Let’s recap tonight’s titanic struggle…
Final
St. Louis – 7
Cincinnati – 3
WP: Carpenter (13-3)
LP: Leake (7-4)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
-I am normally as pessimistic as the next guy, but I am going to do my best to find some positives.  After the game was seemingly over, Carlos Fisher came in to relieve Mike Leake and pitched well.  Fisher allowed 2 hits and walked 2 batters in 3.1 innings pitched.  He struck out 5 and did a great job to stop the bleeding in the 4th inning.
-In fact, the bullpen as a whole performed extremely well.  Billy Bray pitched a perfect 8th inning, striking out 2.  Logan Ondrusek continued his scoreless innings streak by pitching a perfect 9th inning.  That inning extended Ondrusek’s streak to 22 innings without allowing an earned run.
-Ramon Hernandez went 3-4 at the plate with an RBI double in the 7th inning and a solo homerun in the 9th inning. ÂÂ
-Jay Bruce walked twice and scored a run. ÂÂ
NEGATIVES
-Mike Leake cruised through the first 3 innings, but was unable to get 3 outs in the 4th inning and left after giving up 7 runs in the inning.  I am a huge fan of Mike Leake and think he is going to be a really good pitcher for the Reds in the future.  But with some of his recent struggles and with what the Reds have waiting on the shelf, one has to wonder if perhaps we haven’t seen the last of Mike Leake for the Reds as a starter this season.
-Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen were a combined 0-7.  Hmmmm. ÂÂ
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTSÂÂ
-I’m sure there are many Reds fans thinking this is the beginning of the end.  It was just one game.  As much as we were all pumped up for this game and this series, we just have to remind ourselves that it is just one game.  The Reds still possess a 1-game lead in the division.  All is not lost.ÂÂ
-After watching Chris Carpenter’s tantrums both after the 1st inning with his shortstop and then again after the 7th inning, it makes me really dislike him even more.  I’ll give him credit that he’s a good pitcher, but I don’t like him!
-I hate the Cardinals!