Let’s recap tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Chicago (NL) 12
Cincinnati 8
W: R. Lopez (5-6)
L: D. Willis (0-6)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–Brandon Phillips hit two homers, walked once, scored three and drove in three runs. His first homer was a real blast into the upper deck…but…
–Juan Francisco hit the second-longest homer in GAB history, a 502-foot shot that went completely out of the stadium, over the moon deck, onto Mehring Way. He absolutely killed that ball. Wily Mo comparisons are alive and well.
–Rookie catcher Devin Mesoraco went 2-4 with a double and his first Major League home run. Exciting moment for the kid.
–Jay Bruce was 2-4 with a walk. Joey Votto was 2-5 with a double and an RBI.
–After Francisco’s homer, Paul Janish drilled one that almost reached the outfield.
NEGATIVES
–The game was never close, thanks to Dontrelle Willis: 3.1 innings, 8 runs allowed on nine hits and three walks (he struck out zero).
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS
–I hate losing to the stupid Cubs.
–The Reds have to go 11-4 to finish with a record above .500. That ain’t happening, friends and neighbors.
–It’s time for the Dontrelle Willis experiment to end.
–Found out tonight that Chris Valaika tore his ACL yesterday. Tough break.
–Hey, a Ramon Ortiz sighting tonight. The former Red was pitching for the Cubs. Honestly, I didn’t know Ortiz was still in the majors.