Happy Cinco de Mayo, everybody!

What I’ve always found interesting about this holiday is how it’s celebrated more in the United States than it is in Mexico. One thing I never stopped to consider was, what does Aroldis Chapman think of the holiday?

You might remember that he’s from Cuba, a country that has nothing to do with the minor Mexican holiday. But don’t tell Pepto-Bismol that.

They contracted Chapman for this commercial showing a novel way of breaking apart a piñata.

What the hell was in that thing? Real stomach acid? This ad was weird in so many ways.

Maybe next year Pepto can tap Joey Votto for a St. Patrick’s Day commercial. You know, because he’s Canadian.

So far this year, the Cincinnati Reds have played like a .500 team. As Rob Lowe in Parks & Recreation would say, “They’ve literally been average.”

And they have. The Reds’ record stands now at 15 wins and 15 losses.

They won today, thanks to some 9th inning competence from Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and uncharacteristically, Jay Bruce. Thanks to a solid pitching performance by Travis Wood and the bullpen, the team was only down by 2 in the 9th. Granted, the offense had mustered something like one measly hit against the Houston Astros to that point, but the pitching had managed to keep it close.

I keep hoping that this team will find rediscover the spark they had at the season’s very beginning. The fact that Bruce actually produced today is a good sign, but there needs to be more from him. Like last year, he’s started slow in 2010. He comes up too often in situations where he could help the team and is a key figure for success this year.

Of course, the pitching has been wretched lately, too. The two injured starters are returning this week, and I’d say that Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey are better than Sam LeCure and Mike Leake, who they’ll be replacing in the rotation. Maybe that will be enough to get this team going, although it feels like more is needed than just a couple guys coming off the disabled list. Heck if I know what, though.

It’s been a frustrating year watching the Reds play so far. The season is by no means over, and the Reds aren’t really in a hole in the standings–they’re in 2nd place. But they’ve been playing teams they should beat, and have instead been losing badly.

Today was a good first step after the team meeting with manager Dusty Baker and owner Bob Castellini. I’m hoping for another good step tomorrow afternoon when Bailey starts for the first time this year.

Damn it’s been painful watching these Reds lately. It’s about to the point that you pray for rain, except that if you’re in the tri-state area you probably already have a couple inches of water in your basement and any more water in your yard will mean you’ll have to stop playing catch with your kid and instead start playing water polo.

So, what the hell is wrong with this team? Here’s a little info about the team’s losses this season:

An average of 3.14 runs per game, featuring only three games where the Reds scored fewer than two runs. It ain’t the offense that’s the problem here, folks.

Not that we didn’t know there’d be problems with the pitching when a third of the rotation wound up on the DL. It just hurts when pitching seemed to be such a strength of this team. Alas, it’s a big difference between Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake, and a big difference between Homer Bailey and Sam LeCure.

But take heart, Reds fans: they’re coming back. Bailey is scheduled to start on Thursday, and Leake will take the mound on Sunday. No word yet on whether they’ll be playing baseball or Marco Polo.

ESPN’s E:60 on Jonny Gomes: The Man Who Wouldn’t Die

ESPN’s award-winning primetime newsmagazine E:60 goes deep into the life, and near death, of Major League Baseball’s Jonny Gomes in the episode airing Tuesday, May 3, at 7 p.m. ET.

Gomes’ scrappy and grinding style has made him a key part of the Cincinnati Reds’ rise in the National League. His style was a byproduct of a rocky road to the majors that withstood tragedy, deprivation and, almost literally, heartbreak. For E:60, Chris Connelly examines the rollercoaster life of an intense, gritty fan favorite who has never forgotten how lucky he is just to be alive.

Launched in October 2007, ESPN’s E:60 combines investigative reporting, in-depth profiles of intriguing sports personalities and features on emerging star athletes. These stories are presented in a fresh and innovative format that incorporates producer/correspondent meetings.

A preview clip of the Gomes feature can be viewed here.