Reds vs Cards 9/26/08

[Red in Chicago]

Arroyo vs Looper

Jerry Hairston, lf
Jeff Keppinger, ss
Joey Votto, 1b
Edwin Encarnacion, 3b
Jay Bruce, rf
Adam Rosales, 2b
Corey Patterson, cf
Ryan Hanigan, c
Bronson Arroyo, rhp

[MrCinatit]

The last season series of the year for the Reds.

Always a depressing time of the year for me.

[OnBaseMachine]

The last season series of the year for the Reds.

Always a depressing time of the year for me.

Yep. The last game of the season is the worst day of the year for me. I wish I could fast forward time up to the beginning of spring training.

[OnBaseMachine]

That was a nice little interview with Bruce and Votto. They both seem like great guys. Judging from Votto's comments, it seems like his fathers death wasn't totally unexpected.

[lollipopcurve]

Interview with Bruce and Votto on the pregame. I'm very impressed by Votto -- you can see the quiet confidence and the steadiness that can translate to leadership over the course of a long season. Thoughtful guy, too. Core player, without question.

[OnBaseMachine]

Votto enters the final weekend with an .857 OPS and Bruce is at .785. I'd love to see Votto keep his above .850 and Bruce have a huge weekend and push his over .800. I said before the season I would be happy if Votto could OPS north of .800 and Bruce above .750 - both have far exceeded my expectations.

[OnBaseMachine]

Loopers goes 1-2-3. It seems like the Reds offense always makes Looper look good.

[OnBaseMachine]

Already 2-0 Cardinals thanks to a bunch of cheap hits.

[VR]

3 straight singles to right for the Cards right handed middle of the lineup.

[OnBaseMachine]

2-0 after one inning.

[Matt700wlw]

I guess Adam Kennedy wants out of St Louis....anyone? He would allow Phillips to move to SS....

[VR]

I guess Adam Kennedy wants out of St Louis....anyone? He would allow Phillips to move to SS....

Oh heavens no thanks.

[Matt700wlw]

:)

[lollipopcurve]

Rosales turns another DP with another strong throw to first.

[OnBaseMachine]

I guess Adam Kennedy wants out of St Louis....anyone? He would allow Phillips to move to SS....

Why would we want Kennedy? He's awful.

[OnBaseMachine]

Skip friggin Schumaker makes a diving catch to save a run. 2-0 Cardinals after 2 1/2.

[Matt700wlw]

I wanted a reaction. I got two :D

[remdog]

Who in the world names their kid 'Skip'?

Rem

[Matt700wlw]

Who in the world names their kid 'Skip'?

Rem

His name is Jared

[OnBaseMachine]

2-0 Cardinals after three innings.

[OnBaseMachine]

Keppinger singles to lead off the 4th inning.

[OnBaseMachine]

Votto homers! #23! 2-2 ballgame.

[OnBaseMachine]

Rosales lines a two out single to left.

[OnBaseMachine]

Patterson grounds out. 2-2 after 3 1/2.

[OnBaseMachine]

Arroyo doesn't have much tonight. The Cardinals already have seven hits in 3+ innings.

[OnBaseMachine]

How many infield singles to shortstop does the opposition have this year? It seems like there is one a night.

[OnBaseMachine]

2-2 after four innings. Bronson is now up to 197 innings on the season. He passes Volquez (196) for the team lead.

[OnBaseMachine]

Hanigan singles to begin the 5th inning. He's 2-for-2.

[OnBaseMachine]

Reds take a 3-2 lead on a two out RBI single by Keppinger.

[remdog]

His name is Jared

That explains it! He's embarrassed by the geek in the Subway commercials. :p:

Rem

[OnBaseMachine]

Votto falls behind 0-2 and comes back to draw the walk. Great atbat.

EdE RBI single and then gets caught off first. 4-2 Reds.

[OnBaseMachine]

Tie game now. Schumaker struckout to begin the 5th but Lopez singled and Pujols homered.

