, 2006.

8:09: ****, it's game time!
8:12: Rich Aurilia legs out a softly-hit infield single right after speedy Felipe Lopez is thrown out after hitting a ball deep in the hole. Huh.
8:14: Ken Griffey, Jr.'s first AB at the New Busch Stadium...
8:15: ...is a flyout to left center.
Reds 0 - Cardinals 0

8:20: Bottom of the 1st.
8:21: Who's that guy on the mound for the Reds!? He's wearing Claussen's number 34... but the hair is gone. Did he lose a bet, or is this some sort of Rick White-esque attempt at better pitching?
8:22: Base hit by Eckstein.
8:23: 2 runners in, and one on third. Shoddy defense - seriously, the ball went everywhere on a few odd throws - jumps up again.
8:28: The first out is recorded. Aargh.
8:30: Did Claussen look that good when striking out Edmonds, or did Edmonds look that bad? Methinks Edmonds would normally be on the DL, but considering the circumstances...
8:31: Third out recorded on a nice play by Hatteberg.
Cardinals 2 - Reds 0

8:33: Top of 2 already!? Geez! I'm trying to keep up here, I swear.
8:34: Kearns pops up to shallow right. ...this umpire seems to have a low strikezone, but isn't giving the pitchers the inside part of the plate. A tall and skinny K zone, I guess.
8:35: Hatteberg single.
8:35: BP single, Hatteberg to 2nd.
8:36: Dave Ross is up. We could use a hit here. Extend that 8-game hit streak to 9... and he did! Ross singles to center, but Hatteberg didn't have a chance to score. Bases loaded, 1 out. Claussen up.
8:39: Claussen is having a nice AB... fouled off a few, 2-2 count. ...but grounds out, Cards take the force at home plate. At least it wasn't a DP.
8:40: Felipe is up, and making Suppan throw some pitches.
8:43: Suppan and Molina take a second to mull things over.
8:44: FELIPE! An excellent two-strike hitter gets a hit on a 2-2 count, and the game is tied!
8:44: Aurilia, in an apparent attempt to make it a 5-2 game, takes a ginormous hack at the first pitch he sees. And misses.
8:45: Aurilia flies out to RF, inning over.
Reds 2 - Cardinals 2

8:48: Bottom of 2. Yadier Molina up.
8:49: 5-3 groundout. Yadier Molina down.
8:51: Aaron Miles hits one down the line - "foul... fair... foul ball." Phew.
8:52: Claussen K's Miles swinging. Very nice pitch.
8:53: The in-game bar at the top of the screen reads "CIN 2 STL 2nd (Inning)  2 out 2-2 (Count)" ... Hey, I thought it was noteworthy! ;)
8:55: Claussen gives up a base hit to the pitcher. Yeah, there you go Pickle, keep throwing more pitches. That's what you need to do.
8:56: Eckstein lines out to Dunner in left, and those on the FSN Ohio feed are treated to the obligatory football reference by George Grande. ::sigh::
Reds 2 - Cardinals 2

9:00: Junior doubles down the RF line to begin the 3rd.
9:01: I am distracted by in-game Smack Talking @ red-hot-mama.com. Actually, I'm not even talking smack about the Cards, I'm talking smack about Brandon Claussen. I'm being petty and talking about his hair again. ::laughs::
9:04: Dunner walks.
9:07: Kearns strikes out looking on a 3-2 pitch. Bah. ...1 out.
9:08: All of a sudden, Jeff Suppan has rediscovered the strike zone.
9:10: Scott Hatteberg grounds into a double play. Inning over.
Reds 2 - Cardinals 2

9:13: Bottom of 3. So Taguchi grounds the ball to Hatteberg who makes a nice play, jumps up, and shovels it to Claussen covering for the out.
9:14: Rolen. Flies out. Out #2. No idea why I wrote it like that.
9:17: Juan Encarnacion singles to center.
9:21: Jim Edmonds walks. Claussen has absolutely no desire to 1. Keep his pitch count down, or 2. Keep runners off the bases.
9:24: 3-2 count, 2 outs, runners off... K! Great timing.
Reds 2 - Cardinals 2

9:27: Top of 4, and there is quickly one out after BP grounds out to third.
9:29: Claussen successfully sacrifices Ross, on through a four-pitch walk, to second.
9:31: Felipe takes a clllooooose 2-2 pitch for a ball. 3-2 count.
9:32: Felipe singles to center, but Taguchi throws out Ross at home on an excellent throw for the assist.
Reds 2 - Cardinals 2

