Number Three

The Reds squeaked out a win for their third game of the year. They put the Cubs down 5-2, but didn't manage to get the lead until the 7th inning. Kyle Lohse pitched for the Reds while Jason Marquis did the same for the Cubs. In his 6.1 innings, Lohse gave up 2 runs on 10 hits and struck out 3. He was replaced by a slew of relievers, including such memorable names as Victor Santos, Rheal Cormier, Kirk Saarloos, Mike Stanton and David Weathers. Their combined 2.2 innings pitched resulted in no more hits and no more runs. Santos got the win and Weathers earned his first save of the season.

The Cubs scored the first run in the 2nd, but the Reds came right back with their own in the 4th when Edwin Encarnacion singled in Brandon Phillips. LFC (Least Favorite Cub) Matt Murton was partly responsible for Chicago's 2nd run, coming home on Aramis Ramirez's double in the 5th. Luckily that was all the scoring the Cubbies would do. The Reds put up 2 more runs in the 7th on a Jeff Conine single and an Adam Dunn walk, at which point they took the lead for good. And just for good measure Scott Hatteberg put up a 2-run homer in the 8th. That all adds up to 5 runs for the good guys and 2 for the bad guys. Good guys win.

Cincinnati is currently tied with Milwaukee for 2nd in the division, just behind the surprising Pittsburgh Pirates, who somehow swept Houston. The Pirates come to town this weekend, and my mother is going to the game tonight without me. How rude.