Boxscore

The Cincinnati Reds won the rubber-match against the Chicago Cubs, thanks to a very good major league–and professional–debut by one Mike Leake.

Leake pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits and 7 walks. The walks number is high and something to watch in the future. In Leake’s defense, 2 of those were in the 7th, an inning he never should have pitched in. It was almost like manager Dusty Baker was trying everything in his power to set Leake up for failure. Leake battled through, and the bullpen closed out the game without allowing any further runs.

Speaking of Baker, he did juggle up his lineup. While the casual observer may have found it so minor a change as to not notice it, the hardcore Dusty-ite would instantly see it for the throwing caution to the wind that it is for Dusty. No doubt, Baker was sweating as he wrote the names down, erasing them, then shaking his head and writing them again. I’m sure he was rocking Leo Mazzone-style throughout the game. Baker’s change? He moved the catcher to 6th in the order, and put the left-fielder and right-fielder behind him.

Of course, despite the clogging of the bases that allowed the Reds to win, you can’t argue with the results. The loaded bases in the 8th let the Reds tie the game with a walk, followed by a sacrifice tie to get the lead.

The Cubs received good starting pitching, but the offense against failed, despite having plenty of opportunities. The Cubs left 12 men on base this game. That, plus the 13 from the first game of the series, means the Cubs offense stranded 25 runners in their losses to the Reds. That’s something Cubs fans hope will change.

You’ll hear plenty of proponents of taller and taller pitchers. Closer to the plate at the release point, they’ll say. Gives the hitter less time to think, they’ll say.

While I’ve got my doubts about how much thinking hitters do in any event, I’ll concede that a couple extra inches to your stride will, technically, make you closer to the plate when you release the ball, which would, theoretically, make your fastball look a little faster. But when you’re a knuckleball pitcher, is it really any benefit?

In fact, could you really cross a batter up with a completely surprising angle? Say…about five feet off the ground?

Eri Yoshida, an 5′, 114 lb, 18-year-old Japanese pitcher, signed with the Chico Outlaws of the Golden Baseball League and will report to spring training next month. Also, she’s a chica.

The Tim Wakefield enthusiast is the first female pitcher to play professionally in the U.S. since Ila Borders retired ten years ago. I feel like less of a woman for never having heard of Ila Borders, but I’ll try to redeem myself now with redoubled enthusiasm for the Outlaws. Go Chico Outlaws!

Boxscore

The Cincinnati Reds made it back to .500–if you count 0-0 as .500–yesterday, but they didn’t make it look easy.

Homer Bailey struggled against the Chicago Cubs, needing 106 pitches to get through 5 innings. In many ways, he resembled the Bailey of old, with no control leading to 2 walks and 2 hit by pitches. Unlike the younger Bailey, this time, Homer battled through and never allowed a big inning. The Cubs scored only 3 runs off him.

After that, Micah Owings came in and pitched 3 scoreless innings, giving the Reds time to retake the lead, which they did in dramatic fashion. As I was pounding away my frustrations at DirecTV not providing the Reds HD on the elliptical machine, the Cubs bullpen imploded. Jonny Gomes and Ramon Hernandez walked to start the 8th. Chris Dickerson followed with a perfect bunt that allowed him to reach first safely. Then Drew Stubbs came to the plate and launched one into the Reds bullpen for the lead.

The Reds defense made it interesting in the 9th for Francisco Cordero, though. Cordero muffed one grounder that Brandon Phillips expertly scooped bare-handed and threw to Joey Votto for the out. A good thing, too, because Derek Lee hit the next one out, bringing the Cubs within one. Then errors by Scott Rolen and Paul Janish loaded the bases before Cordero closed things out for his first save.

It was a very ugly win for the Reds, and a loss that Cubs fans will be kicking themselves over for a while. Any day you have 11 hits, leave 13 men on base, and lose by one has to make you see red. Thankfully, this time, they’re seeing Cincinnati Red.

The series continues today with Carlos Zambrano going against Aaron Harang at 1:10pm EDT.

It’s a beautiful Friday and except for the fact that DirecTV had decided that they’ll just ignore the HD signal, I’m enjoying sitting in front of the t.v., watching the Reds game.

Homer Bailey is not exactly having the best game tonight, eh? Plenty of bad luck and a balk to boot. Nice of the Reds to wake up the Cubs’ defense for them, though. Very generous.

I was thinking about the first basemen of the NLC. This is a pretty impressive list:

• Astros: Geoff Blum
• Brewers: Prince Fielder
• Cards: Albert Pujols
• Cubs: Derek Lee
• Pirates: Jeff Clement
• Reds: Joey Votto

Well, now that I look at the whole list, only half of it is impressive. But that half is seriously impressive.

I don’t know if anyone else has gotten up the courage to try the sushi at the Great American Ballpark, but I plunked down the 12 bucks for the smoked salmon roll on Wednesday. They were out of soy sauce (you’d think for $12 they could have some delivered) but the salmon was good and the rice and wrap were…well, what they always are. I thought the wasabi was flavorless at first, but it built and by the end I was literally crying. And it wasn’t because of the seventh inning. Well, not just because of the seventh inning.

The game was the Reds’ “first annual opening night,” as they try to make as big a deal out of the second game as out of the first one. I think it’s a great idea, though if the second game gets as expensive to go to as the first, we’ll have to make the third game into the blogger game. Of course, if that gets to be the case, maybe the team will make the third game into The Blogger Game. Just think of the vulgarity and smart-assedness that would fill the stadium!

My son has gotten into autograph collecting, so we went to the event where some players were signing. The star of tonight’s game, Homer Bailey, was among those who signed his Reds Heads jersey. Also in attendance was the reason neither the third game nor any game of the Reds’ season will ever be The Blogger Game, Rob Butcher. I snapped a photo because of the irony. And because of that mighty sharp suit.

P.S. For anyone following the DirecTV HD saga, the CTS got on the phone with their customer support and five people and 60 minutes later, they claimed they weren’t getting the feed at all. Not sure how I can prove they’re lying. If only ANY other satellite provider offered baseball!