Last Game
Joey Votto started his first game in a week and was he ever awesome. He went 4 for 5 with a home run and 3 runs scored as he helped the Reds defeat the Cardinals 9-8 in the second game of the series. The win put the Reds back by themselves in first place, 1 game up on the Cardinals.

Next Game
Rookie Sam LeCure will make his second start for the Reds, while the Cardinals will turn to Chris Carpenter to get back into first place. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:15pm EDT.

Shuffling the Bullpen Chairs
Before the game yesterday, the Reds attempted to improve the bullpen with pre-existing parts. Mike Lincoln was placed on the DL for made up reasons, and Carlos Fisher was sent down to the minors. Both had pitched terribly lately. Enerio Del Rosario and Logan Ondrusek were called back up to the big leagues.

It worked yesterday, with Rosario pitching a scoreless inning after Johnny Cueto collapsed in the 6th. The rest of the bullpen was effective, too.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
With Scott Rolen’s 2 home runs last night, he is at 13 and has now hit more home runs this year than any year since 2006, when he hit 22 for the Cardinals. Also, he is 4 away from 300.