Game 122: Pirates 7, Reds 3
By
Amanda
Posted at 12:57 pm
I chose a good game to miss in favor of drinking Blue Moons with my coworkers last night and the Reds gave it up to the Pirates of all teams to the tune of 7-3.
Chris Michalak wasn't very good, allowing six runs (earned) on nine hits and two walks. Am I the only one who thinks that perhaps Michalak should have been on a somewhat shorter leash? I mean, the guy gave up six freakin' runs. And it's not as if the bullpen was all tired from being used in the previous game, what with Ryan Franklin being left out to dry in that disheartening loss against the Cardinals.
Bill Bray gave up the other run (earned) on three hits and a walk in two innings. That's not so awesome either. I guess it was going around.
Scott Schoeneweis, Todd Coffey, and Rheal Cormier didn't suck at all, though. They each pitched a scoreless inning on one hit.
But you know who sucked even less? Ian Snell. He lasted seven innings and gave up only one run. I remember back in spring training when Brandon Claussen looked like he was going to be our number three and he talked about the starters going into the seventh inning this year. Man, that seems like a long time ago.
This game wrap has taken a turn for the extremely bitter, especially for a game I didn't even see. Let's look for a bright side, eh? Ooh, Edwin Encarnación had a solo home run and so did the Latin Love Machine. Rich Aurilia continues to start at shortstop, thereby delivering us from Royce McClayton. Narron seems to have gotten the message about not sitting EdE. Things could be worse.
Wait, they lost to the Pirates. No they couldn't.
The loss brings the Reds' record to 62-60. They try to dispel the disillusionment of literally dozens of fans tonight when they continue the series with the Pirates. Eric Milton takes on Paul “I never noticed that there isn't a vowel between the last two consonants in my last name” Maholm.
Shame about Michalak. I was really hoping he might turn out to be the answer in the number five slot in the rotation after the outing he had against Philly – a team that fancies itself a wild card contender.
Then he goes out there against the Pirates and comes up with nine hits, a walk, a hit batter, a balk, and six earned runs in four official innings of work.
Anybody want to take bets on how long it’ll be before Franklin or Schoeneweis is tapped to give it a shot as the #5?
you’re crazy. franklin? have you seen his suckitude?
the reds should go with a four man rotation in september. they can’t afford to be losing every fifth day automatically.
Ah, Daedalus. You’ve seen his suckitude. I’ve seen his suckitude. But we all know it’s Narron who decides who gets a shot at #5.
Oh yes, Franklin will be there.
Exactly, RHM. I wouldn’t be running Franklin out there as a starter, but then, I wouldn’t have been running Joe Mays out there either. But, I’m not the one calling the shots. My comment was a prediction, not a suggestion.
As far as a suggestion goes, I’m inclined to agree with Daedalus about going to a four-man rotation down the stretch, though. Back when Earl Weaver managed the Orioles he used to say that whatever starts you give to your fifth starter were starts that are lost to the four guys you’ve got on your staff who are better than he is. I’d rather see Harang and Arroyo get 2-3 extra starts than to run somebody out there who’s almost guaranteed to get bombed.
the Reds also have three off days in September (the Cards only have one, they can’t afford to go with a four man, ha!) so the pitchers would get one day a week (except for the last) to rest.