So, the Reds' radio broadcast is going to need a new color guy next season, and there's been lots of talk about it being a former player. Then this story in The Plain Dealer happens to mention that Aaron Boone is honing his skills:

To kill time between his rare at-bats, Boone says he's been working on his play-by-play broadcasting skills during games.

“I'm money,” he said.

If the Reds don't get him for the broadcast booth, certainly Kriv-dawg will want him for the hot corner. He's already given us too many second basemen, too many catchers, and too many veteran left-handed relievers: I figure too many third baseman is due.

Holy crap! They won!

Kyle Lohse gave up a run (earned) on seven hits through seven innings. Todd Coffey didn't allow so much as a hit in the eighth. Gary Majewski (he's back?) did allow so much as a hit, but not so much as a run in the ninth.

It was the night for my guys: Ryan Freel went 3-for-4 with a walk and a home run to lead off the game. It's his eighth home run (really his ninth), and I believe he's going to make it to double-digits. Maybe today.

Rich Aurilia must have laid off the pitches out of the zone, or at least made some authoritative contact with them for his 3-for-5 night with an RBI. And I understand Adam Dunn hit a home run.

Some young fella by the name of Javier Valentín had a couple homers, too. I like to think that his home runs were the reason that DreamHost went down last night: the power of the Latin Love Machine was coursing so fiercely through RHM that it took the whole system down.

This seems like a good time to bitch a little about David Ross. Acquiring Ross is one of the moves that people give Wayne “Kriv-dawg” Krivsky so much credit for. And Ross *has* had a hell of a year. But, you know, the Reds already had a powerful little platoon going behind the plate, and the net effect on the offense of adding Ross has been to deprive the LLM of his playing time. Acquiring Ross was half of a good move: the other half would have been trading him at the deadline for something we actually needed.

The win brings the Reds back within a game of .500 at 70-71. They continue to take their frustrations out on the Pirates today when Aaron Harang takes on Paul “I've never bothered to count the number of vowels in my last name” Maholm.

With the Reds starting off the season so hot this year, I really had to change my approach on Red Hot Mama. It's much more difficult to find snarky things to say when the biggest team story is the playoff hunt than when the biggest team story is a massage chair.

But now that all that's over and I'm dedicated to enjoying the freefall, my optimism can go back to being ludicrously baseless. So, with that in mind, I'm pleased to present the top ten reasons the Reds are going to win tonight:

10. After tonight's game, the Reds aren't on FSN again until next Tuesday. Juan Castro is going to do whatever it takes to get his screen time TONIGHT.

9. Since the news that Steve Stewart's contract won't be renewed, the Reds have gone 6-11. Now that he's gotten a little respect from Marty, the team is willing to try to work through their grief.

8. The Pirates have the best record in the NLC since the All-Star Break. That just ain't natural.

7. Now that everyone knows Eddie Guardado is out for the year, they can stop worrying about him and get down to the game at hand.

6. Kyle Lohse is going, and he's a proven starter.

5. If the Pirates put together a good second half, the Irate Fans will never be heard.

4. Their Man of the Year nominee has been arrested twice in the last two years. That's moxie, baby!

3. All of the Reds whose contracts come up this season will want to be showing off for Dave Littlefield. The Pirates do overpay for ex-Reds, after all.

2. They won't be distracted by Sean Casey going around hugging everyone for a change.

1. Ryan Franklin is da bomb.