Let’s recap tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL — 10 innings
Milwaukee 4
Cincinnati 5
WP: Cordero (5-4)
LP: Hoffman (2-7)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–Jay Bruce led off the game with a homer again, off another lefty. This one was to the opposite field! You can only hope that we are seeing the maturation of Bruce at the plate.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. 🙂 Bruce also had the game-winning, walk-off single that scored Brandon Phillips. Leadoff homer, walkoff single. I love it…and add another hit and a walk, plus three runs scored. Awesome game by Bruuuuuuuuuuuuce.
—Outstanding relief work by Logan Ondrusek, Bill Bray, Nick Masset, and Francisco Cordero. Masset and Cordero, in particular, appear to have straightened out some of the problems.
–Chris Valaika went 3-5. Juan Francisco hit a frozen-rope homer to tie the game at 4.
NEGATIVES
–The Reds looked like Little Leaguers running the bases, once again. They gave the Brewers no fewer than three free outs on the basepaths, the worst of which was Drew Stubbs getting thrown out at third without even sliding.
–Homer Bailey really needs to learn how to hold runners on base. Milwaukee stole 36 bases against Homer tonight, and it was all his fault. (Okay, maybe it was four bases, but it seemed like more.)
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS
–The Cards lost and the Reds now hold a six-game lead in the NL Central. That’s the largest lead Cincinnati has enjoyed since 1995, not coincidentally the last time the Reds made the playoffs. It’s the second-largest division lead in all of baseball.
–Very disappointing crowd tonight. Let’s fill the stadium for Aroldis Chapman’s debut tomorrow, okay?
–The Cardinals aren’t feeling too well right now. Check out the headline at their website.
–Do you believe?
Jay Bruce