9:35: Bottom of 4, and the first out is a deep fly that Junior gets in center.
9:37: Another F8.
9:39: Claussen completes the 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout of the pitcher. Wow, that in and of itself is noteworthy.
Reds 2 - Cardinals 2

9:42: The top of the 5th begins with a flyout to right.
9:43: Junior hits one a ton to center... HOME RUN! That is the 43rd different major league stadium in which he has homered.
9:45: There are two outs and I have no clue what happened to Dunn. He's obviously out, I just don't know how he got back to the bench. ::shrug::
9:46: Kearns grounds out to second to end the inning.
Reds 3 - Cardinals 2

9:49: The bottom of the 5th begins with a lineout to left.
9:50: Taguchi lines out to Kearns in RF.
9:52: Claussen has got to be close to, if not over 100 pitches. He just can't get that last out, or the last strike in this case. There it is: 106.
9:53: Pitch #108 is ball four to Rolen.
9:55:*****. 2-run homer from Juan Encarnacion.
9:57: Edmonds grounds out to BP. A little too late, Pickle. ::shakes head:
Cardinals 4 - Reds 3

10:00: 4-3 ground out begins the top of the 6th.
10:01: Another 4-3 ground out.
10:02: G 5-3. Aargh... 1-2-3 inning.
Cardinals 4 - Reds 3

10:05: Rick White in relief for Brandon Claussen here in the bottom of the 6th.
10:07: White Ks Hector Luna.
10:08: Felipe fields the ball, bobbles it a bit, and still gets the throw over to 1st for the out. Thanks to Yadier Molina for not being the speediest man on the planet.
10:10: 2-out walk to Aaron Miles.
10:11: Chris Duncan pinch hits for Suppan. And hits a 2-out 2-run homer. Good God.
10:15: Finally, the inning is over. Rick White came in with a 6.75 ERA, and is (hopefully) leaving with it even higher.
Cardinals 6 - Reds 3

10:17: Top of the 7th. Former Red Josh Hancock is in to pitch, and will probably look like Cy Young against his former club.
10:18: Quinton "Automatic Out" McCracken makes an out. Look at that.
10:19: One-out triple by Felipe!
10:20: Sac fly from Rich Aurilia. Lopez scores.
10:21: Pitching change. Randy Fores in to face Junior, and Junior flies out to end the inning.
Cardinals 6 - Reds 4

10:26: Esteban Yan in to pitch the bottom of the 7th, and gets a 5-3 out on the first pitch.
10:27: Umpire-hit-by-pitch-break. (Ouch!) The offending pitch also happened to be ball four, so Rolen is on first.
10:30: Yan gets Encarnacion go ground into a 4-6-3 DP. End of the 7th.
Cardinals 6 - Reds 4

10:33: Top of the 8th, and Dunn is up. No better time than now to come out of the power slump. ...well, apparently the next AB is better, as Dunn has now struck out for the second at bat in a row.
10:34: Pitching change, Looper in.
10:37: Kearnsie doubles to right center! One out, come on Hatty!!
10:39: Hatteberg lines out to Eckstein.
10:40: Brandon Phillips singles, Kearns scores!
10:43: The seemingly most clutch hitter of late, Dave Ross, pops it up, foul, to the catcher. Well, at least we got one.
Cardinals 6 - Reds 5

10:46: Still Esteban Yan in the bottom of the 8th. Edmonds grounds it to Phillips who throws it on to Hatteberg for the out.
10:47: 6-3 ground ball for out #2.
10:49: Another, YES, ANOTHER 2-out homer. This time by Yadier Molina.
10:51: A ground out to end the expletive-filled inning. ****.
Cardinals 7 - Reds 5

