As The ‘Show Turns

Tonight I started my MLB ’12: The Show dynasty on the ol’ PS3. I have already come to the conclusion that unless I’m missing some kind of game breaking glitch, this is the greatest baseball and sports video game I’ve ever played.

In honor of this, I’m going to keep you all in the loop on the adventures of my franchise play periodically. That’s not only because I am a huge dork, but I want you to all be along for the ride as I manage the 2012 Reds to a World Series title.

Today, I started the season 2-0 with a pair of wins over the Miami Marlins.

On Opening Day with the game tied at 2-2, Jay Bruce hit a 370+ foot jack into the Moondeck off Mark Buerhle to put the Reds ahead 4-2. He would add another 2-run shot later in the game off the left field foul pole (and off another lefty, a full count offering from Mike Dunn) to increase the lead to 6-2.

I went ahead and left Aroldis and his cheese on the hill to see if he could notch his 2nd career save in the 9th and despite giving up a bomb to Giancarlo Stanton (pictured below), the Reds held on for a 6-3 win in front of a sell out crowd on Opening Day.

In the second game of the season, things got a little whackier.

The hero of the “day” is pictured at the top of the post. Devin Mesoraco hit a two run bomb to left field off Anibal Sanchez to put the Reds up 2-0. Miguel Cairo made a throwing error to allow the Marlins to tie the game at 2-2. I won’t lie, I cannot remember how the Marlins got up 3-2 on me in the 6th, but they did.

Jay Bruce hit a bomb to tie it in the bottom of the frame, and things got crazy from there. The inning ended after I had hit around and Bruce tripled with the bases loaded to put my boys up 9-3. That will teach polygonal Ozzie Guillen to pitch around Votto to get to Bruce.

I decide from there I can ride out Sam Lecure’s stash rather than using the important bullpen arms. This was a poor idea.

So Lecure is tired or something after like 10 pitches. I continue to whip the mule, not understanding why in the Hell ‘Sam Lecure is getting tired’ and why the game is notifying me of it in the middle of trying to get the heart of the Marlins order out.

This ends in Lecure getting crashed around in the waves a bit. And then John Buck hit a 3-run bomb that made it 9-8. I got out of the inning with little dignity and gave the ball to Ryan Madson in the top of the 9th.

In his first Reds appearance, he sets down Jose Reyes and Chris Coghlan routinely, and then appears to retire the side and win me the game by striking out Hanley Ramirez looking. The umpire calls the ‘strike’ a ball and I go full count to Hanley. Madson is pissed on screen and has words with the umpire. I’m not kidding, play the game. It might happen to you.

I start to feel paranoid about the game stealing one from me. At that time, Hanley hits a ball in the hole to short stop and Janish has no chance to throw him out. And here we go folks.

Mike Stanton to the plate, and holy shit; nothing Madson has can put him away. Big Mike blasts a 3-2 offering into the left field seats to put the Fish up 10-9 after fouling off like 5 pitches and my heart sinks. I feel cheated.

But I forgot who was coming up in the bottom of the 9th, and so did my managerial counterpart; Ozzie Guillen.

Joey Votto catches a 1-1 pitch off Chad Gaudin (why was he closing for the Marlins) into the seats in right field, a majestic 406 foot blast; and we’re all tied at 10 once again.

The next batter is Bruce on one of his customary Jay Bruce hot streaks–just like real life. He’s already homered 3 times in the series, walked, tripled and has 9 RBI. Bruce singles on a line drive to right field and I roll the dice and steal second with him. Drew Stubbs continues to hit like he’s swinging a sword (also life like) and after missing two bunt attempts, fails to make contact and strikes out swinging. With two outs and Bruce still on second, Mesoraco hits a line drive to right field to score Bruce.

Turn out the lights, Cincinnati can still go 162-0 and everything I touch is turning to gold right now in the way of lineup moves!

Stay tuned for the next installment…