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Game 87: Reds vs. Nationals

Dunn_tiny by Slyde on in Game Threads

Washington Nationals @ Cincinnati Reds


Next Game

Washington Nationals
@ Cincinnati Reds

Thursday, Jul 3, 2008, 7:10 PM EDT
Great American Ball Park

John Lannan vs Johnny Cueto

Mostly cloudy with a 60-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing out to left field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game Time temperature: Around 80.

 

Complete Coverage >

W-L ERA WHIP K BB
2008 - John Lannan 4-9 3.54 1.31 56 29

W-L ERA WHIP K BB
2008 - Johnny Cueto 6-8 4.68 1.36 83 37

The phrase that pays tonight is "better than his record implies."  Keep your ears open and be the 9th caller when you hear the announcers say that phrase tonight and you could win $1 million.

Could this be the last time Leatherpants brings a team into Cincinnati?

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I'm excited

The 2008 Nationals playing the 2010 Nationals!

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 5:03 PM EDT   0 recs

Oh snap!

I just realized that I might be able to actually watch this game on TV.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 5:04 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

the lineups

Courtesy of Trent:

Redlegs


1. Jerry Hairston Jr. cf
2. Jeff Keppinger ss
3. Ken Griffey Jr. rf
4. Prandon Phillips 2b
5. Edwin Encarnacion 3b
6. Joey Votto 1b
7. Jay Bruce lf
8. David Ross c
9. Johnny Cueto p


Former Redlegs


1. Roger Bernadina cf
2. Cristian Guzman ss
3. Elijah Dukes lf
4. Dmitri Young 1b
5. Austin Kearns rf
6. Ronnie Belliard 3b
7. Jesus Flores c
8. Willie Harris 2b
9. John Lannan p

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Jul 3, 2008 5:14 PM EDT   0 recs

Why the hell is Dunn sitting?

We ain’t no last place team are we Pops ?

by Gray on Jul 3, 2008 5:15 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Apparently all those home runs he's been hitting

have tuckered him out.

Or he’s emotionally broken up about the return of Austin Kearns (just got off the DL to play in this game), and can’t face his old friend.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 5:16 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Or he's just unlucky...

People Don't Kill People. Burning Couches Kill People.

by crolfer on Jul 3, 2008 5:21 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

And who's Prandon?

We ain’t no last place team are we Pops ?

by Gray on Jul 3, 2008 5:17 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Danny Graves?

People Don't Kill People. Burning Couches Kill People.

by crolfer on Jul 3, 2008 5:21 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Oh, great

As if we don’t have enough Phillipses…

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Jul 3, 2008 5:24 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

First

insult-free comment!

We ain’t no last place team are we Pops ?

by Gray on Jul 3, 2008 5:14 PM EDT   0 recs

Also from C, more proof that you can trust Baker to screw things up...
When talking about today’s lineup, Baker said Hairston and Keppinger at the top of the lineup is “ideal.”

“With both of them back, we’re going to have to plunk one guy in or whatever we have to do to have the best lineup that day,” Baker said. “It was a lot easier in the American League when you have the DH and can play everybody.”

We ain’t no last place team are we Pops ?

by Gray on Jul 3, 2008 5:29 PM EDT   0 recs

When did he manage in the American League?

Or was he talking about interleague games? And weren’t Kepp and Cherry injured for at least some of those games?

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 6:25 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, he's talking about interleague

when we had Griffey or, inexplicably, Dunn DHing and both Keppinger and Hairston playing.

We ain’t no last place team are we Pops ?

by Gray on Jul 3, 2008 6:29 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Splits for Reds this season, vs. RHP then LHP:

Bako .213/.306/.315; .230/.266/.475, OPS: .621/.741
Bruce .329/.383/.588; .222/.321/.267, OPS: .971/.587
Dunn .240/.389/.592; .185/.385/.333, OPS: .982/.719
EdE: .238/.312/.477; .257/.389/.392, OPS: .788/.781
Griffey .254/.354/.425; .211/.327/.344, OPS: .779/.672
Cherry Hudson Jr. .289/.324/.412; .393/.453/.589, OPS: .736/1.042
Keppinger .266/.307/.352; .407/.492/.574, OPS: .658/1.066
Prandon: .245/.290/.389; .369/.411/.718, OPS: .679/1.129
DLR: .255/.386/.362; .238/.347/.333, OPS: .748/.680
Votto: .286/.337/.481; .275/.368/.473, OPS: .818/.840

First of all, I didn’t realize how ridiculous Cherry and Keppinger’s power numbers have been against lefties, or how much Bruce has sucked against them. And EdE and Votto have had pretty much no split. Interesting.

