Let’s recap tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Cincinnati 6
Milwaukee 7
W: J. Axford (6-6)
L: A. Chapman (3-5)
BOX SCORE
–With the Reds on the verge of a win that would have lifted them to second place in the NL Central, Aroldis Chapman blew it, surrendering a walkoff homer to Jonathan Lucroy.
Ugh.
For the record, we love Aroldis. The fact that he gave up a homer tonight isn’t reason to think, all of a sudden, that he isn’t good. But there’s this myth that being a closer requires some magic fairy dust. It doesn’t. He’s not so dominant as a closer that it was imperative to keep him in that role.
One of these days, I’ll quit tilting at that particular windmill. I know that ship has sailed. (Are those metaphors sufficiently mixed?)
Cuss.
— Redleg Nation (@redlegnation) August 17, 2013
Chapman: July 20-August 10: 7 appearances. August 11-16: 5 appearances.
— Aaron Haning (@a_haning) August 17, 2013
Looks to me like Hoover could close. #Reds need to flip Chapman in the offseason for a bat, or put him in rotation, or something.
— JD Arney (@jdarney) August 17, 2013
Chapman just blew his fifth save. In his last season with the Reds, Francisco Cordero blew six saves.
— Chad Dotson (@dotsonc) August 17, 2013
Someone explain why it was SO important that Chapman be a reliever this year.
— Chad Dotson (@dotsonc) August 17, 2013
A terrible showing tonight, Redlegs. Just awful. Milton is disappointed.