| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds  (1-3) |
 3 |  7 |  0 |
| New York Metropolitans  (1-3) |
 4 |  6 |  1 |
| W: Meija (1-0)   L:  Leake (0-1)  S: Valverde (1)  HR: Bruce (2), Duda (1, 2) | |||
| Box Score  |   Play-by-Play   |    Photos  |    Depth Chart   |   FanGraphs Win Probability | |||
The Good
Jay Bruce drove in all three of the Reds runs, including two on his second home run of the season. All three RBI were with two outs. Bruce also made an outstanding defensive play in the 6th inning on a deep fly ball by Curtis Granderson into right centerfield.
Brandon Phillips had two hits and lost a home run in the first inning when Eric Young caught Phillips’ fly ball over the fence top.
Manny Parra and J.J. Hoover pitched 1.1 innings of relief.
Mike Leake, other than two pitches, pitched pretty well. He gave up five hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings.
The Bad
Mike Leake‘s other two pitches.
Ramon Santiago wasted four at bats subbing for Zack Cozart – a strikeout, pop-out and two weak ground balls that were close to being double plays. Kind of astonished that Price didn’t pinch hit for him in his last at bat. Santiago is primed to follow in the long line of helpless bats off the bench for the Reds. It’s hard to understand why the Reds feel like they need defensive specialist backup players instead of those who can offer even a little pop hitting.
Billy Hamilton, used as a pinch runner in the eighth, stumbled on his break but still tried to steal second. In the Major Leagues, that gets you thrown out in a New York minute.
The Ugly
The weather was cold, rainy and windy. Jim Day said before the game that the conditions were as bad as you’ll ever see for a Major League game. The game started in a steady, misty rain that never let up. Players in the dugout and fans in the stands were bundled up in heavy jackets. The forecast is considerably better for the rest of the weekend in New York. Tomorrow’s game begins at 1:10 p.m.
Not so random thoughts …
Devin Mesoraco will join the team on Sunday night in St. Louis and will play in the next series against the Cardinals. I’m ready for the cavalry to arrive, but Mesoraco is the only new hitter on the horizon.
The Reds have now played in four one-run games, losing three.
Top Game Thread comments …
ToddAlmighty: The Reds total runs excluding HRs is now at 2 in 36 innings. We knew the team wouldn’t be offensively great, but this is offensively bad.
JDX19: Cozart has a good glove and occasional pop. The book on Santiago is that he has a good glove and no pop. Cozart should be in there unless he’s injured or hasn’t had an off day in 3 week or something,