Bellyscratcher and her proxy will both be at the games, live and in person, tonight and tomorrow, but I bet I can still come up with a few smart alecky things to say about the Cardinals. Let's see who's going to be playing for our boys:

Scott Hatteberg 1B
Brandon Phillips 2B
Ken Griffey, Jr. RF
Adam Dunn LF
Edwin Encarnación 3B
Josh Hamilton CF
David Ross C
Juan Castro SS
Bronson Arroyo P

I'm pleased to see Castro batting eighth (though I do wonder whether ninth might not be more appropriate). I'm also interested to see how young Brad Thompson does starting a game. If Arroyo's pattern the last three games holds, and the rest of the team's pattern the last two months holds, Thompson is going to look like a stud.

Rodrigo Lopez starts for the Rockies. He hasn't pitched against the Reds since 2005, and has an 8.53 ERA in two career starts against them.

Matt Belisle goes for the Reds, making his first career start at Coors Field. Belisle made one previous career start against the Rockies, on May 4, allowing five runs and nine hits in six innings in a game the Reds eventually won, 6-5, in 11 innings.

Your starting lineups for this afternoon's game follow:

REDS

Norris Hopper, lf
Scott Hatteberg, 1b
Ken Griffey, rf
Edwin Encarnación, 3b
Alex Gonzalez, ss
DeWayne Wise. cf
Juan Castro, 2b
Chad Moeller, c
Matt Belisle, p

ROCKIES

Willy Taveras, cf
Kazuo Matsui, 2b
Matt Holliday, lf
Todd Helton, 1b
Garrett Atkins, 3b
Brad Hawpe, rf
Yorvit Torrealba, c
Jamey Carroll, ss
Rodrigo Lopez, p

Yippee! It's Internet connectivity!!

The connection wasn't supposed to be live until Saturday, in fact, we got an automated telephone call to that effect just as the Crack Technical Staff was establishing the link. Hey, I'm not complaining.

Nor can I complain about the game. Our boys are up 3-1 on the Astros in the top of the third, and Narron's been ejected.

I don't expect anyone to be around to comment, but I'll happily talk to myself for a while.

Had to teach a class in the late afternoon, just got home. Batter late than never. Lineups:

REDS

Freel, cf
Hopper, rf
Griffey, dh
Phillips, 2b
Conine, 1b
Dunn, lf
Gonzalez, ss
Keppinger, 3b
Ross, c

INDIANS

Sizemore, cf
Blake, 3b
Hafner, dh
Martinez, c
Nixon, rf
Peralta, ss
Dellucci, lf
Garko, 1b
Barfield, 2b

Josh Hamilton was rushed to the hospital with gastroenteritis early this morning, was released later and returned to the team hotel. He's apparently not at the ballpark.

We pick things up with the Indians leading, 1-0, on Travis Hafner's first-inning solo shot off Belisle.

It's been a long time since we had an RHM game thread…

Line ups courtesy of ME (alright, yahoo)

Cincinnati

R. Freel cf
B. Phillips 2b
K. Griffey Jr. rf
J. Conine 1b
A. Gonzalez ss
A. Dunn dh
N. Hopper lf
J. Castro 3b
C. Moeller c

Injuns

G. Sizemore cf
C. Blake 3b
T. Hafner dh
V. Martinez c
T. Nixon rf
J. Peralta ss
D. Dellucci lf
R. Garko 1b
J. Barfield 2b