Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
Cardinals (46-42)	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	8	1
Reds (49-38)	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	3	10	1

Boxscore

The Cincinnati Reds finally won a 1-run game, and they did it in dramatic, walk-off fashion, thanks to left-fielder Ryan Ludwick and his just-barely home run in the bottom of the 10th inning.

The journey to that exciting ending was entertaining, too. Mike Leake started and did very well, shutting out the Cardinals for the first six innings of the game. The offense had given the team the lead, too, with Jay Bruce doubling in Brandon Phillips in the 5th inning to plate the first run. Then in the next inning, Scott Rolen singled to start the inning, moved to third thanks to a single from Devin Mesoraco and a sacrifice by Mike Leake, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Zack Cozart.

When Leake went back out for the 7th, though he was suddenly not as effective. He was unable to retire anyone, giving up a solo home run to Yadier Molina and a couple other hits. Sean Marshall relieved him, but couldn’t keep the Cardinals from tying the game thanks to a safety-squeeze bunt from Rafael Furcal. Leake’s final line: 6 innings, 7 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts. His 5th straight quality start.

From then on, the bullpen pitched scoreless baseball. Lodan Ondrusek, Bill Bray, Aroldis Chapman, and Sam LeCure combined for 3 shutout innings, sending the game to extras and giving the offense enough time to come back. Ludwick provided that with a solo home run on the 9th pitch of his at-bat against Victor Marte to lead off the 10th inning.

The win returns the Reds to 11 games over .500 and keeps them tied for first place with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who beat the Milwaukee Brewers yesterday.

Today, the Reds will be nationally televised again, as a part of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Jake Westbrook will start for the Cardinals, while the Reds will send out Homer Bailey to start in place of Johnny Cueto, who has a blister on his right finger. The Reds will be going for the sweep at 8:00pm EDT.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cardinals (46-41)	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	9	1
Reds (48-38)	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	1	-	5	7	0

Boxscore

For the first baseball game after the All Star break, the Cincinnati Reds started their first series at home in more than two weeks and took on the St. Louis Cardinals. After that wretchedly late West Coast trip before the break, it was really nice to have baseball back.

A decent pitching duel seemed possible, with Adam Wainwright going against Mat Latos. Unfortunately, Mr. April showed up for the Reds. Latos allowed 2 runs, 4 hits, 3 walks, and struck out 5. After 5 innings, his pitch count was at 97, and he was done.

Wainwright was better than he’s been in the past, but he’s clearly not fully recovered from his Tommy John surgery. Not everybody returns to 100% from that, and his inconsistent year, coupled with Chris Carpenter out for the year and Jaime Garcia out for who knows how long, that can’t have the Cardinals feeling too good about their rotation.

The wagon-maker was strong early, allowing just 1 run and 2 hits over the first six innings, but his wheels fell off in the 7th. Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce both singled to start the inning. Ryan Ludwick bunted both runners over first the first out–a play I’m convinced was a stupid waste of an out. Then Ryan Hanigan swung at the first pitch he saw and beat out a poor underhand toss from the first baseman to Wainwright covering at first base. Both Phillips and Bruce scored on the play, giving the Reds a 1-run lead. Zack Cozart finished the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly.

Alfredo Simon was the pitching savior for the Reds, pitching two scoreless innings and allowing the offense time to come back. Jose Arredondo struggled to get through the 8th, having to be relieved by Sean Marshall, but the two got the job done. And Aroldis Chapman closed it out for his 12th save. Sadly, there were no somersaults afterwards.

Today, the Reds and Cardinals will go at it again, with Cincinnati sending out Mike Leake to face off against former Red Kyle Lohse. The first pitch is at 4:05pm EDT.

It’s been long known that Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker has no love lost for former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa. With today’s announcement of the 2012 All Star roster, the Reds and Dusty are angry again.

Johnny Cueto and Brandon Phillips were not selected for the team, leaving many to believe it’s leftover bad feelings from the 2010 Cardinals-Reds brawl. Both Cueto and Phillips were primary players involved, and LaRussa, who gets to pick players thanks to winning the National League pennant last year, picked neither.

