Cardinals snap Reds Win Streak at Five


All good things come to an end. Nothing lasts forever. All that happy horse shit. The Reds let one get away yesterday that really could have been another high-character come from behind win. It hurt for sure.

The Reds could have given themselves more of a chance yesterday in several instances. The first was in a 1-1 tie with the go-ahead runner on second base in the bottom of the 7th inning and Albert Pujols at the plate. First base was open, and Homer Bailey’s pitch count was rising. Bailey went full to Pujols, and instead of walking him and taking his chances with Matt Holliday and an extra force opportunity on on the infield, he challenged Pujols with a splitter right down the middle of the plate. Pujols did what Pujols does, he drove the pitch down the left field line to the wall and the Cardinals took the lead 2-1, which would eventually climb to 3-1.

This came after the Reds battled from a deficit of 1-0. They mounted little offense off Kyle Lohse until Jay Bruce tripled and scored on a sac fly from Orlando Cabrera to tie the game at 1.

Homer Bailey pitched his ass off yesterday. He threw a hell of a game against a really good lineup. People don’t realize, but these Cardinals are pretty stacked through the heart of the order. To be able to run out Ryan Ludwick, Pujols, Holliday, Colby Rasmus, and all of the other pesky little hitters in the St. Louis lineup every night gives them an excellent chance to win each day.

The Reds would battle back yet another time, with big hits from Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips and a sac fly from Scott Rolen. The game was tied 3-3 when the Cardinals had 1st and 3rd with two out in the bottom of the 8th inning. There was a left-handed hitter at the plate in Skip Schumacher. I said it when the move was made, Dusty Baker needed to go to Arthur Rhodes. The guy is nasty, and there’s no doubt in my mind he would have gotten out of the jam and given the Reds another crack at it with the game tied. Instead he went to the young but lately hot Danny Ray Herrera, and Herrera gave up a single to Schumacher in a tough at-bat. The Reds would then walk in a few runners by way of Micah Owings and Mike Lincoln, who I think are pretty much useless at this point.

You cannot tell me that Rhodes, even if he gives up the same single to Schumacher to be down 4-3, walks the bases full and allows two more runs in via the walk. It was just a bad move by Dusty Baker and we’ll never know why he made it.

The Reds face Chris Carpenter today for a chance for the series win. I feel like it will be a slaughter-house, with Aaron Harang going. I think this is a game that the Reds probably only score a run or two and lose by five, but I hope I’m wrong.