| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers (35-31) |
6 | 12 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Reds (29-34) |
1 | 9 | 0 |
| W: J. Beckett (4-3)  L: M. Leake (3-6) | |||
| Box Score | Play-by-Play | Stats | Depth Chart | FanGraphs Win Probability | |||
The Good
Joey Votto came back tonight. That was good. Other than that, there was nothing good about tonight. There just wasn’t. I could make something up. Not doing it.
The Bad
For the second night in a row, the starting pitching–usually the stalwart of this team–couldn’t keep the Reds close. Mike Leake was solid early. He struck out 5 in the first 4 innings. But in the 5th, Justin Turner got a stupid bloop hit and the rains came down. 5.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 7 K.
The Dodgers had 5 doubles in the game. That’s a killer.
The Ugly
The Bat Rack. There are no hits there. It’s a barren wasteland where runs can find no purchase.
Not so random thoughts …
Who the hell is Justin Turner and why is he tormenting the Cincinnati Reds with his bloop hits?
Because that’s the way this season has gone. I had to listen to Thom Brennaman tell me that the Reds averaged a half run less when Joey Votto was on the DL and that run discrepancy wasn’t all that significant. I had to listen to the Fox Sports Ohio team tell me that the problem with all the Dodgers high priced talent was that they don’t have gritty players like Skip Schumaker.
I give up.
Who do you want as your third lefthander in the bullpen? Sean Marshall or Tony Cingrani? Sean looked like he was auditioning for a spot in the 8th.
You can scream for Walt Jocketty to find another bat, but there is nothing out there now. Too many teams are still in it. I predict this extra Wild Card team will effectively kill in-season trades for the foreseeable future. There might be a team that needs a closer at the deadline. Chapman is the one trading chip that would bring a viable hitter to the lineup that could be a difference-maker that wouldn’t also cripple the team’s chances this year and beyond. But, I think the front office values their closer too much to make that deal.
Yesterday was the 70th anniversary of Nuxhall’s MLB debut at the age of 15. I have one signed ball in my collection. It’s signed:
Joe Nuxhall 6-10-44.
The Daily Billy: Hamilton had 2 hits in 5 ABs.