Last Game
The Reds clinched a playoff berth yesterday when they swept the Cubs. Johnny Cueto broke his losing streak by pitching 6.0 innings and allowing 0 runs on 5 hits. He also walked 4, which isn’t very good, but I like the shut-out part.

Next Game
Tonight the Reds return home to host the Dodgers. Bronson Arroyo (RHP, 12-8, 3.74 ERA) will take the mound against Joe Blanton (RHP, 1-4, 6.07 ERA). Like Cueto yesterday, Arroyo today is hoping to bounce back from a rough outing his last time out. First pitch at 7:10 p.m.

The Cardinals play a day game tomorrow in Chicago. If they lose, the Reds will be playing to clinch the division tomorrow night. I wonder if tickets are going to be scarce this weekend.

Baker undergoing further tests
Dusty Baker missed Wednesday night’s game to go to the hospital for chest X-rays. He thought he might have pneumonia.

He apparently did not, but stayed in the hospital anyway to have an irregular heartbeat checked out. No official word yet on the test results, but according to Reds.com, Walt Jocketty saw him in the hospital:

“He looked good, very good. He was in good spirits. He seemed to be feeling good,” Jocketty said.

Bench coach Chris Speier filled in for Baker Wednesday and yesterday, and apparently will today as well. Baker does plan to be on-hand, just in case the team celebrates clinching the division. John Fay says not to expect any champagne showers, though:

The Reds didn’t whoop it up at all after the game, despite clinching at least a Wild Card spot….I’m guessing the celebration for clinching the National League Central will be a lot more subdued than in 2010.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
One for the heartbreaking file: with their loss last nigth, the Pirates are under .500 for the first time since May 29 when they were 24-25. Poor Pirates. I really enjoyed seeing them as a legitimate contender this season.

Last Game
The Reds had the lead before I even turned on the television broadcast. They were completely dominating through the first five innings, and I was ready to decrement the Magic Number.

Then, suddenly, Mike Leake gave up a 2-run homer to Alfonso Soriano in the sixth inning, plus 1 more run, that got the Cubs within 1. Poor J.J. Hoover was left to his own devices after loading up the bases with walks and singles and ended up walked in a run to tie it up in the eighth.

Eventually the extra innings were upon us. The Reds finally managed a run in the top of the eleventh, and I got to decrement the Magic Number after all. Just 3 more to go, guys.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals beat the Astros, making it impossible for the Reds to clinch the division in Chicago. The next home series against the Dodgers is the soonest they can clinch now.

Next Game
The Reds finish up the series with the Cubs today at 2:20 p.m. This may be just what Johnny Cueto (RHP, 17-9, 2.92 ERA) needs to get back on track.

Cueto has been the victim of 3 losses in his last 3 starts. That’s pretty surprising from our Opening Day starter ace, but it isn’t surprising when you consider that he’s given up 16 runs in that amount of time.

That being the case, the Reds’ offense had better be ready to touch up his opponent, Jason Berken (RHP, 0-1, 4.50 ERA), for a few as well.

Your Chance to Listen to a Busy Signal for an Hour
John Fay says that the Reds told him that they’re going to have a bank of tickets available for you to try to call in to buy on Friday morning:

A limited number of tickets for potential National League Division Series games at Great American Ball Park will go on sale by phone only at 9:00 a.m. Friday at (513) 381-REDS (7337)…this allotment of tickets is for fans without computers or internet access and for fans not selected in the online ticket opportunity…there is a limit of 4 tickets per phone transaction, while supplies last…no tickets will be available at the Great American Ball Park ticket office.

We’ll have to take his word for it, because I can’t find a single whiff of this information on Reds.com, nor in a press release, nor in any email communication. Of course, given that they’re specifically targeting people “without computers or internet access,” maybe that part makes sense.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
Todd Frazier is the Reds’ nominee for the 2012 Roberto Clemente Award, which is given in honor of a player’s contribution to the community above-and-beyond his contribution at the plate. Among other things, Frazier saved a man’s life this year by administering the Heimlich Maneuver. You can cast your vote for Frazier by on MLB.com.

Last Game
The Reds opened the series in Chicago with a 3-1 win over the Cubs last night. Homer Bailey put in a nice performance for his 12th win of the season.

Ryan Hanigan was the offensive hero of the night with a bases-clearing double in the sixth inning to score all 3 of the Reds’ runs. The TV broadcast had Hanigan on after the game, and it’s impressive how articulate he sounds compared to some of the other players.

The record is 89-59 and the magic number is 4.

Next Game
The Reds continue the series with the Cubs tomorrow at 8:05 p.m. The Reds will send out Mike Leake (RHP, 8-9, 4.69 ERA) to face off against Chris Rusin (LHP, 1-2, 5.06 ERA). Young Rusin is being limited to about 80 pitches per outing, so we’re likely to get a nice tour of the Cubs’ bullpen tomorrow night.

Dusty Baker’s 3000th Game as Manager
Yesterday, Dusty Baker logged his 3000th major league baseball game as a manager. He’s played:

• 1556 games as manager of the Giants
• 648 games as manager of the Cubs
• 796 games as manager of the Reds

As disastrous as he was with the Cubs, it was sort of amazing at the time that he managed to land another 800 games, but memories are short and the Reds are winning now. And he does have a winning record, at 1572-1426-1.

According to Reds.com, Baker was quoted as saying, “I’m a daily person. Everybody wants to achieve things. I’m just glad that out of the 3,000 games, I’ve won more than lost. I’ve still got quite a few games left in me.”

The guy does have a real good way with the players, which, in the big picture, is probably more important than some of the things he’s weaker at, like writing line-ups, making in-game decisions, and not giving playing time to Corey Patterson.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
Aroldis Chapman will throw a bullpen session today. He hasn’t pitched since since September 10.

Last Game
The Cincinnati Reds had Monday off. The St. Louis Cardinals were also idle, so the Reds’ magic number remains at 5.

Next Game
The Reds travel to Chicago to start a 3-game series with the Cubs. Homer Bailey will start against former Red Justin Germano at 8:05pm.

Scheduling Note
There’s another television conflict for the Reds game on Wednesday with the Columbus Crew soccer game.

If you’re in Lima or Columbus and hoping to catch the Reds game, you’re going to want to check out the alternate channel information on the channel finder.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
Wednesday is Talk Like a Pirate Day. Everyone say, “Clint Hurdle needs to walk the plank.”