Boxscore

Aaron Harang has had a tough year. From the team refusing to score runs when he was on the mound, to coming back to soon from injuries, to being overworked by Dusty Baker, this just wasn’t Harang’s year. That’s why I’m happy to see him putting several solid starts together to close out the season and inching that overrated win stat closer to something not so embarrassing.

Not that Harang had a great start. He allowed 4 runs in 7 innings, his worst start since his too-early return from the DL in the middle of August. But he actually got some run support and a win. That’s nice to see.

What’s not nice to see is his 122 pitches. This just a month after coming off the DL. Damn, but Baker’s clueless.

Harang has one more start before the season ends. Let’s hope the Harangutan gets his 7th.

That’s what I think.

Boxscore

Remember when the Reds hired Dusty Baker because he was a proven winner? (I still haven’t gotten the smell out of my clothes from that bull crap.)

Well, Baker proved that statement false, as so many knew he would. The Reds lost their 82nd game yesterday, cementing them as a loser for 2008. That’s, what, 8 years now? Look out Pittsburgh!

For Baker, it’s now his 3rd losing year in a row. I expect at least 1 more, 2 should the Reds insanely not fire him sometime next year.

As for the game, Edinson Volquez looked tired and overworked. It’s a good thing the Reds manager is renowned for his delicate care with young, still-growing pitchers.

Even to watch the Cardinals winning.

Yesterday, I made the 3-hour drive up to Chicago for a luncheon event about internationalization. Geeky? Oh, so much.

But the content of the lunch meeting is less relevant to my complaining than the fact that I-65 was apparently flooded by the storm that did nothing more to me than knock out my power for three hours. That forced me–and all the other thousands of commuters, truck drivers, and drug traffickers–to a detour, which made the 3-hour trip there into 4 1/2 hours.

Even better, it made the 3-hour trip back into 5 1/2 hours. There was an hour where I never hit the pedals, just put the car into drive to let the idle move me, and then throw it back into neutral to drift to a stop.

To make matters worse, I couldn’t even get the game.

It’s just one more reason not to go to Chicago (though the lunch events on internationalization are pretty good) and instead stay home and watch the Reds give fans, commentators, and senior management the idea that maybe the first part of the season was just a fluke and really this last month is all that counts.

Boxscore

With Ben Sheets starting, the Brewers had to feel good about finally getting a win to help stop the recent skid. Well, they won, but they lost Ben Sheets.

Sheets lasted only 2 innings before leaving with an elbow injury. Right now, it looks like there’s more Tommy in his future than playoff appearances.

Still, the Brewers offense finally showed up. It helped that Marquis de Suck was “pitching” for the Cubs. Nothing like a little gasoline to help a fire get going.

The win keeps the Brewers one half game back of the wild card. The Cubs keep their commanding first place lead.