I Don't Like Snakes

Arizona has not been kind to the Reds. Currently, though, someone had the sense to go tell David Weathers to walk the potential homerun machine this time. Granted, that loads the bases with one out and I'm a little concerned about what's going to happen now. But what little I've seen of this game has been worlds better than the little I saw of the other two games in the series. I'm going to leave the commentary on this game for after it's over, though. It's getting scary.

Friday's game was over in the 2nd inning. The bottom of that inning was so abysmal that Gameday won't even load the info for it. I know that in that one inning there were two walks, a balk, three errors and 7 runs scored. I also know that 6 of those runs were unearned. Who did what (aside from the balk and walks), however, is lost in the vast sea of internets.

No it isn't! This story saved the day! Now that I linked the story it seems silly to go through what happened myself. Having not actually seen it, I'd just be recapping the recap. So, save me from committing the heinous crime of plagiary and just read that one. After the Reds put up one run in the 5th (Olmedo singled so Kearns could score), the game came to what I can only assume was a grinding halt and the score remained 7-1 for the rest of forever.

Saturday I figured before the game started that it wouldn't be a good day. My horse in the Kentucky Derby, that should have done well, finished 12th. And, since I like to equate everything, I decided that meant that the Reds, who should do well with Bronson Arroyo pitching, probably would not. I don't know if losing 3 to 1 is the equivalent of finishing 12th in the Kentucky Derby, but, for my sake, let's assume it is. The Reds were held to just 4 hits and 1 run to the Diamondbacks' 12 hits and 3 runs. Incidentally, both teams had the same ratio of runs per hit. I think that's pretty neat. Bronson got his first loss of the season, proving that he is, in fact, human. The only run of the game for Cincinnati was on Lopez's in-the-park home run. I really didn't think that could happen without errors, but apparently it can. 3-1 isn't really an embarrassing loss (unless you want to point out the the Reds aren't often held to just one run), so I'll just chalk that one up to requisite bad day.

And now we'll go back to today's game. For the second series in a row, the offense failed to show up on time, but at least they showed up. After the teams took two innings to warm up, the Reds put up four runs in the 3rd thanks to a Felipe Lopez RBI double, a home run from Dunn (with a runner on, I might add), and a solo homer from Hatteberg. The Diamondbacks were not pleased about this rediscovered offensive power from Cincinnati and quickly responded with 5 runs in their half and won the 3rd inning scoring fight.

Both teams took a break for the next two innings. In the 6th, the Reds offered another four run challenge to the Snakes in the form of a lead-off home run from Kearns and a Dunn double that plated three. Arizona was not able to recreate the response of the 3rd inning and only returned two runs. Cincinnati wins inning 6.

The teams again took a two inning break and returned to the battle in the 9th. Encarnacion's solo homer was the only run scored for the Reds. Luckily, the Diamondbacks also only managed one run, leaving the 9th inning battle a tie, but the war was won by Cincinnati with a final score of 9 to 8. Hooray for not getting swept!

The Reds take the day off tomorrow and start a three game series at home against the Nationals on Tuesday. The Phillies come to town on Friday for another three game series. Saturday is Tiny Adam Dunn Day. We'll be there to get one. You should go, too!