Bitter lemonade

[Full disclosure: I attended the first few innings of the game, then left and listened through the eighth inning on the radio, then left radio contact. After that, followed online and in car, sporadically. Sorry, we just didn’t have anyone available to watch the entire game and write the recap today. Kind of fitting.]

An old proverb says, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But what with the events and news from GABP today, I recommend you find someone who life gave dry gin. And relieve your pain.

Seriously, manager Bryan Price sent lemonade into the field and for the most part it tasted fine. Brayan Peña committed a key error that allowed a run to score. But keep in mind he’s a catcher, with limited experience at first base. The Reds lineup managed only seven hits.

DatThumb  John Fay reports that Brandon Phillips has torn a thumb ligament and will have surgery tomorrow. Bryce Harper was out 57 days with a similar injury this year. In bizarrely related and unrelated news, the Cardinals announced that Yadi Molina tore his thumb ligament last night and will be out 8-12 weeks.

Bailey’s Knee  The Angry Reds’ Knee Hating God isn’t through with the team just yet. Homer Bailey left the game in the sixth inning, with a subsequent report that he is suffering from pain in the patella tendon of his right knee. Tendons attach muscles to bones. The patella tendon is the large tendon that connects the quadriceps (thigh muscle) to the patella (knee). “That’s the push-off leg” is what former-pitcher Jeff Brantley highlighted. 

The Reds will perform x-rays and an MRI to determine the extent of the problem. There are varying degrees of injury, ranging from annoying to terrifying. Words you could hear the next few days are patellar tendonitis, partial tear, complete tear and rupture. The treatment for tendonitis is rest and anti-inflammatories. The treatment for complete tear/rupture is surgery.

With the memory of David Holmberg’s start seared on our brains, let’s hope the All-Star break gives Bailey sufficient time to heal.

Bullpen Props  The Reds bullpen, starting with Sam LeCure, then Manny Parra, Jonathan Broxton, Aroldis Chapman, Jumbo Diaz and J.J. Hoover stepped into the breach quite ably. In Hoover’s second inning, the Cubs scored two runs.

Ludwhacks  Ryan Ludwick was 3-for-6, including a home run and two RBI.