Last game
The Reds couldn’t get a win for get-away day yesterday in St. Louis. The 2-4 loss pushes them back in to fourth place in the division, though they’re still closer to first (2.0 games back from the Cardinals) than they are to last (3.0 games ahead of the Cubs).

Homer Bailey was really great through 5.0 innings, allowing just one run (earned; a solo shot by Carlos Beltran) on 5 hits. Unfortunately for the Reds, he pitched 5.1 innings and ended up with 4 runs (earned) on 9 hits and a walk.

Except for Brandon Phillips, the offense wasn’t up to the challenge. Phillips had both Reds’ RBIs, including a solo shot in the ninth inning, but ultimately the team simply fell short.

Next game
The Reds have to day off, which is something they’re probably desperately in need of. It’s weird because you usually see a lot of off-days early in the season, but the Reds have been playing for the last 20 straight days. Tomorrow, they’ll go to Chicago and try to put some more distance between themselves (15-14) and the Cubs (11-16).

Hal McCoy profile on MLB Network
If you didn’t manage to tune in for the profile of Hal McCoy that was on MLB Network on Tuesday, or if you just want to see it again, you’ll want to check out this video. It’s a touching, heartwarming story, and perfect viewing for an off-day like today. It’s only about 7 minutes long.

Not quite enough? There’s also a couple minutes’ worth of interview with Sean Casey about his relationship with the Hall of Fame writer.

What to say to sound smart at the water cooler
Even though he has walked only twice in the last 10 games, Joey Votto still leads the league in bases on balls. The Mets’ Lucas Duda is a distant second, with 21 walks to Votto’s 27.