Last game
Technically, last night’s game still isn’t over, so does it qualify as the “last game”?

Homer Bailey was just spectacular last night before the rain stopped the 0-0 game after the top of the ninth inning. He struck out 10 in his 8.0 innings of work and Aroldis Chapman put the team over the 11-K limit needed to get attendees a free pizza. Assuming they’re still doing that promotion this season.

The game will be continued at 5:30 p.m. today. If you had tickets to last night’s game, you can exchange them for tickets to tonight’s game and see both the continuation and tonight’s game. If you had tickets to tonight’s game, you can also see both the continuation and tonight’s game.

Next game
The Reds go for the sweep or the series win tonight against Philadelphia at 7:10 p.m. Mike Leake (RHP, 0-0, 6.75 ERA) tries for his first win of the season against John Lannan (LHP, 0-0, 2.77 ERA).

What is a uessi?
I don’t like to read a lot of Reds sports reporting in the legitimate media because I find the authors of it to be either unbearably smug or entirely nonsensical. In the category of “both,” there is Paul Daugherty “respectfully” disagreeing with someone who thinks it’s great how much Joey Votto walks:

That’s not to say he won’t pick it up. I’m thinking it’s just a matter of time. Dude’s a great hitter. But the notion that how he’s hitting now is somehow terrific just misses the mark, and badly.

If he were being paid $17 mil to get on base and score runs, fine. He’s not.

Votto isnt Ted Williams, who walked a lot and did everything else a No. 3 guy does. He’s not Bonds. Walking is one component of being a great hitter. uessi

Except for the people who regard walks as basepath cholesterol, I think we all can agree that walks are a universe better than outs and somewhat less thrilling than hits.

But Votto’s not swinging in a vacuum. Someone else is deciding where the pitch is going. If the ball isn’t anywhere close, he can’t hit it. So stop acting like 21 walks are all his damn fault or that they mean he’s in a damn slump because the damn pitchers are damn nibbling.

Also, what the hell does “uessi” mean? That part of the stream-of-conciousness breaks off so abruptly, I thought it might be an acronym, but the only meaning I can find for it online is that it’s apparently the Turkish word for “expontential.”

What to say to sound smart at the water cooler
Yes, if you had tickets to tonight’s game you can go to the continuation of last night’s game at 5:30. I already said that. Stop asking about it in the comments of all the Reds’ news stories and Facebook posts.

Last game
The Reds snapped their 5-game losing streak last night against the Phillies when they won 2-4.

Bronson Arroyo put in a good long outing, going 8.0 innings and allowing 2 runs (earned) on 5 hits. Cliff Lee was nearly as efficient and put up 6 quick, scoreless innings before a Joey Votto single, Brandon Phillips double, and 10-pitch walk to Jay Bruce threw him off his game.

Phillips was the offensive star, with his 2-for-4 night and 2 RBI. Derrick Robinson also earned some of the limelight with his pinch-hit for Arroyo that eventually scored one of the runs. It didn’t hurt that he shares his name with the day we were celebrating, either.

Next game
Tonight the Reds try to start a winning streak to even out that losing streak they just broke. Homer Bailey (RHP, 1-1, 5.73 ERA) goes against Kyle Kendrick (RHP, 1-1, 5.40 ERA) for the Phillies tonight at 7:10 p.m. in Cincinnati.

Bobble your head if you think Phillips is pretty awesome
The Reds have their first bobblehead giveaway of the season this weekend. They’ll be handing out this bobbling version of Brandon Phillips to the first 30,000 tickets through the gates as they take on the Marlins at 1:10 p.m.

They’re also doing that 4 for $48 deal this weekend where you get 4 tickets and 4 orders of BW3 boneless wings for $48. Which raises many questions, such as: “Are the orders of wings really as good as they look in the picture?”, “If there aren’t bones, are they really wings?”, and “Don’t bobbleheads also seem to be kind of boneless?”

What to say to sound smart at the water cooler
In honor of Jackie Robinson Day, Harlem Globetrotter “Slick” Willie Shaw was the Reds’ honorary captain yesterday.

Last game
Can I just write *shakes head* here and be done with it?

The Reds were swept yesterday by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Friday they got a shaky start from Mike Leake, which maybe isn’t so surprising after all. Saturday they lost Johnny Cueto to what is still a mystery injury.

Yesterday it was another of those hit-the-wall kinds of games. Mat Latos was rocking a shut-out when he entered the seventh inning. Then Michael McKenry knocked a solo shot over the wall to lead off the inning. Two outs and two baserunners and another run later, Latos is out and it’s up to Logan Ondrusek. Ondrusek, though, couldn’t get out of the inning and his inherited runner to score, plus added one of his own. Not to worry! Manny Parra took over to allow the second generation of inherited runners to score.

And that was the prettier of the two innings. Jonathan Broxton…*shakes head*

The Reds have lost 5 in a row and have been outscored 14-34. Final score yesterday: 7-10. But don’t worry: I’m sure things will get easier when…

Next game
…The Reds return home to host the Phillies tonight. Bronson Arroyo (RHP, 1-1, 5.25 ERA) defends against some guy you’ve never heard of called Cliff Lee (LHP, 2-0, 1.08 ERA). First pitch at 7:10 p.m.

Extreme Yard Makeover
About now, it’s not looking like a big Reds banner in your front yard is enough to give it curb appeal. So, you might be interested in applying to be on a home make-over show on the DIY Network. I got an email from a producer of the show who says, “we’ve shot dozens of shows in Cincinnati and we’re planning to shoot more this summer if we can find enough homeowners. We’d love to feature a diehard Reds fan.”

If you are in the Cincinnati area and have serious yard issues, like broken concrete, a disintegrating porch, or horrible landscaping, your yard transformation can be televised. Go to www.jaytv.net and click on Desperate Landscapes to apply. You can read more about the show on DIY Network’s website.

What to say to sound smart at the water cooler
Before yesterday, the Pirates hadn’t swept the Reds in a 3-game series since April 2010.