Last Game
The Reds had yesterday off, giving fans everywhere a chance to catch up on their DVR’d TV. That Chef Ramsay sure is a hardass, isn’t he?

Next Game
Tonight the Reds face the Colorado Rockies. Bronson Arroyo (RHP, 5-6, 3.98 ERA) takes on Drew Pomeranz (LHP, 1-5, 4.98 ERA).

Series Preview
The Reds are on a 7-game winning streak and leading the NLC. We know the pitching is great and that the offense has been finding a new hero every night, but that winning streak also has a lot to do with the teams the Reds have been playing since the All-Star break.

The Rockies are the next in the parade of underperforming opponents. With their 37-60 record, the Rockies are 17.5 games back in the NLW. Arroyo goes tonight, then Johnny Cueto tomorrow, and Mat Latos Sunday. Tonight may be the Rockies’ best chance to strike, though Latos can be touch-and-go sometimes. Plus he rolled his ankle the last time out, which he says is fine now, but these things can creep up on you.

Meanwhile, the NLC’s second place team, the Pirates, has faced the Brewers, the Rockies, the Marlins, the Cubs, and now the Astros, which are also all sub-.500 teams. With just a 2.0 game lead, the Reds really have to keep the wins coming in order to continue to fend off the Buccos. After the Rockies, the Reds host a four-game series with the Padres, and then the Pirates come to town.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
We’re about halfway through the time Joey Votto is expected to be out recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. The Reds have gone 8-2 since he’s been gone.

Last Game
Homer Bailey put in another excellent performance, but was denied his tenth win of the season by a blown save at the hands of Logan Ondrusek. Despite some questionable defense (the Reds had 4 errors in this game), they did come back to win the game and sweep the series at the last possible moment. Final score: 5-3.

Next Game
The Reds have an off-day today. They’re currently doing something relaxing in Denver, acclimating to the climate and waiting to beat up on the Rockies tomorrow.

The Bad New Bears Got Lucky
If you’ve watched very young little leaguers, you know that baseball is a very different game for them. Not only are their “tools” not really developed yet, they might not even realize that the ball is in their general vicinity because they’re looking at airplanes flying overhead or at ladybugs in the grass or something.

On the other hand, if you’ve watched the oldest little leaguers, you know that they can make some really competent plays. They know what to do and they have the practice to execute on that knowledge.

In between, there is a phase of the mind knowing something needs to happen urgently, but it may be a surprise to everyone, including the player, what the body actually does. For just a moment in the eighth inning yesterday, the Reds were that little league team.

In the eighth, with a man on third and 2 outs, Scott Moore doubled to right to put the Astros on the board. Then Ondrusek sent up a wild pitch. Then J. D. Martinez hit a double to left and Ryan Ludwick launched the ball someplace he didn’t intend it to go, then Todd Frazier did the same thing. In the blink of an eye, they went from leading 2-0 to losing 2-3.

I thought there was no way they could come back at that late stage, but I’d failed to consider the year that Fransisco Cordero is having. I don’t know what caused the Reds to channel a little league team full of 7-and-a-half-year olds for a minute there, but they got lucky. For the second night in a row, Cordero blew the save. Poor CoCo: that’s got to suck. But yay Reds!

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
The Reds’ current 7-game winning streak is their longest winning streak all season. They are a season-high 18 games over .500, and have gone 8-2 since Joey Votto left the roster for arthroscopic knee surgery.