April 7, 2010
By
Amanda
Posted at 6:36 am
The RHM crew will be taking part in some of these events, and it’s so nice of the Reds to provide a way to keep warm in case the April night turns cold. I imagine the fleecie will do a much better job than the terrible coffee when last we attended an April evening game in Cinergy/Riverfront. The 30 degree temperatures that night made us swear off early-season games for quite some time.
The Cincinnati Reds announce a new special celebration for the first night game of the season, called Opening Night, when the Reds take on the Cardinals on Wednesday, April 7.
From a meet and greet with Reds players and live music in the Fan Zone to a flyover and full team introductions during pregame ceremonies to a spectacular post-game fireworks show, Opening Night will have all the glitz and glamour of the traditional home opener combined with the thrill of baseball under the lights.
Don’t miss the birth of a new can’t-miss date on the Cincinnati calendar!
Here’s a rundown of Wednesday night’s events:
Opening: 5:10 p.m.
Hall of Fame breezeway gate opens to all fans at 5:10 p.m.
Reds Fleecie wearable snuggly blanket giveaway to the first 20,000 fans, presented by hhgregg
Fan Zone Fun: “Meet & Greet” with current Reds players and special appearance by Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, Carnival Performers, Games and Reds House DJ “DJ Sab”
Right field Porch: Swingtime Big Band performing
Act I: 6:30 p.m.
Special “Opening Night” Team Introductions
Ceremonial first pitch by Joe Morgan
Anthem performed by “Widow Douglas” (Jenn Scott) from The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s production of Tom Sawyer
Flyover: Four (4) F-16s from the 178th Fighter Wing of Springfield, Ohio
Act II: 7:10 p.m.
Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Right field Porch: Swingtime Big Band performing between innings throughout the game
Act III: Postgame
101st Airborne Rangers U.S. Army Parachute Demonstration Team
Fireworks Spectacular, presented by Hollywood Casino
April 6, 2010
By
Zeldink
Posted at 9:17 pm
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|
| Dodgers (0-1) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
| Pirates (1-0) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | - | 11 | 10 | 0 |
W: Duke (1-0)
L: Padilla (0-1)
Boxscore
The Pittsburgh Pirates hosted the defending National West champions yesterday, and did what they’ve done for the past 3 Opening Days: win.
That’s right. The Pirates have at least one streak that has nothing to do with losing.
The Pirates wrung 5 decent innings out of Zach Duke, and made the wise decision to pinch-hit for him with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 5th. Duke had allowed just 2 runs, but his 7 hits were pause for concern. And with Pittsburgh having a 1-run lead and an opportunity for a big inning, manager John Russell made the call.
Ryan Church hit a bases-clearing double off Vicente Padilla to break the game open.
Right-fielder Garret Jones also homered twice for the Pirates, showing that he may just be more than a one-hit wonder.
And for one day, the Pirates sit atop the division, looking down on everyone else.
April 6, 2010
By
Zeldink
Posted at 9:05 pm
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|
| Cubs (0-1) | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Braves (1-0) | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | - | 16 | 12 | 0 |
W: Lowe (1-0)
L: Zambrano (0-1)
Boxscore
Just like Aaron Harang for the Reds, Carlos Zambrano had a rough opening day. Unlike Harang, Zambrano didn’t make it out of the 2nd inning.
The Chicago Cubs started off the game promisingly, with Marlon Byrd hitting a 3-run home run in the top of the first, but Zambrano killed all that.
Big Moose allowed 8 runs–all earned–in 1 1/3 innings. Not what the Cubs wanted out of their ace, especially with Ted Lilly starting the season on the disabled list. Zambrano allowed 6 hits, walked 2, and allowed 2 home runs, and the Cubs–like always–never had a chance.
It could have been worse. Instead of setting a personal worst for his shortest outing ever, Zambrano only tied it. You’ve definitely got to find the silver lining when talking about the Cubs.
April 6, 2010
By
Amanda
Posted at 6:56 am
Last Game
Well, they won’t go wire-to-wire this year. The Reds dropped the season opener to the Cardinals yesterday, 11-6. You can relive the magic with the RHM game thread. The Reds pitching collapsed, but the offense was solid, although not solid enough to keep Aaron Harang from taking the loss. I recommend you take out any frustration by beaning some redbirds.
Next Game
As always, the Reds have an off-day the day after Opening Day. Their next game will be Wednesday night at 7:10pm EDT. Adam Wainwright will start against Johnny Cueto. Plus, it’s Reds fleecie/snuggie and fireworks night.
Ritual Mop Burning
After the game yesterday, a fire alarm rang through Great American Ball Park. Apparently, some mops had caught fire. Hal McCoy, of course, had the best jokes.
Were those the instruments the St. Louis Cardinals used to mop up the Cincinnati Reds, 11-6, using them so adeptly they were smoking?
Did the Reds actually call the fire department to douse Albert Pujols?
What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
The rotation for the Louisville Bats includes Sam LeCure, Travis Wood, Matt Maloney, Aroldis Chapman, and Justin Lehr. That right there is a better rotation than the Reds ran out for most of the last decade.
April 5, 2010
By
Zeldink
Posted at 9:46 pm
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|
| Cardinals (1-0) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 2 |
| Reds (0-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 1 |
W: Carpenter (1-0)
L: Harang (0-1)
Boxscore
Well, that sucked.
I always find that opening day for the Cincinnati Reds is a disappointment. This year was no exception.
Aaron Harang started and did about as good as he ever has done in his previous opening day starts. Harang went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs, 3 earned. He struck out 2, unfortunately, it was only the first 2 batters of the game. Things went downhill after that, as Harang allowed home runs to Albert Pujols and Colby Rasmus.
The Reds did score a bit during a Harang start. And really, if they can’t win when they score 6 runs most of the time this year, the pitching isn’t as good as it’s been made out to be. Joey Votto homered to get the Reds on the board, and Scott Rolen homered in the same inning to keep things close.
And things were within reach–albeit a long reach–until Nick Masset allowed a grand slam to Yadier Molina in the top of the 9th. That truly ended things.
Pujols again showed that you have to pitch carefully to him. Fastballs down the middle of the plate aren’t the best approach to him. He was 4 for 5 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI. The heart of the Cardinals lineup was clicking in a way that made me wonder how far away the Reds really are from competing.
Oh well, there’s always tomorrow. And one thing that’s definitely true at this point is it’s still early.
