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Let’s recap today’s titanic struggle…

FINAL

Cincinnati Reds 2
Atlanta Braves 1
WP: Chapman (4-0, 0-0 ERA)
LP: Martinez (2-1, 4.56 ERA)

Boxscore
Video Highlights
PitchFX for Bronson Arroyo

POSITIVES

• The Reds have won the first three games of this series and five games in a row. They try for a sweep tomorrow night behind Homer Bailey.

• Bronson Arroyo pitched another great game, with only one uggly pitch. He struck out 7. His ERA is 3.22.

• Jose Arredondo and Aroldis Chapman pitched very effectively out of the bullpen. Arredondo’s walk of Chipper Jones seemed semi-intentional.

• Brandon Phillips had some great AB tonight, walking three times. The Braves were clearly pitching him carefully, mostly because Jay Bruce is in a bad slump right now. But Brandon saw a lot of pitches and worked the count well. He also made an aggressive slide, breaking up a double play that allowed the Reds to score their first run. More of that, please.

• Ryan Hanigan had a hit, walk and a long out to right center field. Has anyone suggested that maybe he should be batting higher in the lineup? It’s a joke that he bats below Ryan Ludwick. A bad joke.

• Todd Frazier hit his fourth home run of the year just over the right-field fence to win the game.

• The Reds infield flashed some good defense, particularly in the first inning. Both Joey Votto and Zack Cozart made nice plays. Brandon Phillips made his usual Gold Glove standard plays at second base.

NEGATIVES

• For eight innings, you saw your Cincinnati Reds offense without home runs. Failing to advance runners, early count swinging, strike outs etc. Ryan Ludwick saw four pitches in three AB and swung at all four of them. The Reds have scored almost all their runs this series on home runs. That’s fun, but no way to sustain an offense.

• Mike Costanzo struck out again. The alternative on the bench was Wilson Valdez. Of course we can’t have the other catcher hit, I mean what about the 18th inning? How can it be that we don’t have a better hitter – or be able to sign a better hitter – than Costanzo?

NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS

• Aroldis Chapman pitched for the fifth time in seven games. Bringing him in to the ninth inning was an interesting choice, especially since both Sam LeCure and Sean Marshall had warmed up the previous inning.

• Jay Bruce is still mired in a terrible slump. He did drive in one of the Reds’ two runs, so this comment is a Random Thought instead of a Negative. But boy, he’s struggling.

• Top game thread comment (RichmondRed): Just stitch together a win however you have to, gentlemen. That’s all that matters.

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