Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pirates	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	6	15	0
Reds	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	1

Boxscore

The Reds broke another winning streak yesterday afternoon by losing to the Pirates 6-2.

Homer Bailey has officially started a streak of his own: yesterday was his second bad outing in a row. He lasted only 4.2 innings, giving up 4 runs (earned) on 9 hits and a walk. But unlike last Tuesday, the offense could not bail him out this time and he got his seventh loss of the season.

Jose Arredondo finished the fifth without allowing a hit. Alfredo Simon pitched the next three innings and gave up 3 hits but no runs. Logan Ondrusek didn’t fare as well in the ninth: he allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, but those weren’t the runs that made the difference anyway.

The Reds have been short-staffed for a while now. Joey Votto is finally almost back after arthroscopic knee surgery, and Brandon Phillips was a late scratch on Saturday, being almost ready to play after his calf tweak. Devin Mesoraco remains on the concussion DL, and apparently it was no one else’s turn to be the hero.

Only Drew Stubbs, Jay Bruce, and Ryan Ludwick even managed a single hit against AJ Burnett (each also drew a walk). Stubbs scored both of the team’s runs: one thanks to a Bruce double after a walk in the bottom of the first, and the other on a solo shot in the third.

That loss brought the Reds’ record to 66-42. The lackluster performance ends an otherwise good homestand on a low note and makes things feel worse than they really are. Today will be a better day: the Reds head to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers. Bronson Arroyo (RHP, 7-6, 3.87 ERA) faces off against Yovani Gallardo (RHP, 9-8, 3.92 ERA) at 8:10 p.m.

As you no-doubt noticed from the ads that are in regular rotation here and at other baseball sites, State Farm is again offering an opportunity for you to win World Series tickets by playing the Go to Bat game.

The game itself is a home-run hitting contest. The higher your score, the better your chance to win the World Series tickets. You could dedicate your Angry Birds time to this game instead and add “chance to go to the big game” to the long list of benefits you already get from playing.

Here’s Ohio-native and Reds fan John Legend talking about this program. I’m not really sure how the list of presidents ties in to the rest of the stuff, but everyone likes to watch a video, right?

Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman’s hair is no more.

A few weeks ago, Brennaman and bench coach Chris Speier were talking about the Reds ability to win 10 in a row. Brennaman disagreed and off-handedly said he’d shave his head if the team did it. When the team accomplished that feat last week, Brennaman said he’d go through with it. After last night’s game, a barber shop chair was set up on home plate, and Marty’s own personal barber shaved off the poofy white locks.

More than $50,000 was raised for the Reds Community Fund as part of the event last night.

“I’m thrilled that they raised the kind of money they did in four days,” Brennaman said after his historic haircut. “I have no complaints. It’s going to be interesting now to see how quickly my hair grows back, but I’m not going to worry about it.”

Very few left the stadium to witness the haircut after the game. And I’m sure the players enjoyed it, as well. Bronson Arroyo certainly did.

“The guys were pumped because we knew he just said that off-handedly on the bus,” said Reds pitcher Arroyo. “It was kind of a joke at the time, and then it started to get a little more serious. You never get to achieve some of those goals when people throw out those outlandish things. This one’s coming true, so it’s cool.”

Brennaman apparently intends to have it grow back. What I wonder is if he’ll have it shaved the stubble down again should the Reds win 10 more.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pirates (60-45)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Reds (65-41)	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	-	3	7	0

Boxscore

In the first game of the showdown between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates, Mat Latos dominated from both sides of the plate.

Latos went 7 1/3 innings and shut out the Pirates. He allowed 4 hits, 3 walks, and struck out none. With the shutout assistance from the bullpen–Jonathan Broxton and Aroldis Chapman–Latos picked up his 10th win of the season. He now joins Johnny Cueto as the second starter on the team with wins in the double-digits. Homer Bailey is likely to be next to join them, as he has 9 wins. Bronson Arroyo is a ways away with only 7.

On the offensive side, the Reds took the lead in the 2nd thanks to an inside-the-park home run from Chris Heisey. Latos himself contributed to making things easier for himself by hitting a 2-run home run in the 5th inning. The ball was caught by a Pirates fan who promptly got rid of the ball. It was the first home run of the year for Latos, but the 3rd of his career.

Three runs was more than enough for the Reds’ 65th win. The win increased the Reds’ lead over the Pirates to 4 games and assured Cincinnati of being alone in first no matter what happens in the remaining two games.