| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds  (7-9) |
 4 |  8 |  1 |
| Chicago Cubs (4-11) |
 1 |  6 |  2 |
| W:  A. Simon (2-1)  L:  J. Samardzija (0-2)  S:  J. Broxton (2) | |||
| Box Score  |  Play-by-Play   |   Stats   |   Depth Chart   |  FanGraphs Win Probability | |||
Postives
Enough cannot be said about the job Alfredo Simon has done as a fill-in this year. He has now given the Reds three sparkling starts. It is hard to imagine him going back to the bullpen, but that is certainly where he will go and where he should go whenever the rotation is fully healthy. It’s good to know he’s there if the Reds need him, though.
I don’t think anyone else especially stands out today, but the Reds did swipe five bases today, that’s pretty neat.
Negatives
I don’t see anyone deserving of scorn today, either. Every regular reached base at least once. Todd Frazier did make an error, but that happens sometimes.
Also, Brandon Phillips left the game with what we hope is a minor back injury (spasms). I’m sure we”l know more later.
Not so random thoughts …
The Reds are now 7-9. That’s not great, but given who they’ve opened the season against, I’ll bet we all would have taken it if we’d been asked before the season. That the Reds suddenly look solid (they’ve won 4 of 5) is a testament to the fact that you should never get worked up over a week’s worth of ballgames (unless it’s the playoffs).
Ah, the Cubs. They do know how to Cub, don’t they?
I officially had a de-conversion while listening to this game. I was tuning into the Reds’ broadcast and Marty was starting in like he always does about something ridiculous. This time, is was RISP, and I realized I wasn’t enjoying the game at all. So I switched to the Cubs broadcast. And you know what? It was nice. They said more nice things about the Reds than I’ve heard Marty say in two or three years combined.
And I think that’s it for me. If I have any other option, I will no longer listen to Marty call baseball games. He stinks. Games are not fun to listen to when he calls them. This is a team that has averaged 94 wins the last two seasons, and listening to him, you’d think they were the Cubs. I don’t need an announcer to be a homer, but I do need an announcer who is sane and can see a decent team when it’s put in front of him. Marty was the voice of my childhood, but it’s time to leave that behind. It makes me sad.