Boxscore

I’ll admit, I was happy when I saw that 5-spot appear in the sixth inning for the Rockies (9-12). The Cubs (15-6) are the hottest team in baseball right now, and having atrocious pitching for an inning isn’t something that will stop them.

The offense is kicking butt right now. It won’t last; it never does, but they’re unstoppable right now. Once Aramis Ramirez hit the two-run home run in the ninth, there was no doubt that the Cubs would win. Even when Kerry Wood (1-0) blew the save. He was obviously angling for the vulture win. And to show the world that Carlos Marmol (S 2) is way better at that closing thing than him anyway.

Can Jason Marquis keep the awesomeness going? He starts today for the Cubs, going against Aaron Cook at 3:05pm EDT.

Boxscore

Prince Fielder led the Brewers (13-8) to their second straight win by blasting two homers and driving in 4. I hear he drove from the game in a little red corvette.

The Phillies (11-11) kept it close, having the lead until the 8th, when Cole Hamels (2-3) lost it due to fatigue. (He threw 121 pitches.) Mitch Stetter (1-0) got the win and Derick Turnbow (S 1) got his first save of the year.

It’s Jamie Moyer versus Jeff Suppan this afternoon at 1:05pm EDT.

Boxscore

The Cardinals (13-9) have now lost two straight and fallen a game and a half back. Is this the end for them? Maybe they need to change General Managers to stop the losing.

Ian Snell pitched better than expected for the Pirates (9-12). He started things off with a bang, allowing four runs in the first, but settled down after that. In fact, the Cardinals never scored another run. Damaso Marte (1-0) gets the win, while Matt Capps (S 6) picks up the save.

Anthony Reyes (1-1) was tagged with the loss, and I can totally picture Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan talking to John Mozeliak, saying, “See!” Their dislike of the hurler is odd.

At any rate, the Pirates go for a series win today, sending out Tom Gorzelanny against Joel Pineiro at 7:05pm EDT.

Tonight on the Red Hot Broadcast, the Crack Technical Staff and I record from our first-grade son’s baseball practice at a the diamond behind a local area elementary school. We committed to this multi-tasking because we knew that you’d want to hear, from our own mouths, our discussion of the Reds firing of general manager Wayne Krivsky.

We recorded the podcast before we had a chance to read the discussion here on RHM of the move, but we touch on many of the same points. In this version, though, you get the benefit of the charming sounds of little league baseball in the background.

Leave your thoughts about Wayne Krivsky’s firing on our comment line: 206-600-1734.

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The end of the Kriv-dawg era is upon us. The Reds replaced Wayne Krivsky with Walt Jocketty today. Jocketty, former St. Louis Cardinals GM and personal friend of owner Bob Castellini, was hired by the team as a special adviser before the season.

I’m in a day of meeting hell and can’t take the time to do the proper research on this to form an educated opinion. But, HOLY CRAP! I’d say that does more to demonstrate the team’s desire for change than eating Castro’s contract.

Here’s the article on Reds.com.