April 17, 2012
Live blog: Reds @ Cards – game 11
Game time at 8:15 p.m. tonight. I should have realized that, of course, since the Reds are visiting the central time zone, but I didn’t and was surprised not to find the game already started when I turned it on at 7:20. And to think I kicked out those nice Mormon missionaries an hour earlier than I needed to.
Cueto takes on Lohse. Go Reds!
Phillips flies out and Cozart strikes out on three straight pitches. Votto’s up to try to get this going. At least work the count a little, man.
Nope. Bounced it back to Lohse. Is it going to be one of those games?
So, how ’bout them Fox Sports Ohio girls? Every time I see one of those commercials I find myself thinking about what it would have been like to be there filming it: in wardrobe and make-up and line-learning.
Johnny Cueto on the mound has already induced the first out. I like how he turns all the way around on the mound before pitching. It gives the nice folks in center field a little face time.
Beltran whacks one out of the park. Dammit. You know, I can think of ways to blame Dusty Baker for the lack of offense, but I’m struggling to find ways to blame the homers that the starters are giving up on him.
But I keep looking.
Maybe his hatred of walks has somehow translated in to the starting being afraid to go outside the zone and instead serving up some juicy ones down Broadway?
A bit of a stretch. I’ll keep working on it.
First inning in the books and the Reds are just one run down. Well, that’s better than the last series at least.
Could someone tells the line-up to take a damn pitch, though? No need to give Lohse a three-pitch inning.
Cueto plunks Molina. Tee-hee.
Plunks will haunt! (but it’s probably worth it)
YES! Plunks did NOT haunt!
It’s the small victories.
Bad call: the ump was NOT in the right place to call Stubbs out at third. He was SOOOOOO safe.
Well, at least it ain’t boring for a change. I’d still like to see a brawl…potentially with the umps.
Threatened for a minute there, but no score in the top of the inning. Maybe in the fourth…
Bases loaded and Molina at the plate. At least the plunking is already out of the way.
Molina popped out in foul territory to Votto, and then Cueto gets Jay out?
Someone’s living right.
Man, broken bats are the way to get on base tonight. Votto’s on first, Cozart’s on second. Let’s go Rolen!
Rolen strikes out looking and now it’s Jay Bruce. Bruce got his three home runs in the first three games of the season. It’s game 11. Time to make up some time.
Three consecutive strikeouts to strand the runners. What a waste.
There are hits on the trivia questions now?
Just overheard at my house:
Tom – “First pitch of the inning swinging and that’s an out.”
Me – “What douchebag just swung at the first pitch again? Stubbs? That idiot.”
It’s time for the ritual turning off of screens as part of the bedtime routine. I’ll be back after the ritual playing of Go Fish and the ritual scratching of the back.
Top of the 8th. Kid is in bed and this was the right time to come back to the game. One Red aboard on an error and one aboard on a pitcher brain fart.
Two on, no outs, and a full count on Phillips. Gulp!
Line drive double play? Geesh. Only the Cardinals have that kind of luck.
Zack Cozart!
Pitching change for Votto. I’m kind of surprised they don’t just walk him.
Well, not walking Votto was to their advantage, as he struck out. But the score is tied!
Ondrusek on the mound serves up a fat fly ball to left. Thank you, Ludwick for catching that bad boy at the wall.
Infield bouncer results in out number two in the bottom of the 8th. I kinda hold by breath on each pitch a little.
Broken bat, for a change, results in an out instead of a freaky lucky base hit. There have been a schload of broken bats in this game.
Ludwick is aboard…inspiring a pitching change? With 2 outs already and Drew “I’d swing at the moon if it came out from behind the clouds at the right time” Stubbs up next?
I guess it *is* the ninth inning.
Walk to start off the bottom of the ninth in a tie game.
WALKS WILL HAAAAAAUUUUUUUNT!
Base hit brings that walk recipient around to third. One out and the winning run ever-so-close to home. At least maybe I’ll get to go to sleep pretty soon…I’m kinda tired.
That Logan Ondrusek is one lucky, lucky dude. One high foul ball with just enough space for Votto to get, and then one high fair ball so easy to catch that the biggest risk was that it was too easy to catch.
That’s the end of regulation. No early bedtime for me.
Hell yeah, Mesoraco. Base hit to start off the top of the 10th.
Why the hell is Mr. 1-for-17 Willie Harris pinch hitting in this situation? I believe there’s a Todd Frazier available.
I thought Bruce was coming up to bat, but it was just the fans actually booing Phillips. As if every one of them wouldn’t take him for their second baseman if they could.
Well, no scoring that inning. I guess it’s time to hope for staying up even later…
ANOTHER lead-off walk to start the bottom of the 11th? How many times must I say, “WALKS WILL HAUNT”??
That’s it for Sam “LeCurious” LeCure. Here’s hoping for better things from Bill Bray.
Walks will Haunt
Walks will Haunt
Walks will Haunt
Walks will Haunt
Nope, nothing better from Bray. I wonder if he’ll walk in the winning run.
Well, no, he didn’t walk in the winning run. So there’s that.
Goodnight everyone. Have sweet dreams of a day when we have a well-managed bullpen.
I didn’t realize you were live blogging during games again, I’ll try to join you one of these times. Morale seems to be at an all time low in Redsland right now… Baker cannot be fired soon enough. Would love to see what Chris Speier could do with this team as an interim manager.
Yeah, it’s kind of a tradition for Reds/Cards games. I used to “trash talk” with a Cards blogger, but then kids happened and we don’t get together a religiously as we used to.
I don’t really know anything about Speier. I liked MacKanin; I thought they should have kept him around.