Those guys at ArmchairGM aren't loving the Gapper:

He's the Cincinnati Reds other mascot -- the one that doesn't look like Mr. Met.
Suggested method of death: Actually… maybe he and Billy Buffalo need to have a fuzzball death match.

I don't know why people gotta be hatin' the Gapper. His hair isn't any longer than Wilson's, and no one's calling for Paulie's demise. He's not any fatter than Hancock, who's pitching for the Cardinals these days. No, I think people need to just leave the Gapper alone.

That Rosie Red bitch, on the other hand, has got to go.

Marc is reporting that Jason LaRue has finally decided to come off the DL. He's scheduled to catch Aaron Harang tomorrow.

For the momentito, the Reds will carry three catchers while rumors continue to swirl about an impending trade that's great in theory and nonexistant in practice. LaRue takes the roster spot left vacant by Ken Griffey Jr.'s trip to the disabled list.

Griffey plans to be back a week from Friday. Hopefully the team will have done something with Tony Womack by then, but I'm far from confident. After several apparent showcase starts at the end of spring training and the beginning of the season, Womack hasn't seen much playing time lately which tells me interest is low. The team could just release Womack if a deal isn't forthcoming, but more likely they'll just send Quinton McCracken back to Louisville.

Someday, perhaps long in the future, we'll see the Heartthrob again.

Holey crap, Eric Milton has given up six runs over the course of four outs. Three home runs, the most recent to Dan Uggla.

Can we get Tom Browning out here to adjust this man's rubber position, please? Something obviously ain't right.

The Reds gave the Marlins a serious routing Monday night, winning by a score of 1-9.

Brandon “The Pickle” Claussen took the mound for the Reds, living up to his promise to work seven innings. He gave up zero runs on five hits to get the win. Mike Burns took over in the eighth to give up a single run on two hits. Chris Hammond protected the eight-run lead in the ninth by giving up no runs on just one hit. Hammond brings his ERA all the way down to 24.00.

After a Felipe Lopez double, Adam Dunn hit his eighth home run of the year in the first inning to score the Reds first two runs. These first-inning home runs are getting to be his trademark. Score: 0-2.

The Reds continued in the second inning when Javier Valentín doubled. Edwin Encarnación reached and Valentín advanced on a fieling error to set up Brandon Phillips for a bases-clearing double to left field. Ryan Freel would knock in Phillips two batters later. Score: 0-5.

All was quiet until the sixth inning when Austin Kearns led off with an opposite field home run. Scott Hatteberg doubled and Valentín singled, so Hatteberg was ready to score when Encarnación grounded out to short. Phillips singled in Valentín. Score: 0-8.

The Marlins offense suddenly made an appearance in the top of the eighth. The bases loaded, Josh Willingham grounded into a sacrifice double play to score the fishes' only run. Score: 1-8.

But Phillips got the run back in the bottom of the inning, singling in Encarnación. Score: 1-9. It was quite a night for Phillips who is proving himself to be a solid addition to the team despite the fact that he didn't bring a corresponding trade with him.

The win brings the Reds' record to 8-5. Tuesday, Eric Milton takes the mound against Jason Vargas.

The Reds handed the Cardinals the most unexpected of losses on Friday, holding the offensive juggernauts scoreless while coming through with only a single run of their own to win 1-0.

Aaron Harang was the man, giving up four hits on seven innings pitched to get the win. Furthermore, he's the one responsible for knocking in Austin Kearns in the fifth inning to give the Reds their score.

Kent Mercker pitched a third of an inning, Todd Coffey finished off the eighth, and David Weathers took over in the ninth to continue the scoreless outing. The eighth inning was a little dicey. Harang started it off and walked his first batter, Aaron Miles. Mercker came in to get Skip Schumaker out on a sacrifice bunt and then walk David Eckstein. Coffey came in with two men on. He struck out Juan Encarnación, and limited the mighty Albert Pujols to a single. So facing the bases loaded and reknowned-pain-in-the-Reds'-collective-ass Jim Edmonds at the plate, Coffey demonstrated the bad-assedness that can only come from eating metric tons of Jell-o and struck the guy out.

Helluva game, and certainly the one I'll bring up over and over again when talking baseball with Ms. Scratcher. Pujols will have worn a hole in the left-field stands from all the home runs he hit there, and I'll just say “Harang beat Carpenter 0-1.” In fact, I've already done it a few times.

The win brought the Reds' record to 7-3 and gave them first place in NLC. They would continue the series in St. Louis with Dave Williams taking on Sydney Ponson on Saturday.