Reds spirited rally too little to late in Pittsburgh

[Pirates 8, Reds 6]

You just figured the Reds couldn’t win 3 games in a row. Micah Owings spotted the Pittsburgh Pirates a 4 spot in the 1st inning that they couldn’t recover from. Even with a spirited 9th inning rally off Pirates closer Matt Caps, a late error by Adam Rosales allowed two runs to score and doomed the Reds.
“We have to figure out a way to get Owings past the early innings,” said manager Dusty Baker. “Once he gets past the first or second inning he is locked in. I don’t see anything. Maybe it takes him a while to get loose.”
How about this: maybe Owings isn’t any good as a starter. Homer Bailey should be the 5th starter for the Reds, as he’s fresh off another shutout.
Not to be lost in this shuffle were big 9th inning hits by Joey Votto (who went 2 for 3 with 2 walks), Brandon Phillips, and Laynce Nix. Alex Gonzalez struck out with the bases loaded to end the ballgame, but he also hit a 3-run home run off the left field foul pole that opened up Cincinnati scoring.
This offense, win or lose; will frustrate viewers. It’s a nightly struggle. They continually strand runners after leadoff doubles. The don’t get guys in from 3rd with less than 2 out. They don’t get a lot of extra base hits. This is not a lineup that can afford on the job training for a guy like Micah Owings.