Positives

–Alfredo Simon was the star of tonight’s game. He pitched seven strong innings, allowing just two runs (both in the first inning) on five hits. He also went 2-3 at the plate, with two doubles, the second of which drove in the go-ahead run for the Redlegs.

–Brandon Phillips was the only other Red with two hits, and he drove in a run as well. Ryan Ludwick struck out three times in four at-bats, but he did hit his ninth home run. Chris Heisey reached base twice and scored a run from the leadoff spot.

–Cincinnati got good bullpen work from Sam LeCure, Ryan Dennick, and Aroldis Chapman. Chapman struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth to record his 32nd save of the year.

Negatives

–This Reds team is the worst baserunning team in the history of baseball. Okay, perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but I’m getting sick of the TOOTBLANS and the incompetence of Steve Smith from the third base coach’s box. Alfredo Simon was picked off at second base, and Brayan Pena was thrown out at home. For a team that really struggles to score runs, it seems that they give away a lot of outs on the bases.

The numbers bear this out, actually. Tonight’s TOOTBLAN at home was the 27th time this season that the Reds have made an out at home. That’s the highest total in the major leagues. As Joel Luckhaupt notes, ten of those came in games that the Reds lost by one run. Unacceptable.

–No other negatives. Yeah, I could probably nitpick here, but this has been a lousy season and the Reds just beat the Cardinals twice in a row. Let’s not get too greedy.

Not so random thoughts….

–So, yeah, the Reds have not beaten the Cardinals twice in a row. St. Louis has been playing awfully well lately, so I’m happy about this development. Things are always more fun when the Reds when, right?

Even better, if the Redlegs can win in tomorrow’s series finale — with ace Johnny Cueto on the mound — they will have actually won a series against one of the best teams in the league. That would be something, eh?

–Ryan Dennick got the first hold of his major league career, sure, but it just doesn’t seem right that he’s wearing Joe Nuxhall’s #41.

–Cardinals starter Jon Lackey was ejected by umpire Tom Hallion in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes. Yeah, it was an #umpshow, but it was kinda hilarious.

–I would have had this recap posted earlier, but I was trying to watch the game and write this recap while helping my seventh-grader do her math homework. Sorry!

–Only sixteen games left in this season. That’s probably a good thing, but you know we’re all gonna miss the Reds during the off-season.