| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
|  Cincinnati Reds  (19-22) |
1 | 3 | 0 |
|  Philadelphia Phillies  (18-22) |
12 | 13 | 0 |
|  W:  Hamels (1-2)    L: Bailey (3-3) | |||
|  Box Score |   Play-by-Play  |    Photos  |    Depth Chart   |  FanGraphs Win Probability | |||
Positives
Nada.
Negatives
By the time Cole Hamels struck out Zack Cozack, Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier on nine pitches in the third inning, you had the feeling that the Reds pitchers would have to make their one run lead at the time stand up. Predictably, Bryan Price’s lineup loaded with AAA players and aging journeymen was no match for the left-handed Hamels and the relievers who followed.
Cozart’s double (!) in the first inning resulted in the Reds only run, even though his teammates didn’t manage to hit the ball out of the infield. After that run scored, the Reds batters spent the rest of the game demonstrating why strikeouts seldom result in base runners.
As much as Homer Bailey‘s fastball helped him in his last start against Colorado, it betrayed him in the fourth inning tonight. After shutting out the Phillies in the first three frames, Bailey didn’t survive the next. His fastballs that were intended to jam left-handed hitters instead drifted back over the plate where the Phillies hitters didn’t miss.
The Reds bullpen, which has easily been the worst in the National League, showed why. Not a single bullpen pitcher has been demoted to AAA for cause all season. All hail accountability.
Logan Ondrusek, who in his last appearance walked the first two batters he faced, threw a 55-foot fastball to Chase Utley on his first offering tonight. It was a wild pitch allowing Carlos Ruiz to advance to second. Ondrusek avoided walking Utley by grooving a 2-1 fastball that the Phillies second baseman drilled into center field, scoring Ruiz. Logan Ondrusek’s position is relief pitcher. He’s providing the opposite of relief.
Sean Marshall was awful. His appearance involved a walk, a hit by pitch, another walk, a wild pitch, a single and double, not necessarily in that order. Marshall has rightly been replaced by Manny Parra as Bryan Price’s go-to LOOGY.
Not so random thoughts
The Reds managed three hits after only five yesterday. Keep games like this in mind the next time someone tells you how important it is to score the first run of the game.
The Phillies hadn’t scored in 20 innings before tonight. They were due for a breakout.
Tomorrow’s pitching match-up features Anthony Michael Cingrani vs. Clifton Phifer Lee. Cingrani will have to be at his best if the Reds hope to snap their streak of not having won a series in Philadelphia since 2006.
The Reds manager in 2006 was Jerry Narron. Brandon Phillips is the only player from that team who still plays for the Reds and DatDude batted seventh that series. The starting pitcher for the Reds in the clinching game was none other than Eric Milton, the namesake of tonight’s featured image.