Let’s recap tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Atlanta 7
Cincinnati 4
W: P. Maholm (4-3)
L: B. Arroyo (2-4)
S: C. Kimbrel (10)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–Alfredo Simon was dazzling in his two innings of work, striking out all six batters he faced.
–Brandon Phillips doubled, singled, and knocked in a run. Zack Cozart had two hits, including a double, and scored two runs. Joey Votto doubled, walked, scored two runs and knocked in another.
NEGATIVES
–Bronson Arroyo gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings. He did strike out seven, but it was not a good performance for Arroyo.
–Logan Ondrusek surrendered three runs on three hits and a walk in just one inning of work. Ugh.
–Devin Mesoraco went 0-4 and committed an error.
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS
–Cincinnati did not play well, but they had a couple of chances to win. Thanks to the fireworks during Ondrusek’s inning of work, it was all for naught.
–Cincinnati got a couple of runners on base in the bottom of the ninth, and Joey Votto came to the plate representing the tying run (with two outs). If you’re a Reds fan and your team is down three, you won’t get much better odds than that. Unfortunately, Votto struck out to end the game.
–Strange situation involving Votto in the eighth inning. Joey was on third base with no outs when Jay Bruce lifted a fly ball to Atlanta’s Jordan Schafer in LF. Schafer conceded the sacrifice fly, and threw the ball lazily into second base. For some reason, however, Votto didn’t tag up and score. I don’t know whether 3B coach Chris Speier held him up, or Votto chose not to run…but it was a bad decision. In the end, Votto scored later in the inning and the three runs scored by Atlanta in the top half made it a moot point anyway. Still…
–Logan Ondrusek must go.