Boxscore

RHM is out of town–and state–for a work conference this week, leaving me and the little one to our own devices. So we headed down to Victory Field to take advantage of Dollar Menu Monday and see some baseball.

The Indianapolis Indians were hosting the Toledo Mud Hens. Former Cincinnati Red Phil Dumatrait started for Toledo, and was solid through 5 innings. He allowed just 1 run–the only run the Indians scored–on 4 hits and 2 walks with 3 strike outs, and it was enough to get the win, thanks to the Mud Hens’ offensive explosion against every pitcher the Pittsburgh Pirates AAA affiliate sent out.

Brad Lincoln had a quality start for the Indians, but his control wasn’t solid. He allowed 3 runs over 6 innings, allowing 5 hits and walking 2. Despite being the best pitcher the Indians ran out, his offense never appeared, and he was tagged with the loss.

I’d hoped to see some fireworks from the Pirates young hitting prospects Jose Tabata and Pedro Alvarez, but they were both limited to singles. 2 for Alvarez and 1 for Tabata. Alvarez did make a nice play in the shortstop position when the shift was on, though, to throw the batter out.

Victory Field is always a fun place to go, and this may be the first time that my son was put on the big screen there, doing some silly dance. Of course, he immediately went back to his DS game. As if there weren’t another game going on in front of him.

From just this one game, the Pirates top prospects, Tabata, Alvarez, and Lincoln, I guess, didn’t come off as anything special. I do look forward to seeing them more throughout the rest of the season.

Boxscore

Remember when the Cincinnati Reds embarked on this road trip by winning the first two games against the Florida Marlins? The Reds never won again, losing the final two to the Marlins, and getting swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates today.

All in all, a road-trip that started off so promising got totally Redsed up along the way.

The goat for the final terrible loss to the Pirates was none other than Bronson Arroy. Fresh off of sucking his last time out, he improved slightly by bringing the suck for just one inning. Arroyo went 6 innings, allowing 5 runs–all of them in the 4th–on 5 hits, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Unlike for his last start, there were no late inning heroics to bail him out, and he got the loss he so rightfully deserved.

Paul Maholm started for the Pirates and dominated for much of his time. He pitched 6 2/3 innings, and allowed only 2 runs for the win.

The only good news for the Reds was Jay Bruce. Bruce has been the bad-luck kid all year for the Reds, routinely making excellent contact, but hitting line drives straight at fielders. Today, he hit on the concept of hitting the ball into the stands. No one, except maybe Jim Edmunds, is likely to catch those. And hit Bruce did, launching 2 home runs on the game. They were both solo shots, but that’s more an indictment of the Reds crappy hitting lately than Bruce. Hopefully, the signs of life from Bruce continue after the off-day on Monday.

Boxscore

Fresh off losing the last two games of the Marlins series, the Cincinnati Reds traveled to Pennsylvania to battle the Pittsburgh Pirates. One might think that the Reds would bounce back. One would be wrong.

After losing the first game thanks to no ability to get hits with runners on base, the Reds actually had a lead and were looking good at the end of the second match-up. Johnny Cueto started and had a rough 1st inning, but settled down and was actually in line for a win. That would have been the first in by a Reds starter this year.

The offense was doing well, with RBIs from the big bats of Jonny Gomes, Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, and Brandon Phillips. Votto was 3 for 4, and it is so nice to see him out of his minor slump. I hope Phillips and Bruce follow soon.

But the real villain in this game is none other than Francisco Cordero. Apparently, he listened all to well to Dusty Baker’s wonderful old chestnut about walks clogging the bases. How else do you explain 3 walks in the 9th? Surely he thought no one would be able to score with the bases so clogged.

The Pirates did score. First, they tied the game on Cordero’s third walk. Then they won it when Garrett Jones hit one to the center field wall, giving the Pirates the walk-off win and the Reds their 4th loss in a row.

2 and 3 losses in a row isn’t really a streak. But 4? Definitely. As is 10 years of losing records in a row, which is what I’m fairly sure the Reds are headed toward. And that is Pittsburgh Pirate territory.

Boxscore

The Pittsburgh Pirates hosted the defending National West champions yesterday, and did what they’ve done for the past 3 Opening Days: win.

That’s right. The Pirates have at least one streak that has nothing to do with losing.

The Pirates wrung 5 decent innings out of Zach Duke, and made the wise decision to pinch-hit for him with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 5th. Duke had allowed just 2 runs, but his 7 hits were pause for concern. And with Pittsburgh having a 1-run lead and an opportunity for a big inning, manager John Russell made the call.

Ryan Church hit a bases-clearing double off Vicente Padilla to break the game open.

Right-fielder Garret Jones also homered twice for the Pirates, showing that he may just be more than a one-hit wonder.

And for one day, the Pirates sit atop the division, looking down on everyone else.