Boxscore

While watching a team as sucktastic as the Reds, one must search to find game events to take pleasure in. (And no, fantasizing about “manager” Dusty Baker being fired, as he has worked so hard on showing he deserves, doesn’t count.)

Today, I reached a new low. When I looked at the box score, my eyes lit up and I laughed. For the mighty, the ineffectual, the recipient of Dusty’s man-crush, Corey Patterson, had drawn a walk.

Let us lift our glasses in a toast to this unaccomplished “baseball player.” For he has achieved something remarkable, something that most players do dozens of times in a year. CPat just got his 12th walk. Along with his hit, he raised his Not Out Percentage to 23%. Well, done, CPat. Well, done.

Oh, the Reds lost. Zambrano was pitching for the Cubs. Was there any other possible outcome?

Boxscore

Imagine my surprise when I realized that Reds closer Francisco Cordero was not merely getting his work in. No, he was working for a bonafide save.

Now, I did see the Reds score both runs, thanks to “small ball,” the favorite scoring strategy of bad announcers everywhere. Yet when the 9th came, I glanced at the score, saw the 2 and the 1, and assumed the Cubs were winning. That’s what it’s come to after 9 years straight of following a sucky, losing team, I guess. I assume they’re losing, even when I saw them take the lead. Oh well, there’s always next time.

Bronson Arroyo was actually good, going 7 innings and allowing just the 1 run. Not sure how that happened. He also picked up his 11th win to move his personal record above .500.

Boxscore

It wasn’t that Manny Parra turned in an outstanding, dominant performance against the Astros, but it was good enough for a win, which is something he’ll take given his hard-luck performances of late.

Parra pitched 5 innings, allowing only 2 runs for his 10th win. But the Brewers offense was too much for the Astros to overcome, thanks to the middle of the Milwaukee lineup.

The Brewers gained a game on the Cubs, who surprisingly lost a game at Wrigley to the Reds, of all teams.

Boxscore

Ben Sheets started for the Brewers, but he did not have a good outing. It seems like he’s not been as dominant as usual since C. C. Sabathia came over. Is it possible that one team simply cannot contain two pitchers of such awesome abilities? Or is Sheets just tired? I’m definitely leaning towards the former.

In 6 innings, Sheets allowed 5 runs. He was bested by Brian Moehler, of all people, who allowed 2 runs (1 earned) in 5 1/3 innings.

The loss drops the Milwaukee back another game, thanks to the Cubs win, and they now sit in 2nd place, 6 games back. The Astros improved their record to 2 games over .500, but sit a whopping 13.5 games back.

Boxscore

Dusty Baker returned to the world-class city that gave him the platform to display his vast managing incompetence to everyone not named Bob Castellini. And guess what? Baker’s still got it. He showed he hasn’t forgotten a thing about losing at Wrigley.

Johnny Cueto was good for the Reds, striking out 6 and allowing only 1 run in 7 innings. And that one run wasn’t exactly earned. Edwin Encarnación failed to look back a runner at third before throwing to first. Looks like EdE’s trying to work his way out of the infield.

As for the Cubs, Rich Harden started and was even better than Cueto. Of course, the Reds follow Baker’s “Swing First, Ask Where the Ball Was Later” approach that the Cubs have finally gotten rid of, so it really wasn’t that much work for Harden.