Last Game
The Reds took last night off, so they should be all rested and ready for action tonight. I’m sure we won’t see any big stars on the bench, right?

Next Game
The Reds open a three-game series with the Brewers tonight at Great American Ball Park. Johnny Cueto (RHP, 18-9, 2.84 ERA) takes on Mike Fiers (RHP, 9-8, 3.38 ERA). First pitch at 7:10 p.m.

Cueto had been having a rough time of it for a while there, but he was looking pretty good in his last start against the Cubs. If he can win his remaining 2 starts, he still has a chance of getting to 20 wins for the season.

If you were worried about Baker’s win-loss record, you can rest easy
John Fay says that the last five games that Dusty Baker has missed will still be attributed to his win-loss record.

Baker went to the hospital while the team was in Chicago, thinking maybe he had pneumonia. He didn’t, but did end up admitted and stuck there for the next several days after the doctors noticed an irregular heart beat. He finally came back to Cincinnati last weekend, but there’s still not official word on whether he’ll be back to his managing duties today.

The organization has said very little, he hasn’t been available for interviews, and even his visit to the clubhouse was just long enough to get a hug and a “howyadoin’?” from each guy before he was back home resting. It’s kind of ominous, actually. I hope everything’s OK.

With no one talking, though, there’s not much for us to do but think about things like the career of bench coach Chris Speier, who’s been filling in. Speier, though, isn’t the one who get ultimate credit for these games; they still count toward Baker’s record. Even games during which the manager is serving a suspension do, which is funny, since a pitcher who missed a start while serving a suspension wouldn’t get credit for it. They must think that the manager of record casts a long shadow over the clubhouse, even when he’s not there. And, I suppose, Baker probably does.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
The 2012 Reds are only the 15th team in Major League history to have at least 6 pitchers with at least 100 strikeouts apiece. If you’re wondering who the 6 guys are, they are the starting rotation and Aroldis Chapman. Yes, even Mike Leake is rocking over 100 Ks.

Sean Marshall is the next closest pitcher on the Reds roster right now. He has 73.

Last Game
You get the feeling the Reds were out partying a little too late after clinching the division, based on their performance last night. It was the rubber game against the Dodgers, and the Reds were actually hanging in there for a while. But in the end, 3 Joey Votto walks and a Denis Phipps home run were not enough.

The game was a must-win for the Dodgers who are still in contention for the wildcard. The Reds have already clinched and the Dodgers are battling the Cardinals, so maybe this isn’t all bad.

Next Game
Today is finally the Reds’ last off-day of September. They’ve had 4 off-days this month, which is probably good for the team but which felt weird to me. Tomorrow they’re back in action, hosting the Milwaukee Brewers for a 3-game set.

Set Your DVR for Celebratory Champagne Wastage
FOX Sports Ohio wanted to show you the Reds in their champagne-drenched division-clinching celebration as it happened, but had technical difficulties. They still recorded it, though, and will be showing it tonight at 8 p.m.

Here’s the email from FSO:

Going into today’s Reds game on FOX, the Reds magic number for clinching the NL Central was 1. FOX Sports Ohio had every intention of covering post-game celebration live if the Reds won.

When it looked as though the Reds were going to win, we promoted that we would have live celebration coverage immediately following the game.

Unfortunately just prior to air, the signal was lost out of Cincinnati. Our engineers feverishly tried to restore the transmission but they were unable to recover it.

We will air special on Monday at 8pm, featuring the post-game celebration. While this special cannot replace the live coverage lost this evening, we hope Reds fans will be able to enjoy the Reds clinching the Central Division.

We sincerely apologize for the disappointment and frustration this caused so many Reds fans.

Seeing as there’s no game, you can dedicate your whole evening to it. Heck, you could even record it, put up some tarps, send the kids to bed, and see for yourself what it feels like to be soaked, sticky, and exuberant.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
After spending 4 days in a Chicago hospital, undergoing testing for an irregular heartbeat, Dusty Baker was finally back in Cincinnati yesterday. He made an appearance in the clubhouse before the game, but wasn’t the one managing the game, despite the fact that Wilson Valdez was in the starting line-up.