“I’m happy for the guys who made it big time, especially for Chapman,” Baker said. “You figured that Joey would make it. We knew Jay had an outside chance. You also figured that Johnny Cueto and Brandon Phillips had a great chance. I don’t understand that one.

“A snub like that looks bad. Johnny and Brandon were at the center of skirmish between us and the Cardinals. Some of Cardinals who aren’t there anymore are making some of the selections.”

Baker knew the media would play up his comments.

“Maybe they should,” he said.

Cueto is 5th in the league in ERA, 2.26, and leads the league over the last two years. Phillips is batting .288 with 10 home runs and has a lengthy highlight reel.

It wasn’t only Baker who was upset. Votto, who was voted in for the first time, wasn’t happy either.

“It’s kind of difficult to be overly happy today, considering the two guys I thought were shoo-ins aren’t going to be on the team,” he said. “That’s frustrating. I knew I was going to be an All-Star. I was hoping those two guys, the five of us, would go to Kansas City. As much as I don’t want to get into pissing contest right now, as happy as I am for myself and Jay, I’m disappointed for the two guys who are very, very meaningful to this first-place ballclub.”

Phillips hasn’t commented, so far, but Cueto didn’t mince words, throwing in a nice insult to LaRussa.

“I thought the way I pitched this year, I’d have a chance to go to the All-Star Game. I don’t know what happened. I don’t if know the manager of All-Star Game is pissed at me because I went out with one of his girlfriends.”

I’m surprised Cueto didn’t make fun of LaRussa for his DUI, but I like the insult.

Before the roster was announced, most people were wondering if Cueto would start the game–he can’t because of when his spot in the rotation falls–but to not be included is quite a surprise.

Tony LaRussa has retired from managing the Cardinals, but he’s clearly not retired from being a jackass.

Put this one in the You Don’t See That Every Day category: just moments after the final pitch of the Indian’s 4-1 win over the Cardinals yesterday, Indians’ closer Chris Perez vomited in the field. From the game wrap on Indians.com:

[Indians’ manager Manny] Acta called on former Cardinal Chris Perez to close out the game. Perez recorded his American League leading 20th save. Immediately after getting a pat on the back from [catcher Carlos] Santana following the last out, Perez turned toward the outfield and threw up on the field. He didn’t make it much further before going down to one knee and vomiting again.

“It’s a hot day and when I came out to throw, I took a couple drinks of warm water and it didn’t really sit well with my stomach,” Perez said. “After I struck out [Daniel] Descalso it almost came up and when the game was over I just let it out. Nothing serious, I’m fine.”

It’s understandable: the Cardinals have made us all want to gag at some point or another. And what a nice consolation prize for the Cardinals, who were hosting the Indians last night. Maybe he’ll autograph it for them.

The Indians come to Cincinnati for a visit tomorrow, and hopefully Perez is feeling better by then (or at least staying home sick, if that’s the case). The World Famous Great American Ball Park grounds crew doesn’t deserve that.

P.S. – Deadspin has video. The best part is how the vomit seems to take Perez entirely by surprise. No, the really best part is how the talking head just continues with closing out the broadcast, despite the fact that the vomit was actually caught on tape and the crowd of concerned teammates that were surrounding him by the end of the clip.

Even if the broadcaster wasn’t looking at the screen, wasn’t there anyone else in the booth to give him an elbow? Sort of a “hey buddy, hold off on the record and demonstrate a bit of human compassion to the guy losing his lunch in center.” On the other hand, I’m not sure what the broadcaster could say at that point. He’s not exactly in a hair-holding position.

The New York Mets finally got their first no-hitter in team history, and the St. Louis Cardinals were unlucky enough to be the opposing team.

The city’s newspaper covered it with the grace and style you would expect from the city of the self-proclaimed “Best fans in baseball.” Just kidding. They whined and added an asterisk to the headline for Johan Santana’s historic achievement.

Considering the Cardinals history of whining–in Reds’ games and in games against others–makes me think this headline needs a little modification.

There, isn’t that much better?