[OnBaseMachine]

4-4 after five innings.

[OnBaseMachine]

What in the world was Hairston doing? Wow. Instead of out number one the Cardinals get a lead off runner on third base after Hairston botches a flyball.

[OnBaseMachine]

5-4 Cardinals. That run goes on Hairston. Time to pull Arroyo. He doesn't have his stuff tonight plus his defense isn't helping him.

[OnBaseMachine]

Dusty lets Arroyo hit for himself in the 7th inning. You just knew he was going to send him out there for one more inning just so he can reach 200 innings.

[OnBaseMachine]

5-4 Cardinals after 6 1/2.

Rough night for Hairston...he's 0-for-4 with 2 K's and botched a flyball that led to the Cardinals last run.

[OnBaseMachine]

Lopez/Pujols/Ludwick due up. They are 5-for-8 with a walk tonight against Arroyo - there ain't no way I would've sent him back out for another inning.

[OnBaseMachine]

Lopez singles and Pujols walks. I guess getting Arroyo 200 IP is more important than winning the game.

[OnBaseMachine]

When the coaching staff makes decisions like this you can't help but wonder how in the world they are retaining their jobs next season.

[OnBaseMachine]

The Reds dodge a bullet as Ludwick K's and Glaus GIDP. 5-4 Cardinals after seven innings. Arroyo gets charged with five runs in 7 IP but should have only been four.

Arroyo is now at 200 IP on the season.

[OnBaseMachine]

Top 8:

Keppinger grounds out

Votto singles

[OnBaseMachine]

EdE gets ahead 2-0 and then swings at ball three and GIDP. Bad atbat. 5-4 Cardinals after 7 1/2.

[OnBaseMachine]

Wow! He sends Arroyo back out for the 8th inning. Unbelievable!

[OnBaseMachine]

Kennedy triples to begin the 8th inning. LOL. Great decision Dusty. What in the world were you thinking?

[OnBaseMachine]

Now he pulls him.

[OnBaseMachine]

Valentin hits a two out, two run homer in the 9th to tie the game at 6-6!

[Super_Barry11]

Are you KIDDING me?? I go to take a shower in the 9th inning and my man Javy hits a game-tying home run??? :eek: You go, Javy!! :D

[RedsManRick]

K, Single, Lincoln In, BB, HBP, Sac Fly, Game.

Corey Patterson didn't even try to throw Lopez out at the plate -- looked like he didn't realize it was the winning run... There's no way he would've gotten him since his arm is crap, but still, where's the effort?

[mbgrayson]

No throw there Patterson? You KNOW that your pathetic arm can't do the job? WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?

What do we have to lose by trying?

[Ltlabner]

Well...that ended poorly.

I just sorta looked up to see Patterson not even try to throw home when Lopez tagged. Maybe he had zero chance on planet earth? Still, would have been nice to just see him wing it home.

Lincoln....well. Uh....yikes.

[OnBaseMachine]

Mike Lincoln should not be retained. He's been a human batting tee lately.

[OnBaseMachine]

Jeff Keppinger had an awful game defensively last night and Jerry Hairston did the same tonight. He made Dunn look like a gold glover out there tonight on more than one occasion.

[WVRedsFan]

Somehow, this kind of foul up doesn't sting as much as it did earlier. After the Hairston mistake on the fly ball which led to the 5-4 lead and then the 2-run lead, Javy hits the game-tying HR. Nice. Bray faces one batter, which is his custom. He fails to get an out. Lincoln comes on and loads the bases, making it easy for the Cards to win. As far as I'm concerned, OBM is right. Lincoln should be sent on his merry way. His second half was less than good.

The most interesting thing said out of the TV booth tonight was the discussion about whether or not EdE would be back next year. I have to think these guys have a finger on the pulse of the leadership and it sounded like he was available. Later, he gets picked off first base and I thought Welsh was going to have a stroke. Doesn't sound good.