10:55: Top of the 9th. Isringhausen is on to pitch.
10:56: Pinch-hitter LLM flies out to right, on a 3-2 pitch that looked high to me.
10:57: Felipe has his fourth hit of the night with a double to left center!
11:00: I had to fight with TiVo so that it wouldn't change the channel! Now would not be a good time for that. ...Aurilia works a walk! Two on, one out.
11:01: Junior is up. Pleeeease get a hit!!
11:04: Wild pitch, runners advance! (Freel is pinch running, on second.)
11:06: JUNIOR HITS A 3-RUN HOMER!!!
I think I woke up the neighborhood. I literally screamed and yelled, and jumped around for a minute or two. And Ryan Freel just hugged, and then kissed Junior on the cheek. ::laughing hysterically:: I would too!!
11:08: Dunner walks.
11:09: Pitching change. Brad Thompson in.
11:13: Kearns grounds into the 6-4-3 DP. Inning over, but NOT THE GAME!!!
Reds 8 - Cardinals 7

11:15: Bottom of the 9th, and Coffey is in to close it.
11:17: Timo Perez grounds out, 4-3.
11:19: Another ground ball out.
Two outs, we've been here before.
11:21: John Rodriguez pinch hitting... 2-2 count.
11:21: K! GAME OVER! Coffey gets the save!

Reds 8 - Cardinals 7!!

Wow.

The Reds have already taken the first two of a three game set at Minute Maid Park in Houston, and are looking for the sweep. The possibility of a sweep has increased dramatically with the emergency start of Fernando Nieve in place of Roy Oswalt.

No offense to Nieve, of course, but Roy Oswalt is a notorious killer of Reds - and the Reds beat him once this season, so the probability of that happening again is low, given the 15-1 record he holds against Cincinnati.

So far, both EZ Ramirez and Fernando Nieve are holding their own... Wait. The Lizard just served up an absolute bomb to Morgan Ensberg. So, Astros 1 - Reds 0. But hey, it's the second inning, and this game is far from over.

Go Redlegs!

I was excited to learn that 'This Week in Baseball' would be covering the Reds in today's show. I knew they were at GABP when Junior hit his off-the-DL walk-off shot a couple of Thursdays ago, and I was eager to watch the player interviews and everything else that goes along with an episode of 'TWIB.'

Well...

I woke up this afternoon at 1:18. 'TWIB' is on at 12:30. Shiiiiiiiit. (In case anyone was wondering, I do generally work nights, therefore I sleep in. I'm not too insanely lazy.) Yeah, so, I missed it. Or so I thought...

TiVo saved my butt! I had planned on setting up the DVR to record it, and as I awoke this morning, it occurred to me that I never did set it to record 'TWIB.' I decided to check the 'TiVo Suggestions' that had been recorded for me, and there at the top, in all of its sweet glory, was 'This Week in Baseball.' Yay!

The program featured not only a segment on Junior, but interviews with Marty Brennaman, Scott Hatteberg, Adam Dunn, and others. There was also a drive down to GABP with Aaron Harang, and proof that Junior enjoys beating the heck out of Ryan Freel.

The "Top 5 Things You Didn't Know About the Cincinnati Reds" portion of the program ended up not applying to me. I knew all five things. ::shrug::

1. The "C" on the Reds logo is a wishbone C.
   Adam Dunn: "Really? Is that, like, true?" ...are you serious, Dunner?
2. Ken Griffey, Jr. was the youngest member of the All Century Team.
   I thought everyone knew that.
3. Many of the Reds are obsessed with golf.
   Yes, we know. And apparently Austin Kearns can't drive a (golf) ball to save his life.
4. The Reds had the most Spring Training wins (22-11).
   Talk about useless, inconsequential knowledge...
5. Bronson Arroyo has a second career as a singer.
   WE KNOW! Wait, you all knew that, right? I don't want to assume anything.

One thing I did learn, however, is that Brandon Phillips is hilarious. He has this running commentary going throughout the show, and isn't afraid to say what he thinks. On Arroyo, "...his hair, you know, he had cornrows, come on, man. He's very different. His leg kick is ridiculous." Adam Dunn's power is "ridiculous" as well, according to BP.

Oh, hey look, Dunn agrees with me about #3: "You insert a guy like him right in the 3-slot in the lineup, and it immediately makes us better."

Just remember who said it first! ;)

As ever, go Reds!

I was out celebrating my birthday earlier, and I ended up going out with a good friend of mine, and we made it to a bar where we met up with a large group of people she knows. She introduced me to everyone, and I said the perfunctory "hi" and "hello" to everybody, and then I came to the last guy.

The man was wearing a Reds hat, and a Braves jersey.

::shudders::

Memories of '95 came flooding over me... and I wished I had more alcohol in me.

I hate the Braves.