Last Game
The Reds lost a heartbreaker to the Giants last night, 3-4. They’d tied it up in the top of the inning, but the Giants pushed the winning run across with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Jay Bruce apparently thought he was at the wall when he was really a few feet away, causing him to badly misplay the high fly ball that he ought to have caught easily. It wasn’t exactly an all-star play.

The loss earned the Reds a 2-2 split in the 4-game series against the Giants. It was better than I expected.

Next Game
The Reds head to LA to take on the Dodgers. Homer Bailey (5-6, 4.42 ERA) takes on Chad Billingsley (4-7, 4.18 ERA). Both pitchers are coming off rough outings, but Votto is day-to-day with inflammation in his knee, so I’d put Billingsley at the advantage. First pitch at 10:10 p.m.

All-Stars Among Us
The All-Star rosters were announced yesterday. Representing the Reds will be Joey Votto (voted in), Jay Bruce (selected by players), Aroldis Chapman (selected by players), and no one else (selected by manager Tony LaRussa, imagine that).

Obviously snubbed are Brandon Phillips and Johnny Cueto. Cueto wouldn’t have been eligible to pitch anyway, which is the excuse La Russa gave for not choosing him. You know…in the proud tradition of only sending the players who are likely to play to the All-Star game.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
Votto is the first Reds player to be voted in as a starter to the All-Star Game since Ken Griffey, Jr. in 2007.