This has been an ugly series so far, but you know things are looking up when Brandon Phillips is vowing to turn a double-play straight through Pujols' head.

My kiddo is suffering a fever and a tummyache today, so there's always the nonzero chance that we'll be doing the obligatory appendicitis-scare ER trip, but I'm hopeful that ibuprofen and Popsicles will do the trick.

Let's see if C. Trent's got the line-ups:

Our Beloved Reds
Josh Hamilton CF
Jeff Keppinger SS
Ken Griffey Jr. RF
Brandon Phillips 2B
Adam Dunn LF
Scott Hatteberg 1B
Edwin Encarnación 3B
David Ross C
Bronson Arroyo P

Those Damn Cardinals
Eckstein ss
Ankiel rf
Ludwick lf
Edmonds cf
Duncan 1b
Miles 2b
Bennett c
Looper p
Ryan 3b

No Pujols! I guess the threat of someone throwing at your cranium is a strong one.

Our Cincinnati Reds travel to St. Louis this evening to take on the team we all love to hate in the Cardinals. I'll be in and out with some smart alecry in between waves of nausea. I overdid it at the local pub last night.

Anyway…

Reds
Josh Hamilton CF
Alex Gonzalez SS
Ken Griffey, Jr RF
Brandon Phillips 2B
Adam Dunn LF
Javier Valentín C
Scott Hatteberg 1B
Edwin Encarnación 3B
Tom Shearn P

Those Other Guys
Eckstein ss
Ankiel rf
Pujols 1b
Edmonds cf
Duncan lf
Molina c
Miles 2b
Reyes p
Ryan 3b

On Tuesday, August 28, the Louisville Bats wore special pink jerseys in support of the fight against breast cancer. The jerseys have all been signed, and are now up for auction.

Ryan Jorgensen, Joey Votto, and Jay Bruce are tied for the lead at $260.

Ryan Jorgensen:

Mark Bellhorn's jersey is next, with a $245 bid, but don't count those chowderheads out yet. Bellhorn's item has gotten the highest bid in all Bats charity auctions this year, often with a late surge.

Paul Janish:

Joey Votto and Aaron Herr:

Marcus McBeth with the strikeout:

Jeff Bannon:

Anderson Machado:

Even Buddy Bat wore a pink jersey:

Proceeds will be donated to the Louisville chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Auction ends at midnight, Sept. 3.

I didn’t say it! It wasn’t me! Get off my freakin’ back, already!

Jonny, my beloved husband and Red Hot Mama’s own Crack Technical Staff, does not have the love for the Reds’ number one catcher and attributes their loss in the two games yesterday to his return from the DL. I think that’s probably going a bit far, myself, but I can’t deny that I loves to see the Latin Love Machine behind the plate.

Tonight on the podcast, in addition to the CTS’s ranting about the catching situation, we also rant about the management of the team, both on the field and in general. As it has been every single time an interim manager has done well, Red Hot Mama’s stance on the situation is to allow said interim manager to interview for the position, but not to remove the interim tag before the interviews. Will the team get it right this time? That alone is reason to keep watching.

Episode 74: David Ross Is Dragging the Reds Down (16.7MB, 24:21)

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Lavar Burton has the golden touch. Everything he's ever done is fantastic.