Boxscore

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Cincinnati Reds had a good start. And this one from Homer Bailey was great.

For the third time in his last 4 outings, Bailey went 8 innings. He dominated the Milwaukee Brewers of that time, allowing just 6 hits, walking none, and striking out a career-high 10. In short, it was an amazing performance. And it’s one that’s becoming more and more customary from Bailey.

So far in 2012, Bailey is turning in the best year of his career. He has his lowest ERA at 3.74 (and highest ERA+ of his career at 112). He’s got his lowest WHIP at 1.271, and is approaching career highs in games started, innings pitched, and strikeouts. Wins aren’t the best measure of a starter, but with the win last night, Bailey did tie his career-high of 9 wins. Oh, and did I mention he’s just 26 years old?

Despite how long it feels like Bailey’s been with the Reds, he’s still young. And more and more, it’s looking like the year he really puts things together. He’s come a long way from looking like Keanu Reeves’ grandmother.

Of course, Bailey couldn’t win the game by himself. The offense had to score some runs. All 3 of the Reds’ run came from solo shots. Zack Cozart hit his 10th, Jay Bruce hit his 19th, and Scott Rolen hit his 4th.

Bruce broke a bad 0-19 slump with a 2-3 game. With Joey Votto out, this would be an awesome time for Bruce to go on one of his patented Player-of-the Week tears. And Rolen was playing with more energy than I’ve seen all year. He went 2-3, as well. The fastball he hit for his homer was hit with more authority than I’ve seen him swing with since 2010. If Bruce, Rolen, and Brandon Phillips–the hero of the previous game–can keep stepping up, this stretch without Votto could turn into a big positive for the team.

The win keeps the Reds in first place, 1/2 game ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Reds look to increase that lead when they play their second game against the Brewers tonight. Bronson Arroyo will start against Yavani Gallardo. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm EDT.

Boxscore

It was another short outing for a starting pitcher, followed by a stellar performance from the bullpen to allow the Reds to rally in the late innings for the win over the Diamondbacks yesterday.

Mike Leake started for the Reds and lasted 5.1 innings. He allowed 6 runs (earned) on 11 hits and 1 walk in that amount of time. As I listened to the crackly AM signal of this non-televised game, I can tell you spirits were pretty low.

But around the time Alfredo Simon took the mound for 1.2 innings, the Reds started their rally. He allowed 0 runs on 1 hit. Logan Ondrusek was next, and he didn’t allow any hits in his .2 innings. Sean Marshall did give up a couple hits, but they didn’t amount to anything in the remainder of the eighth. Aroldis Chapman shut it down in the ninth by striking out 2.

Brandon Phillips is the hero of this game. He went 2-for-4 and hit the 3-run home run in the sixth inning that finally got the Reds on the board, plus he doubled in two more guys in the seventh. Honorable mentions go to Wilson Valdez, who got on base three times and scored twice, and Devin Mesoraco, who busted up the no-hitter that Arizona had going into the fifth.

The win brings the Reds record to 52-40 and earns them a split in the 4-game series, even without the services of Joey Votto. Tonight the Reds welcome the Milwaukee Brewers. Will Homer Bailey (RHP, 8-6, 3.93 ERA) give the bullpen a break when he takes on Marco Estrada (RHP, 0-3, 4.13 ERA)? Probably, but answering those questions is why they play the game. First pitch at 7:10 p.m.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony that will see Barry Larkin honored is this weekend and it’s televised. From an MLB Network press release:

Secaucus, N.J., July 18, 2012 – Twelve-time Cincinnati Reds All-Star Barry Larkin and the late former Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox third baseman Ron Santo will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York this Sunday, July 22 in a ceremony telecast exclusively on MLB Network. A special Hall of Fame edition of MLB Tonight will air at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday with MLB Network’s Peter Gammons, winner of the 2004 J.G. Taylor Spink Award for baseball writing, Brian Kenny, Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci providing live coverage from Cooperstown, including interviews with Larkin, Hall of Famers in attendance and special features on this year’s inductees.

MLB Network’s exclusive live telecast of the Induction Ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET, including the acceptance speeches by Larkin and Santo’s widow Vicki Santo, an appearance by Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig, and introductions of an expected 43 returning Hall of Famers, including Larkin’s fellow former Cincinnati Reds Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez and Frank Robinson, and Santo’s fellow former Chicago Cubs Ernie Banks, Ferguson Jenkins, Ryne Sandberg, Bruce Sutter and Billy Williams. MLB Network’s live coverage of the Induction Ceremony will be simulcast online on MLB.com and BaseballHall.org. MLB Network will make footage of the ceremony available live via satellite on July 22. Additional details on the satellite feed will be sent to media from MLB Network.

In more mundane televised baseball news, there is a conflict over the time slot on FS Ohio during the Reds game tomorrow. From FS Ohio:

This Saturday, July 21st, the Cincinnati Reds play at 7pm and the Columbus Crew play at 7:30pm. Both games are being made available to air on FOX Sports Ohio.

City	Reds v. Brewers at 7:00pm	Crew v. United at 7:30pm
Cincinnati Dayton Toledo Louisville Lexington Charleston Huntington Wheeling Steubenville Bowling Green, KY Evansville, IN Terre Haute Fort Wayne	The game will be on the main FSOhio cable channels and on FSCincinnati on satellite.	In Toledo and Fort Wayne, the game is being made available to providers to carry on alternate FSOhio channels. Alternate channel information can be found here: Channel Finder
Columbus & Lima areas	The game is being made available to providers to carry on alternate FSOhio channels. Alternate channel information can be found here: Cnalle Finder	The game will be on the main FSOhio cable channels and on FSOhio on satellite in the Columbus, Lima, Cleveland & Youngstown areas

The Reds game will replay on FOX Sports Ohio in all Reds viewing areas late Saturday night at approximately 12:30am, or directly following the Crew replay.

The Crew game will replay on FOX Sports Ohio in all Crew viewing areas Saturday night at the conclusion of Reds Live postgame show, approximately 10:30pm.

As RHM detailed in the game wrap for game 91 for the Cincinnati Reds, Mat Latos and the Reds did not do well.

It was Jay Bruce bobblehead night, which our son really wanted, so we headed out after work. Hearing the gates had opened early because of the thunderstorm that passed through made us a little nervous that they might run out since we were still an hour away, but we shouldn’t have. This giveaway was not nearly enough of a draw to make that happen.

The view from the cheap seats in left field. I’d recommend the cheap seats in right field, since the scoreboard is visible there.

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