Reds save themselves from a Cardinal sweep

[Box Score]

The Reds followed the signing of first round pick Yonder Alonso last night around midnight with a nicely played ballgame over a quality opponent. Edison Volquez threw seven shutout innings striking out 4 to win his 15th ballgame of the season. The win snapped an 8 game home losing streak and was the first win at Great American Ball Park history without Adam Dunn being a member of the Cincinnati Reds.

The 7-3 victory was highlighted by multi-hit games from Jay Bruce, Chris Dickerson, Brandon Phillips, and Edwin Encarnacion. The big blow was a three run homer from Phillips bat in the bottom of the 7th inning.

A nice quality win and a good follow up to Gigantosaur Pujols going nuts last night and homering the Cardinals to a schlacking that might just spell the end of Aaron Harang.

Harang is a synonym for tantrum, you know

[Box Score]

It couldn't continue forever. Last night the Reds' 9-game home winning streak was snapped, ending the longest of its type since Great American was opened in 2003. This was largely because Aaron Harang gave up 10 hits and 6 earned runs in 4 innings. He falls to 2-7 on the season. Let me add that this is a guy who many Reds fans will argue is the supposed 'Ace' of the staff.

To extend the point on Harang; I don't think he's an ace. I never have. Before I'm going to start calling him our stopper he is going to have to start stopping our losing streaks instead of stopping win streaks. I certainly hope that Edison Volquez is a true #1 that he appears as, because Harang to me is nothing more than a high end #2 in this league. Thus ends that.

Jay Bruce was slotted in his future perch, the 3-hole. He was hit by a pitch, he grounded out, and he lined out off Pirates closer Matt Capps. He will not get a hit in every game that he plays in in his career, it's official. Still a new gloss on this team with him in the lineup.

Jerry Hairston (hitting .345) collected 2 hits an Brandon Phillips homered. The Reds didn't have much offense to speak of, while the Pirates got home runs from Jason Bay and Xavier Nady. Does anyone realize what kind of season Nady is having? Didn't this guy have lupis or some shit, left for dead at one point in his career?

Now we welcome the Braves, who I have always thought is a real shitty bunch. I'm tired of hearing about Chipper Jones' .400 average and Bobby Cox. Hopefully we sweep them out of town, but even if we don't at least we're not gonna have to run into Brian Jordan.

All good things must come to an end: Reds win streak snapped

[Box Score]

[Reds Insider Recap]

The Reds' winning streak is over at 6, and I'll say nothing short of that it should have continued on last night, and in a stadium (Chavez Rivine) that they typically do not win many games. Los Angeles is where the Reds season typically goes to die.

Adam Dunn homered off Brad Penny, this was the 5th straight ballgame in which Dunn has homered; and he has driven in an RBI in 8 straight ballgames. This is the kind of run producer we envisioned Dunn at one point in his young career. We need it to continue all season if we're going to get back in this thing and possibly to keep Dunn in Cincinnati. It's peaks and valleys with Dunn and hopefully he can just keep it going a while longer. When he's white hot like this, he can carry a club.

Other than Dunn, the offensive highlights had to be Brandon Phillips, who collected 4 hits including a triple.

In the end, damning errors by Paul Janish and Jerry Hairston Jr. cost the Reds mightily. Bronson Arroyo also failed to pitch effectively with a lead as he surrendered 5 runs--3 earned, on 9 hits. His ERA is over 6 for the season.

Takashi Saito picked up the win to improve to 2-1. Blake Dewitt got the game winning hit off of Dave Weathers in the bottom of the 9th after the Reds were forced to load the bases up with just 1 out.

Tonight, Matty Belisle takes the hill. If you're a fan of the long-term health of the Reds; please root for Belisle to get his tits lit tonight. Yes it does make sense. We're never going to compete with schlups like Belisle trotting out there every 5th day to throw fastball and changeup cock-pieces right down the heart of the plate. He's got only a hope in the bullpen.

Quick note on my fantasy team

Tonight my fantasy baseball team began the night with a home run from Brandon Phillips, and a home run from Adam Dunn. A nice start.

Since that moment, they're 0 for 13 and now just 2 for 15 on the night (.133).

For the season they're hitting .236 now. This is a fantasy baseball team we're talking about here. To think I could have almost lined up any team in baseball's realm and hit better than a team of perennial All-Stars is managing. Fuck fantasy baseball. Fuck Horses!