Elizardo Ramirez walked off the mound tonight looking pretty much like he felt like he'd let down the world. If you're out there, Lizard, reading this: it really wasn't you. Sure, you get the L, but it took a team effort to let this one get away.

Hang in there. You'll get 'em tomorrow.

David Ross and the Reds walked off with the win on Wednesday in one of those games that sticks with you for a long time. And in a good way, for a change.

Aaron Harang was downright shaky, giving up a grand slam to Jim Edmonds in the first inning. He'd allow six runs (five earned) on eight hits and three walks through six innings. If you're looking for a bright side, he also struck out seven.

Oh, and the Reds won. That was pretty good too.

Then, about everyone in the bullpen took their turn on the mound. Rheal Cormier pitched a scoreless two-thirds. David Weathers, Bill Bray, Todd Coffey, and Kent Mercker each pitched a third of an inning, with only Bray allowing a run (earned). Ryan Franklin worked a hitless ninth for the win.

Adam Dunn, Scott Hatteberg, and Edwin Encarnación each hit a home run to score the Reds' first three. Dunn and Brandon Phillips brought in three more in the sixth to keep it close.

But the bottom of the ninth is the story of the game. In exactly the sort of situation which you know the Reds' can win but they never seem to actually do, they found themselves down by one in the bottom of the ninth. Somewhere, in an eerily quiet distant wood, the wild George Grande was sounding his characteristic cry

“Last round-up time for the Reds.”

The fading and strikingly overpaid giant Jason Isringhausen on the mound. The uncharacteristically adept choice of pinch hitters, Javier Valentín in Royce Clayton's place at the plate. Though Javy would score all of the runs in two of the games againt the Cards this series, tonight was not his night and he struck out swinging.

Rich Aurilia, the veteran presence that we don't actually mind on the team, walked on four pitches. Chris Denorfia was sent out to pinch run for him, and I had a sudden flashback to that time Jason Romano was sent out to pinch run and was picked off before his name was even announced. Fortunately, despite being nearly as good looking, Deno is a better baserunner than Romano.

Up to the plate strides the nine-hitter, David Ross who came into the game in the seventh. Just one out and Ryan Freel was due up next. This could work out.

But he didn't even let it get that far. With a 1-1 count, Ross let fly a homer to center field. 412 feet. His arms fly up in the air just as mine do at home just as everyone's do. Hooray!

The win brought the Reds' record to 59-55 and ensured the split of the four-game series. They would finish it out on Thursday with Bronson Arroyo facing Anthony Reyes.

As much as I've enjoyed Arroyo's nine failed previous attempts at win number ten, I'm as excited as anyone about the cornrows. I missed him having them done on Cold Pizza and the game's not on t.v. today, so I'm actually kind of hoping for him to break the streak so that I'll get to see them the next time through the rotation. Plus, I want the Reds to thoroughly decimate the Cards.

Go Cornroyo! Go Reds!

UPDATED 1:43pm Just wanted to clarify that the game is on t.v., just not on in my office where I'm not allowed to have any streaming video.

General manager Wayne Krivsky picked up Todd Hollandsworth from the Indians yesterday for a player to be named later. Said Krivsky:

“Not only is he a veteran hitter that knows the National League, he's used to pinch-hitting and can play all three outfield spots,” Krivsky said. “He's a very versatile guy. He's been around and was what we were looking for.”

“Veteran”? “Versatile” “All three outfield spots”? Oh crap. You know what that means. Ryan Freel, you may as well sit down; you've been replaced.

I don't normally approve of just reposting large blocks of text written by someone else, but I'm going to have to make an exception this time because there is nothing I could say here that would improve on what's already written. To make it perfectly clear, this was written by Mark Sheldon at Reds.com:

Mind-bending catch: Not surprisingly, right fielder Ryan Freel's spectacular diving catch on the warning track Tuesday night vs. St. Louis remained a buzzworthy topic Wednesday. It was also prominently featured on television highlight shows.

Freel robbed Albert Pujols of a likely two-run extra-base hit in the fifth inning. Although the Reds won by a 10-3 score, it was a potentially game-saving play because Pujols represented the tying run at the time.

When he got home after Tuesday's game, Freel admitted to watching himself make the catch on TV. Apparently, he wasn't completely alone during the viewings.

“I thought it was pretty neat watching that play. That was a good catch, Ryan,” Freel said. “The midget in my head is named Farney. 'Hey Farney, I don't know if that was you that caught the ball, but it was pretty good if it was you.'”

And for clarification, who is Farney again?

“He's the little guy in my head who I talk to, and I talk to him,” Freel said. “Everyone thinks I talk to myself, so I tell them I'm talking to Farney.”

So there's a guy even smaller than Freel in Freel's head? Damn that Eckstein!