Game 2, 2011: Reds 4, Brewers 2

By TheNaturalMevs on April 3, 2011

Observations:

I actually took this one in with Mike from The Sombrero, nice quick ballgame. Travis Wood was doing what he seemingly always does, right? Just painting the outside corner, allowing some contact but nothing substantial or hard, and even striking a few guys out. You look up in the 8th inning and the opposition has a run and two hits.

Big lift early in the game with Scott Rolen hitting the two pointer to put the Reds up. Shawn Marcum had some problems all night with his control (he walked Johnny Gomes three times), and he left one up in the zone but hittable to Scotty Rolen.

The Reds didn’t get an abundance of offense but they had enough. Let’s not forget that Drew Stubbs went 2 for 3 with a triple, RBI and stolen base. Playing real good ball to start the season that Stubbsy. Votto and Hanigan added singles. Masset came in out of the pen in the 8th and looked like we need Nick Masset to look. I made the comment to Mike from the Sombrero that if they’re not going to use Chapman in a set-up role every night he should have been groomed to start this year.

Cordero came in for the 9th inning and he did pretty much what he always does. Left a few balls down the middle, gave up a few hits, but in the end he locked it down. Reds, 2-0 to start the year for the first time since 2005. And now I’m greedy and want more than a few to start the year. I want to be the talk of all of baseball with the start we jump out to.

Star of the Game:

Travis Wood. The hillbilly just keeps getting it done. He worked a game just a hair over 2 and 1/2 hours in front of a crowd of 37,967 on ‘Opening Night’. He’s got ice water in his veins and fits into this team perfectly. He could be these Reds Tom Browning, which if you think back to Mr. Perfect in his prime is a pretty big shot in the arm with some of the other big ‘names’ that are part of this pitching staff. I don’t just like Wood, I love the damn guy; and in 109.2 career innings pitched his career WHIP is now 1.04; which is nothing short of phenomenal.

I didn’t start out a believer, but the guy is legitimate. Sky is the limit and be glad he wasn’t the throw in for a bat, or someone else.

Top Plays:

Bruce’s sick catch by the wall in foul territory

Edgar Renteria snuffs out a rally with a great stop and a 6-4-3

Rolen 2-run bomb for a 2-0 lead

Potpourri:

*It’s Wrestlemania 27 tonight. I’m predicting high drama from John Cena and The Rock; as well as Alberto Del Rio to get the strap.

*Watched Player to be named later with The Sombrero yesterday. Pretty good baseball documentary if you haven’t seen it with a starring role from Marco Scutaro.

*I’m exhausted from 2 Opening Days in 2 days. And it’s the week for me to get my taxes together. Ugh.