The Crack Technical Staff keeps talking about how yesterday's game with the Cardinals was the most important game of the season. He says that when the Reds lost it, it felt like they lost all hope with it.

Now, girlfren' ain't hearin that kind of negativity, but if you wanted to choose a game to be the microcosm of the 2006 season, that one wouldn't be bad. Consider:

• They kept it close well into the game but fell just short to a struggling Cardinals team
• They failed to pile on the offense, but in the end were undone by the bullpen
• They made a crappy pitcher look good
• Questionable management decisions came at exactly the wrong moment
• Wayne “Kriv-dawg” Krivsky traded Adam Dunn and Edwin Encarnación for two second baseman, three lefty relievers, and a catcher during the game

OK, I made that last one up, but I think you can see what I'm getting at. And losing to the Pirates tonight certainly doesn't contradict the notion that our boys are done.

But I can't stand the idea that we've come so far and are already on the way down. I can't be listening to that attitude for another month and a half. C'mon guys! Turn over a new leaf. Tomorrow's the day you can beat the Pirates. You can hope, anyway.

Dammit, Jerry, you can't start planning who's going to pitch in the tenth inning until you get through the ninth. Extra innings don't matter a lick if you don't last through regulation.

That's right: the winner of this game will be awarded a…nevermind. Cards wouldn't have any use for them anyway.

They've actually got me doing work today, but I'll be in to say snarky things in between edits.

Go Reds!

Cornroyo's number of failed attempts at win number ten now outnumber his number of wins. Can he keep the streak going? We're all riveted to our televisions to find out!

All of us except my smack talking partner. But I wanted to put up a smack talking post anyway for anyone who comes by wanting to try to convince me that Eckstein isn't actually a rodent.

So, I hear we've picked up a new lefty reliever in Scott Schoeneweis. He comes to us from Toronto in exchange for a player to be named later or cash.

Schoeneweis brings with him a 2-2 record, 6.51 ERA, and the most friggin difficult name to type of the whole season. The deal for the two remaining lefty relievers who haven't yet played for the Reds this season is expected tomorrow.

Kent Mercker was moved from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL en route to the infinity-day DL. Love Shackelford was optioned back to Louisville; that guy must be able to identify every match.com member between Cincy and Louisville by the sound of her footsteps by now.