Let’s recap tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
San Francisco 0
Cincinnati 3
W: Homer Bailey (5-6)
L: Tim Lincecum (4-9)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–Homer Bailey threw his second career no-hitter, allowing only one walk, while striking out nine. It was a completely dominant performance by Homer.
–Shin-Soo Choo reached base four times, going 2-2 with a walk and a run scored. The big blast, however, was Brandon Phillips’ two-run homer in the sixth inning. Sure, Homer didn’t need those two runs (the Reds were already leading 1-0), but it gave Cincinnati a cushion. Certainly allowed me to breath easier, anyway.
–Joey Votto made a very smart defensive play to preserve the no-hitter. See below.
NEGATIVES
–None.
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS
–So much fun. Who doesn’t love Reds baseball?
— Homer Bailey had a perfect game until surrendering the single walk to Gregor Blanco in the seventh inning.
–Bailey is the 31st major leaguer to throw two no-hitters. He’s the third Red to do so, after Johnny Vander Meer and Jim Maloney. This was the 16th no-hitter in Reds history.
–The last big leaguer to throw a no-hitter? Yep, Homer Bailey, last September. That’s just an oddity, but it seems pretty cool to me.
–If you can imagine this, the Giants turned a 2-6 double play tonight. Homer was trying to lay down a sac bunt, Giants catcher Buster Posey picked it up, tagged Bailey, then threw out Ryan Hanigan trying to advance to second. It was a weird play.
–You won’t see a much more dominant no-hitter than that one. Homer was never really challenged. The only time the Giants even threatened a bit was after that walk in the seventh, when Buster Posey grounded to Joey Votto. It was a difficult play, and I’m not sure whether Votto could have retired Posey at first, but Joey made a heads-up play to retire Blanco trying to advance to third. TOOTBLAN.
–I don’t know anything about pitching, but I know that Homer’s stuff tonight was incredible. He was hitting all of his spots, and he was throwing 97 mph in the ninth inning.
–I tweeted this earlier (as you can see below), but I’ll say it here again. With that no-hitter tonight, Homer Bailey guaranteed his spot in the Reds Hall of Fame. No matter what else happens in his career, he’ll be enshrined in the Reds HOF. For whatever that’s worth.
–Listening to Ryan Hanigan speak on the post-game show, I’m struck by his intelligence. Seems much more cerebral than most big leaguers. Actually, the same could be said for Homer.
–I really wish the Reds had done this to the Giants last October.
–Some might make the case that the best part of tonight’s game was when Homer dropped an f-bomb on the post-game show. I wouldn’t make that case, but it did happen.
–“I guess I got lucky again.” — Homer Bailey
–“Homer: he let his inner Batman out today.” — Brandon Phillips
–Twitter roundup:
On nights like this one, I like to point out that Redleg Nation NEVER gave up on Homer Bailey. And we have the archives to prove it.
— Redleg Nation (@redlegnation) July 3, 2013
Stop. Homer time.
— Chad Dotson (@dotsonc) July 3, 2013
Homer Bailey points out Dusty was in the hospital last year when he threw his first no-hitter. “I’m really glad he got to see this.” #Reds
— Enquirer Sports (@ENQSports) July 3, 2013
Is it possible the season didn’t end after the recent road trip?
— Redleg Nation (@redlegnation) July 3, 2013
After all the criticism he’s endured over the last few years, Homer Bailey can stamp his ticket to the Reds Hall of Fame tonight. FWIW.
— Chad Dotson (@dotsonc) July 3, 2013