Boxscore

Edinson Volquez finally sucked for the Reds last night. In 4 1/3 innings, he allowed 7 runs-5 earned–and struck out none. None!

It was an ugly game. No, strike that. It was a Cincinnati game, the kind I expect to see since returning with Ken Griffey, Jr. in 2000. But Volquez’ starts had been something different: a win.

Ah, well. Everybody screws the pooch sometime.

The offense was no help, per usual. Jerry Hairston, Jr. was back, for whatever that’s worth. Griffey’s still old, and Dunn obviously has no passion and can’t hit well (he was 2-4 and scored the only Reds run).

Things are pretty down in Reds land right now, if web traffic is any indication. What I can’t figure out is why it took until almost July. I mean, Dusty Baker, the harbinger of all things antithetical to baseball goodness, was hired last year!

Boxscore

In the aftermath of the whole Shawn Chacon choking the Astros General Manager Ed Wade, the Astros actually played some baseball. And they played well, so take that all you nay-sayers about using strangulation as a motivation technique. Heck, it’s been working for Homer Simpson for years.

Wandy Rodriguez was pretty awesome, throwing lots of strikes and allowing few hits and fewer runs. Rodriguez pitched 8 innings of 1-run, 5-hit baseball, giving Houston their second series win in a row.

Wandy’s back on track, and Houston might be, as well. Of course, what would be more symbolic of rock bottom than players fighting front office staff in the clubhouse? There’s not much elsewhere to go but up.

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The Cubs lost their first home series in a good long while to the Orioles, of all teams. Of course, considering Jason Marquis was pitching the rubber-match, the blow-out loss isn’t surprising.

Let’s roll that beautiful Marquis line score: 7 runs, all earned, in 4 innings of work. Ouch. Not good for any starter on a team with delusions of world domination, let alone the 4th or 5th.

So now the Cubs have both Marquis and Jim Edmonds on the team, both former Cardinals. Edmonds has been attempting to win over Cubs fans by flashes of competency–including a walk-off hit–but I have to wonder how this will end. You know Cardinals fans are hoping they’ll somehow sabotage Chicago’s season. Me, I don’t think the Cubs need any help screwing up their postseason chances from their oldest rival. They’ve been doing that just fine for a century.

Boxscore

Break out the champagne! The Reds finally scored some runs for Aaron Harang!

Of course, Harang promptly gave them back up, but he still lasted five times longer than Arroyo the previous night. And he only allowed half as many runs as Arroyo! I remember when Harang and Arroyo were one of the best one-two punches in the Central. Not that it was good times or anything, but how the mighty have fallen.

The Reds did manage to win the game, despite Harang’s continued rockiness. The bullpen kept the game tied and the offense came through with a sacrifice fly from Jay Bruce for the winning run in the top of the 10th.

At first when I saw Javier Valentín on the roster for third base, my immediate response was, and I quote, “WTF?” I mean, as glad as I am to see the LLM in the line-up for a change, he seems a little short and stout for the hot corner.

But the more I got to think about it, the more I talked myself into not hating the idea. As a catcher, he must have the reflexes to deal with those hits up the line, and he surely has the arm to get it over to first. Plus, with a zillion injuries, the Reds don’t have much choice, and his bat is certainly better than Paul “Soft J” Janish.

On an unrelated note, the Mets picked up Andy Phillips off waivers after the Reds sent him down without any options. Kinda sucks for the Reds; probably good for Phillips II.

How about Griffey’s homer number 602? I love to see that home run swing.

They keep saying that Harang is starting tonight, but I know that can’t be true because, as of the third inning, the Reds are ahead. I mean, I can understand the Blue Jays not having anything left after that routing yesterday, but since when does the offense put up any numbers for Aaron “Lemon” Harang? I mean, no one knows better than the good people of Toronto how much Adam Dunn doesn’t even *like* baseball.