Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	7	2
Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2	8	0

Boxscore

The Reds let the Pirates tie up the series last night when they lost 1-2.

After Homer Bailey’s no-hitter the night before, Mike Leake kind of needed a perfect game and four hits to get himself into serious contention for the play-off roster. Unfortunately, he blew the perfect game on the second batter when Josh Harrison singled to center field. He did go 1-for-2 on the night, though, which is something.

Leake pitched 6.0 innings, surrendering 4 hits and 3 walks before his tenure was up. It was Jose Arredeondo who got credit for the Pirates’ first run in the seventh inning. The Reds managed to tie it up in the eighth, and Logan Ondrusek held the Bucs during that inning. But alas, the Reds’ offense couldn’t come up with anything in the ninth, and Jonathan Broxton failed to send the game into extras when Andrew McCutchen, the second batter in the bottom of the inning, hit a home run to right field for the walk-off.

The Reds did have plenty of hits: 7 different guys each contributed 1 to the team’s 7 hit total. Joey Votto also walked twice, of course, so that didn’t help matters. Votto’s protection for the night, Scott Rolen, was the one to hit in the Reds’ only run though.

The loss brings the Reds’ record to 95-63. They try to win the series this afternoon at 1:35 p.m. Johnny Cueto (RHP, 19-9, 2.83 ERA) will take his last chance for win number 20 when he faces off against Wandy Rodriguez (LHP, 5-4, 3.78 ERA).

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Reds (95-62)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	1
Pirates (76-81)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Boxscore

In case you missed it yesterday, Homer Bailey pitched a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates last night.

It’s the first no-hitter in PNC Park history, and it’s the first that a Cincinnati Reds pitcher has thrown since Tom Browning threw his perfect game back on September 16, 1988. Bailey accomplished his feat with 115 pitches. Over the 9 innings, he allowed no runs, no hits, walked one, and struck out 10.

The offense was again not really present. The Reds scored early, in the top of the first, but their bats fell silent after that. Thanks to Bailey’s flirt with flirtation, the 1 run was all they needed.

Phillips started the game off by singling to left. Zack Cozart followed with a single, providing Joey Votto with a rare opportunity to bat with runners on base. So of course, the Pirates walked him. But clean-up hitter Todd Frazier kept the bases-loaded, no-out situation from being a total loss by hitting a sacrifice fly to drive in Phillips.

It was all pitching after that, for both teams. In the end, the Pirates couldn’t score, and the Reds doomed them to their 20th season in a row without a winning record.

The Pirates still have a shot at a .500 record, but they’ll have to win all their remaining games. They’ll send out Kyle McPherson to attempt that, while the Reds will counter with Mike Leake, a man on the bubble of being included on the playoff roster. The game starts at 7:05pm.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brewers	0	0	3	0	0	1	2	1	1	8	13	0
Reds	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	0

Boxscore

The Reds have already clinched and may be better off with the #2 seed than with the #1 seed. Meanwhile, the Brewers have to have a really spectacular showing the rest of the season to have a chance to sniff the second wildcard bid to the post season.

And it showed last night.

Bronson Arroyo had his worst outing in a long, long time. He worked 6.0 innings and allowed 4 runs (earned) on 8 hits and a walk. The bullpen was even more surprisingly bad. Logan Ondrusek, Sam LeCure, and Alfredo Simon each pitched and inning and each allowed 1 or more runs (Ondrusek allowed 2). Very weird.

Of course, it didn’t look like it was going to turn out this way at first. The Brewers made the mistake of not walking Joey Votto in the first inning, and he promptly doubled in Zack Cozart. That lead held until the third inning, but it would turn out to be all the offense the Reds were going to get. The Brewers wised up and walked Votto twice after that.

The loss brings the Reds’ record to 93-62. They are playing the rubber game with the Brewers even a I type this. Mat Latos faces off against Wily Peralta.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brewers (739-75)	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	2	5	0
Reds (93-61)	0	2	0	0	2	0	0	0	-	4	9	0

Boxscore

The Cincinnati Reds won the opener of their final home series of the 2012 season, defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2.

Johnny Cueto started and pitched better than he has in a while. Cueto lasted 7 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and no walks while striking out 5. He weathered some concern over a potential leg issue early on in the game, but clearly it didn’t bother his pitching. In his first attempt to pick up his 19th win, he did so. He should have 1 more chance to get to number 20.

The Reds took the lead in the bottom of the 2nd and never let it go. After three singles from Jay Bruce, Chris Heisey, and Drew Stubbs, Dioner Navarro came to the plate and drove in two with a line drive to left field.

In the 5th, after the Brewers had gotten on the board, the Reds responded by getting that run plus another back. Zack Cozart led off the inning with a triple. Joey Votto followed up with a double to score him. Two batter later, Bruce doubled in Votto.

Those 4 runs were enough for Cueto and the bullpen to handle. Jonathan Broxton pitched his scoreless 8th, and Aroldis Chapman, in his first save appearance since his long break, had an easy 1-2-3 9th. Chapman failed to strike anyone out, but his fastball was in the high-90s. His control was improving as the inning went along, too.

The Reds and Brewers play the second game of their series tonight. Bronson Arroyo will continue the Reds’ fight for the best record in the National League, while Shaun Marcum will try to keep the Brewers’ wild card hopes alive. Game time is 7:10pm.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Dodgers	0	1	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	5	8	1
Reds	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	3	6	1

Boxscore

The Reds didn’t look so good in their first post-clinching game last night. It was the deciding game in the 3-game series against the Dodgers and it was a 5-3 loss.

Homer Bailey was actually looking pretty good for the majority of his time on the mound, especially considering it was a home game (which are never his best performances) and especially considering that he had the JV team behind him.

He allowed only a solo shot through six innings, but then the seventh happened: another solo shot, a couple singles, an error on a sacrifice bunt play, and a walk, and suddenly Bailey’s night was over. Jose Arredondo held ’em scoreless in the rest of the seventh and eighth, and J.J. Hoover did the same in the ninth, but the Reds offense wasn’t up to the task.

I guess it’s kind of hard to fault the Reds for resting some of their guys about now. And it’s nice that Wilson Valdez, Miguel Cairo, and Denis Phipps get to see the field. Drew Stubbs and Chris Heisey even got to take the field at the same time. (Take that all you people who insisted they were actually the same person!)

And it wasn’t lack of baserunners that undid the team this time. The Reds were outhit 8-6 by the Dodgers, but they also drew 7 walks. Unfortunately, 3 of those were to Joey Votto, which is probably among the reasons the Reds were outmatched in this game. It’s such a bummer to see that strategy be so effective, isn’t it?

The loss brings the Reds’ record to 92-61. They are already the owners of the first place position in the NLC, may actually do better to get the second seed in the play-offs, and might prefer to see their upcoming opponents challenge for the wildcard, so…these last 9 regular season games might not be that fun to watch.

They take the day off today and are back at it tomorrow when they host the Brewers. Johnny Cueto (RHP, 18-9, 2.84 ERA) takes on Mike Fiers (RHP, 9-8, 3.38 ERA). First pitch at 7:10 p.m.