So I have not been blogging for awhile since I haven't been able to actually watch many games lately. I was looking forward to tonight, catching the game and getting back to giving the world my thoughts, even though I am sure most of the world doesn't care. Unfortunately, after that performance, I am not sure what to blog about. Should it be the struggles of the starting pitching, or maybe the continuing slump of the offense. I say neither, let start with an optimistic tone. The Reds are still in first place, now tied with the Brewers.
- Sam LeCure highlighted, once again, the desperate need the Reds have for Jonny Cueto and Homer Bailey to get healthy soon. LeCure was not awful, but he surrendered four home runs, 2 to a guy who only hit 7 all last season, Ryan Roberts. Lee Cure went 5.1 innings, giving up 5 earned runs on 9 hits. LeCure should be a long man in the pen, and that is where he will be once Cueto and Bailey are healthy.
- The Reds offensive struggles lately are too numerous to list in their entirety, so I select one sequence from tonight's game as an illustration. Drew Stubbs leads off the 8th with a walk. He moves from 1st to 3rd on a stolen base and an error. Brandon Phillips plates him with an RBI single to right, and the Reds are down 5-4 with nobody out, Phillips at first, and Votto and Rolen coming to the plate. Votto proceeds to strike out on three pitches, swinging at a pitch near his eye brows for the third strike. Rolen follows by taking a pitch near his shoulders, and then swinging at the very same pitch popping it up to the catcher. A promising inning ended with Phillips still standing at first, the same place he was with nobody out.
- Reds Twitter Nation was blasting Dusty after the game for the sacrifice bunt in the 9th inning. The main argument being, "Why give up an out in a one run game?" I, for one, do not mind the bunt call. Hanigan was at the plate and laid down a nice bunt. It keeps you out of the double play. The problem with the call is that Paul Janish and Chris Heisey did not deliver once the man is on second, but that is not Dusty's fault.
-The star of the game tonight was Diamondbacks third baseman Ryan Roberts. Roberts went 2 for 3, and both hits left the yard. He drove in three and walked once.
- Diamondbacks starter Armando Galaragga pitched very well giving up 3 earned runs over 6 innings, while striking out 6 and only walking 2.
The remainder of this series is very important for the Reds. In my opinion they need to win the next two and take the series and gain some confidence, otherwise the road trip to Saint Louis and Milwaukee could get very ugly. The Reds (9-8) send Bronson Arroyo (2-1, 4.24 ERA) to the mound against Ian Kennedy (1-1, 6.88 ERA) for the Diamondbacks (7-8) tomorrow.
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