Boxscore

After the Reds lost the first game of the series, I was a little nervous that the Pirates might really sweep the series and come into a tie for first. But now the Buccos will have to hope for another series to do that, since the Reds won last night, 4-5.

Johnny Cueto started for the Reds, and it was Good Cueto this time. He went 7.2 innings with 3 runs (earned) on 6 hits and a walk. He got into a bit of a bind at the end and let two guys on. Logan Ondrusek didn’t make matters better when he came in. He promptly gave up a home run to McCutchen to allow a run of his own (earned) in addition to the inherited 2.

Sean Marshall was better when he took over. He got the next guy out to finish out the eighth with no hits, no runs, no nothin’. Aroldis Chapman closed ‘er down with a 9-pitch ninth inning, including 2 strike-outs.

The scoring was brought to you tonight by Brandon Phillips, Ryan Hannigan, and most of all by Ryan Ludwick. Ludwick went just 1-for-4, but that included 3 RBI. Joey Votto extended his hitting streak, but didn’t do much else. He didn’t have to, for a change.

The win brings the Reds’ record to 31-24 and puts them back in a 3-game lead in the NLC. Tonight they finish the series with the Pirates at 7:10 p.m. Mike Leake (2-5, 4.95 ERA) takes on Kevin Correia (2-5, 4.19 ERA).

The Reds lost the first game of the three-game series to the Pirates last night, 8-4.

Homer Bailey started for the Reds, so it looked like it was going to be all him. After all, before last night, Bailey had never suffered a loss at the hands of the Pirates in 9 starts and he was rocking a 1.79 ERA. That’s why they play the game, though. Last night he worked just 3.0 innings, allowing 6 runs (earned) on 8 hits and two walks.

Alfredo “Saucy” Simon came on for an inning of scoreless relief, and in retrospect, maybe he should have stayed in longer. Baker hadn’t arranged for a double-switch though, so pitch him for him in the bottom of the inning and sent out J.J. “Too Easy” Hoover.

Hoover made things worse, allowing 2 runs (earned) on 2 hits in this 2.0 innings of work. Might not surprise you that those two hits were solo shots to McGehee and Presley.

Jose Arredondo came in for the next two innings of mop-up duty and performed admirably, allowing no runs on just 1 hit and striking out two. Sean Marshall came in to close it out in a cruel parody of his previous role, but he didn’t allow any runs either.

It probably goes without saying that Joey Votto tore it up for the offense. He was 2-for-4 with a walk last night and half of the team’s RBI. Unfortunately, his “protection”–Brandon Phillips–had a down game, going 0-for-5 with 4 strikeouts.

Zack Cozart went 3-for-5. Drew Stubbs, Jay Bruce, and Devin Mesoraco each walked twice. I won’t get in to the 23 left on base.

The Reds try again tonight at 7:10 p.m. in Great American Ball Park. Johnny Cueto (5-3, 2.54 ERA) takes on Brad Lincoln (3-0, 1.04 ERA).

Boxscore

Unfortunately the Reds couldn’t quite put together the sweep of the Astros last night, as they lost the final game of the three-game series, 3-5.

Bronson Arroyo started for the Reds. He allowed 5 runs (earned) on 8 hits and a walk in 6.1 innings. The 2-run home run he gave up to Maxwell in the seventh inning was pivotal, though if I were Arroyo, I might be a touch annoyed that a team who came up with 12 runs the day before couldn’t come up with even half that much when I started.

After Arroyo, Sean Marshall came out for an inning, followed by one of the few guys who didn’t pitch the day before, Logan Ondrusek for .2. Both pitchers allowed zero runs.

On the offensive side, Zack Cozart had 2 of the team’s RBI and Joey Votto had the other. Only Cozart had more than one hit on the night, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Arroyo helped himself out a little with a hit and a run scored as well.

The loss brings the Reds record to 30-23, in first by 3.0 games. The Reds have an off-day today. They host the second-place Pirates in a three-game series starting tomorrow. First pitch at 7:10 p.m.

Boxscore

The Reds set themselves up for a series sweep last night by winning the second game against the Astros, 12-9.

Mat Latos started for the Reds against notorious Reds killer, Wandy Rodriguez. However, Latos was in true April form and turned out to be closer to a Reds killer than his opponent. In 3.1 innings of work, he allowed 7 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits and a walk. Then came the parade of most of the bullpen:

• J.J. Hoover .2 innings/2 runs (earned)/3 hits
• Sam LeCure 2.0 innings/0 runs/0 hits
• Jose Arrendondo 1 inning/0 runs/1 hit
• Sean Marshall 1 inning/0 runs/0 hits
• Aroldis Chapman 1 inning/0 runs/0 hits

What are we to do with young Latos? He’s probably put too much pressure on himself. After all, here he is on a better team than he’s used to, where they paid a lot to bring him on board, and lots of other people around him are 50 shades of awesome. I wouldn’t like to see him given the Sean Marshall treatment, but they are going to have to figure something out. You can’t be running five relievers out there every five days.

For a change, though, the offense did the pitchers a solid and got back anything that got given away. Though they only lost the lead once, it felt to me, as a fan, like they were behind from the third inning on. It was oddly grim, especially considering how the line came out.

With so much offense, it’s hard to list everyone’s contribution. I guess games like this just lend themselves to bullet lists:

• RBIs were contributed by Drew Stubbs (4), Joey Votto (2), Brandon Phillips (3), Chris Heisey, Ryan Ludwick, and Todd Frazier.
• Votto, Frazier, Stubbs, and Ludwick each had hit home runs
• Joey Votto went 4-for-4 with a walk. His AVG after this game is .345. He was also caught stealing once and picked off once. Someone’s working on his running game.

The win brings the Reds record to 30-22 and gives them a 3.5 game lead in the NLC. They’re finished the series as I write this. Bronson Arroyo took on Jordan Lyles.

Boxscore

After losing a series to the Pittsburgh Pirates, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Cincinnati Reds as they opened a series with the Houston Astros yesterday. Especially with Mike Leake starting, who hasn’t been what you would call “good” this year.

Perhaps the offense was concerned, too, as they opened the top of the first inning with several strung together hits to give the Reds a 2-0 lead before Leake ever took the mound. Votto started things off with 2 outs in the first with a single. Brandon Phillips followed with a double that drove Votto home. And then Jay Bruce drove in Phillips. It’s awesome to see the heart of the lineup produce like that.

Then it was Leake’s turn to hold the lead, which he did over his 7 innings. He allowed just 1 run on 4 hits, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Leake has two good starts out of his last three now, which coincide perfectly with his two wins. Hopefully, we’ll see more of the outings like yesterday and not like the one before when he couldn’t make it out of the 4th.

After Leake, the bullpen held the lead. Logan Ondrusek pitched a scoreless 8th, and Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the 9th for his 4th save.

Thanks to the St. Louis Cardinals being no-hit by the New York Mets, the Reds now have a 2.5 game lead in first place. They’ll try to increase that even more today when Mat Latos starts against Wandy Rodriguez at 7:15pm EDT.