That was a great game to watch.
Jo-Jo Reyes was terrific. His line, 6.1 innings, 6 hits, 2 earned, 0 walks and 5 strikeouts doesn't describe how good he was. He was hurt on a fly ball by Drew Stubbs that either CFer Corey Patterson or RFer Jose Bautista could have easily caught but both pulled back on at the last moment. It hit the wall and bounced away from them for an inside the park home run. I don't know how often it has happened this year, but it seems like it has happened way too much, that two or more guys call for a ball and then no one catches it. Corey Patterson has got to know that when he is in center, he has to take control. That plus a home run hit by Scott Rolen was all the damage the Reds could do against Jo-Jo.
Patterson also cost Reyes a double in the first inning, pulling up on a ball that was hit to the wall in center, it wasn't an easy catch but a catch that he should have made.
Our bullpen also did a great job tonight. Octavio Dotel took over for Reyes with 2 on and 1 out in the 7th and got us out of the inning. He also got us the first 2 outs of the 8th on strikeouts. Marc Rzepczynski was brought in to face Joey Votto, getting him to ground out. Great job by Farrell to use his relievers against the batters they are most likely to get out.
Frank Francisco got the save. 2 strikeouts, a Fred Lewis single and a fly out and we win. Franks has little much better the last little bit.
It took our offense until the 4th inning to get our first hit, a Bautista single. Jose was caught stealing right after. Jose, with Adam so hot, don't get caught stealing with him at bat. Please. We didn't get another hit until the 6th, a Jo-Jo Reyes single. After Bautista and Patterson gave the Reds the lead in the bottom of the 6th, they got together to tie it. Patterson was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Jose's single. Then Adam Lind homered give us all the runs we needed.
We could have scored another. John McDonald, in the game on a double switch (gotta love that ML baseball, right Johnny?) lead off the 8th with a double. Moved up on a Yunel Escobar ground out, but was tagged out at home on a Patterson ground out to second. Mac ran on contact, I'm not sure that was the best call with Bautista up after him but in a close game, I can understand taking the chance.
To be honest, I do like this part of NL ball, with the double switch, you get more of your players into the game. I like that.
We had 6 hits all together, 2 for Bautista, 1 each for Lind (homer), Hill, Reyes and Mac (double). Mike Leake pitched a great game, for the Reds, but still took the loss. That's what he gets for pitching to Lind.
Jays of the Day are Dotel (.299 WPA), Francisco (.204), Lind (.137) and Bautista (.122). Reyes has a -.057 but a good part of that is because of the ball that should have been caught, so I'm giving him a JoD too. Baseball really needs to find a way to make plays like that an error. The definition of an error is 'a play that could be made with normal effort'. That one could have been made easy. Clearly it was an error on Patterson because he should take command and he didn't.
No one got to Suckage Award numbers, Escobar came closest with a -.092.
Tomorrow we have a rare Saturday night game. Brandon Morrow (2-4, 5.63) vs. Edinson Volquez (4-2, 5.48), so a battle of hard throwers who have been having their troubles. I'm hoping Brandon gets it together tomorrow.
If you didn't see it in the game thread, our SB Nation Baltimore Oriole site, Camden Chat was in an clue on Jeopardy tonight. Very cool.