10. We got all of our crappy relievers out of the way yesterday.

9. All these damn day games are an affront to mother nature, and she ain't happy about it.

8. There's no better way to follow up a sweep of the team who gives you an inferiority complex than with a sweep by the team you like to pretend you're too awesome to concern yourself with.

7. One Derrek Lee and one Aramis Ramirez do not an offense make.

6. Brandon Claussen wants in on some of that sweet home run action.

5. Deep down, they want to lose. One year of winning is quickly forgotten, but a century of losing is immortal.

4. Javy Valentín owns Greg Maddux. I may have jumped the gun a little using this one before.

3. Two words: Adam Dunn

2. Sooner or later, Ryan Dempster is going to enter the game.

1. They don't want to set themselves up to choke later in the season.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm at my limit of how many times I can read/write/think about the suprising success of the starting pitching, the powerfulness of the offense, and the festering wound of the bullpen. So let's give the Reds' blogs a rest for this game and check out a couple of my favorite Cubbie sites.

GROTA has a series preview that I guess I'm a day late in linking to but found hilarious nonetheless. I liked the part where he called Arroyo a hippy. The part about Claussen making love to the camera was pretty good, too.

Joe at The View from the Bleachers rallies the troops for talking smack. What a nice change of pace to find a fun, easy-going Cubs fan. I look forward to chatting about Valentín's five home runs after tomorrow's game.

The Reds ended the Cubs' winning streak with the power of six home runs today at Wrigley Field.

Bronson Arroyo started us off with seven innings and 106 pitches of scoreless, 6-hit work. Chris Hammond came in to mop up in the eighth but got through only two outs while allowing a run (earned) on two hits. Rick White took over the last out of the eighth as well as the ninth to also allow a run (earned) on two hits.

Every one of the Reds' runs scored on a home run. Ken Griffey, Jr. hit a solo-shot in the first, Adam Dunn in the second, Bronson Arroyo in the third, and Dunn again in the fourth.

The Reds were finally held home-run-less in the fifth, but commemorated the event by scoring five in the sixth. After Griffey and Rich Aurilia singled and Dunn walked, little Edwin Encarnación came up with the grand slam. Austin Kearns topped off the scoring with a solo shot of his own.

For the Cubs, Derrek Lee doubled in Todd Walker in the eighth. Michael Barrett got in on the home run fun with a lead-off number in the ninth.

At least two of my ten reasons the Cubs would lose turned out to be right on, but there are also a few other things:

• Ryan Freel failed to have much of an impact in a game in which he played for the first time this season. Even the out he gave up when he was caught stealing in the third inning was drowned out.
• Arroyo has hit two home runs. Wily Mo Peña has hit zero (negative one if you count today's shenanigans). To be fair, though, Peña has had one fewer at bat.
• Oh yeah, Arroyo also pitched a bundle. I was a little sick to my stomach when Hammond gave up that run in the eighth. Shades of Danny Graves.

The win brings the Reds' record to 5-2. Tomorrow Brandon Claussen takes on Greg Maddux at 2:20 p.m. in Chicago. Be on the look-out for 10 more reasons why the Cubs are going to lose.

10. Ryan Freel is healthy, well-rested, and (as far as I know) not in jail.
9. Now that Derrek Lee's contract is all wrapped up, he's on schedule to be injured.
8. Austin Kearns loves to play at Wrigley. Hey, stop looking at him covetously!
7. Sure, they swept the Cardinals, but did they really *learn* anything from the experience?
6. Bronson Arroyo is looking for home run #2.
5. Deep down, they want to lose. It's the only way to get rid of Dusty Baker.
4. Javy Valentín owns Greg Maddux. Yes, that will play into today's game.
3. Two words: Glendon Rusch.
2. They're all torn up because their deal with the Scrubby Bubble fell through.
1. It's just what they do.

Reds' Opinion on Game 6

The Big Red Mechanic is very level-headed about the bullpen.

Go to The Church of Baseball, if for no other reason, then to check out the photo of Tony Womack.

Blade at The Cutting Edge defines a Typical Reds Win (TRW) and Typical Reds Loss (TRL). This ought to make games wraps much easier from here on out.

It's not a game wrap, but JD thinks Ryan Freel should beat up Tony Womack. Dude, don't say things like that. He might actually do it.

Also not a game wrap, but check out the big Exclusive Interview with Jay Bruce at RLN. It's spiffy.

j.p at Reds & Blues says “The Reds’ hitting can’t carry the team every game; the team is going to have to learn how to lose the close, low scoring affairs.” In fact, I think they did that pretty well.

Shawn at Cincinnati Reds Blog points out that the bullpen needs improvement in his week-end wrap. I'm glad he brought it up. I didn't want to say anything.

Jacci at We Heart the Reds urges us to put away the brooms. Talk about Encarnación all you want, but I think that Jacci as a blogger has been the most impressive development for the Reds in 2006. While you're there, check out the in-person wrap of Saturday's game. It's insightful, funny, and heartwarming.

Pirates' Opinion on Game 6

JJ at Bucco Blog is surprisingly unwilling to just enjoy the first win, picking apart all the reason why his guy should have lost. He's right, of course, and they lost to the Dodgers today, but how's he going to get through the long haul with an attitude like that?

Mike Boyko at Buried Treasure is happy to see his team manufacturing runs. I'm a little afraid of how familiar the Pirates' commentary is. Are there Pirates fans out there right now, slightly afraid of how much like the Reds their team seems?

Pat at WHYGAS? ('Cause speed turns me on!) has several posts from the day of the Pirates' first win, but this one was my favorite, thanks to this conversation between announcers that he recounts:

Lanny: That song echoes for a lot of us the sentiments from high school for all those girls that wouldn't give us the time of day.
Wehner: That was every girl for me.
Lanny: Not many dates with the ladies in high school, John?
Wehner: I didn't like girls.
Lanny: Stop the presses! John Wehner doesn't like girls!

That's Chris Welch-worthy!