Just another loss--the 86th of the season. Only two games left and it's a long, long time to Spring Training.

[Spring~Fields]

Only two games left and it's a long, long time to Spring Training.

Sounds like WV is anxious to see Dusty Baker "Manager" part II :devil:

WV, the sequel will be out in about four or five months.

[Red in Chicago]

K, Single, Lincoln In, BB, HBP, Sac Fly, Game.

Corey Patterson didn't even try to throw Lopez out at the plate -- looked like he didn't realize it was the winning run... There's no way he would've gotten him since his arm is crap, but still, where's the effort?

i think you're absolutely right in that he had a total brain fart on that fly ball...there is no doubt he can "go get 'em" out there in the field, but he does have his share of flubs as well...certainly too many to make up for his lack of offense and poor baserunning skills...this season can't end fast enough to get him outta town...

[Ltlabner]

The Dusty just said on Reds Live that he sent Arroyo back out in the eighth because he had 199 innings and "it's hard to pull a guy with 199 innings".

:explode:

[WVRedsFan]

Sounds like WV is anxious to see Dusty Baker "Manager" part II :devil:

WV, the sequel will be out in about four or five months.

I'd rather go to the dentist. Especially if that proposed roster someone posted today is true. Another year of Patterson and Bako might put me over the edge...

[OnBaseMachine]

The Dusty just said on Reds Live that he sent Arroyo back out in the eighth because he had 199 innings and "it's hard to pull a guy with 199 innings".

:explode:

Dusty's wrong then. Arroyo entered tonight with 193 IP. After he completed the 7th inning he topped 200 IP. He had already reach 200 IP when Dusty sent him back out for the 8th inning.

[Ltlabner]

Dusty's wrong then. Arroyo entered tonight with 193 IP. After he completed the 7th inning he topped 200 IP. He had already reach 200 IP when Dusty sent him back out for the 8th inning.

To give him the benefit of the doubt, I'll wait for the print quote (if there ends up being one). I recend my exploding head emoticom and offer my applogizes to Dusty in the event I misunderheard him.

[RedsManRick]

The Dusty just said on Reds Live that he sent Arroyo back out in the eighth because he had 199 innings and "it's hard to pull a guy with 199 innings".

:explode:

Round Numbers > Health of Your Pitching Staff. This is not news unfortunately.

[OnBaseMachine]

That’s why Jerry Hairston Jr. was in unfamiliar territory Friday, left field, where he misplayed three balls into triples that led to two runs and an eventual 7-6 defeat to the St. Louis Cardinals in Busch Stadium.

It ended dramatically but quietly in the bottom of the ninth in front of a full-house of 44,709 when Mike Lincoln gave up a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to Troy Glaus.

Hairston, a stand-up guy, stood in front of his locker afterward describing the frustration of his night of triples.

“Wasn’t my finest hour, or I should say, my finest day,” he said. “One of those days. Couldn’t do anything right and if you play the game long enough it is going to happen.

“If it had been football, I put my defense behind the 8-ball,” Hairston added.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/cincinnatireds/

[VR]

“If it had been football, I put my defense behind the 8-ball,” Hairston added.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/cincinnatireds/

ehh.....what?

8 ball, football, baseball? :all_cohol

[Tony Cloninger]

Do these games mean anything besides looking at players and getting personal achievements? Lower or Higher Draft pick?

[Matt700wlw]

Yay for progress.............or something.

[Spring~Fields]

I'd rather go to the dentist. Especially if that proposed roster someone posted today is true. Another year of Patterson and Bako might put me over the edge...

Well we both know that the "manager" has done everything he could to audition and position them (Patterson, Hairston, Bako) for a return next year, and since that has been his pattern, we can be within range by suggesting or guessing that he will want to add additional like or similiar pieces for next year. Players that he is familiar with that have vet experience, not necessarily good solid performing vets, with speed. I have been checking the road kill list for ex-cubs and ex-giants who can find their way on to the roster next year. ;)