Reds take on Barry Zito and the WC San Francisco Giants. Reds will counter with Bronson Arroyo. How often will you see a matchup in which neither starter will touch 90? Reds go for their (meaningless) fourth in a row.
Bronson pitches a 1-2-3 top of the first.
Choo grounds out to start the proceedings for the Reds. Cozart doubles and Soto singles to produce a run. Ludwick whiffs. Bruce grounds to second. 1-0 Reds.
Arroyo starts the second with back-to-back strike outs. A single, stolen base and opposite field double tie things up at 1. Old buddy Wilson Valdez sends one deep to the pitcher's mound (the more things change....) but Bronson throws it over the head of Soto. Giants lead 2-1. Quiroz swings and misses. Top of the second is in the books. Grounder to second and the Giants third is in the books in scoreless fashion (copying Cowboy).
Zito comes back from a 3-0 count to strike out the Toddfather for out number one. Izturis pops out. Olivo pops out. TBH, I think I would rather have Corky Miller as the emergency catcher in AAA than Olivo.
Andres Torres doubles down into the right field corner but is gunned down by Izturis trying for three. A nice throw by Bruce as well. Ludwick hauls one in down the line in left.
Xavier Paul is DHing today and gets a chance to face the left Zito and promptly pulls a ground single to right. Choo with a looping liner single to center sets the Reds up with runners at first and second with nobody out. Paul was going on the pitch but lost sight of the ball (pickup your coach maybe?) and stops at second. Cozart hits on the screws but right at Keischnick in right for the first out of the inning. Soto walks to load them up for Ludwick. Ludwick's bat looks 'tired' down there in Goodyear, Arizona as he 'rolls' into an inning-ending double play.
BA works a quick 4th. Fly out, ground out, fly out.
Jay Bruce swings and misses. Frazier with a dribbler to third which he beats out. Izturis lines hard to center for the second out. Olivo with a checked-swing ground out. Still 2-1 Giants.
Sean Marshall, working the top of the fifth, is greeted with a lead-off single. Giants start the runner and it pays off as Valdez grounds to short with the only play at first. Runner on second. One out. Ground ball eats up Frazier and the Giants add another run. Quiroz stands on first. Brown with a line drive to left. Line drive to right caught by Heisey. Marshall strikes out Brandon Belt for out number three. Marty has a visitor from North Carolina and I think he might be speaking English. Not 100% sure. He sounds a lot like Gomer Pyle.
Reds go quietly in the fifth. Phipps ground out for Choo, Donald for Cozart.
Broxton will work the sixth. A soft line to Heisey and a grounder to second and the first two batters are retired. Heisey makes a running snag of a line drive. 1-2-3.
Donald Lutz, facing a lefty, continues to rattle baseballs off the wall. He stands at second with nobody out. Derrick Robinson singles to right to score Lutz but he is out in a rundown trying for second. Chris Heisey jumps all over a hanging breaking ball to tie things up at 3. That ball cleared everything. It was crushed. Hannahan rolls one over for the second out. Henry Rodriguez grounds to third. 3-3 after six.
Arredondo on for the 7th. He strikes out the first batter he faces. Wilson Valdez grounds to second. Another grounder. 1-2-3.
Corky Miller goes up hacking and lines hard to right on the first pitch. Burriss retired on a roller to second. Phipps rips an 0-2 fast ball back up the middle for a single. Donald lines the next pitch to right to put runners on the corners. Donald Lutz takes a big cut but comes up empty for strike three.
Pedro Villarreal shows why he isn't getting any votes in the prospect's poll. A fly ball to right for the first out and then single, homer (no-doubt rocket to center), homer (next pitch home run to deep left), single, single, double, and single plate six runs. Mercifully, Villareal is replaced by Curtis Partch. 9-3 Giants.
And it is smelling like dinner is ready. Adios.
Finishing up, Partch looked good, inducing a popup and then striking out Gary Brown.
Reds 8th saw Robinson and Heisey strike out. Hannahan and Henry Rodriguez stroked two-out singles. Corky Miller skied to center.
In the 9th, Partch gives up a leadoff double and then retires the next three.
Reds try to rally in the bottom of the 9th. Burriss reaches on an error. Phipps doubles for his second hit of the game. Donald's infield hit plates one. Lutz' sac fly is the first out. Robinson gets his second hit. Heisey flies out to center and Hannahan follows suit.
9-5 Giants.