But if you need to sit somebody, it’s clear that it shouldn’t be Dunn. Unfortunately, I’d rather give Bruce more ABs to see if he improves against lefties, and the guy I’d like to see sitting bitches and moans if it ever happens.

Also, it’s painfully obvious who our one-two should be against lefties, and we all know which guy should never be batting third. You know, the guy who always bats third. The guy who, of those on this list, has the fifth-highest OPS against righties and the ninth-highest OPS against lefties. Yes, Griffey’s OPS against lefties is lower than everyone but Bruce’s. We’d be better off having Bako or Ross in the outfield than him at this point.

Ouch.

We ain’t no last place team are we Pops ?

by Gray on Jul 3, 2008 5:58 PM EDT   0 recs

Incidentally, I made a couple of comments before adding BP to the list

but he’s got an enormous split, too. This time looks like it could really use different lineups for LHP/RHP. Like, say, vs. lefties:

Keppinger
Hudson
Votto
BP
Dunn
EdE
Griffey/Bruce
Bako

and vs. righties:

Bruce
Dunn
EdE
Votto
Hudson
Griffey
BP
Ross

We ain’t no last place team are we Pops ?

by Gray on Jul 3, 2008 6:05 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

odd that

Bako and Ross are defying the odds, and yet they usually play against the normal righty-lefty thingy.

Reds fan for 40 years!

by gejoe on Jul 3, 2008 6:12 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I always forget their handedness

but yeah, you’re right. It could just be a sample size issue, since Ross only has ~100 PAs split evenly, while Bako only has 66 PAs vs. LHPs.

We ain’t no last place team are we Pops ?

by Gray on Jul 3, 2008 6:19 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

So...they sent Thompson down

Does this mean a return of the Fogg?

www.crosleyfieldterrace.wordpress.com

by xjjeep90 on Jul 3, 2008 7:11 PM EDT   0 recs

Anyone else see Bruce and Kearns meeting for the first time before the game?

That was pretty awesome. The past and the future.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:15 PM EDT   0 recs

Beer, ballgame, three day weekend

I’m feeling pretty good.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 7:18 PM EDT   0 recs

Very nice.

What’re you drinking tonight?

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:18 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

High Life

Cheap, and goes down so smooth.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 7:20 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Not bad.

I got a Christian Moerlein sampler pack here. Local brew here in Cincy, great stuff.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:21 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

1-2-3 for Questo!

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:19 PM EDT   0 recs

KKKueto!

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:29 PM EDT   0 recs

or lose 1-0 with a no-hitter

www.crosleyfieldterrace.wordpress.com

by xjjeep90 on Jul 3, 2008 7:33 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Heh. Stupid Angels.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:36 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

who starts for thompson now?

"God has blessed me and I will continue to do my best for him. This is more important than anything I could do in baseball." -Albert Pujols

by shortstopv2 on Jul 3, 2008 7:37 PM EDT   0 recs

Undecided

But apparently we don’t need a fifth starter til next Saturday.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 7:39 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Uhh... Thompson, hopefully.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:41 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

He got sent down

Andy Phillips is back with the club. And I think, barring call-up for injury, he has to spend ten days down in the minors after being sent down.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 7:42 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

So that's what, 9, right.

So, Fogg for 1 start, and then Thompson?

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:44 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Could be

I’m intrigued by Fogg. He’s pitched into the 8th inning his last three starts.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 7:45 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

try affeldt?

cant be worse than fogg?

"God has blessed me and I will continue to do my best for him. This is more important than anything I could do in baseball." -Albert Pujols

by shortstopv2 on Jul 3, 2008 7:47 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I bet it could

Affeldt is not starting. It’s not happening.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 7:49 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Affeldt has kinda sucked since April

I want a hamburger. No, a cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake. I want potato chips...

by Slyde on Jul 3, 2008 7:50 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

No kinda about it.

We ain’t no last place team are we Pops ?

by Gray on Jul 3, 2008 7:57 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

They can probably figure out a way to call up Thompson

If they want to. All it takes is putting someone on the DL. There always seems to be someone.

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Jul 3, 2008 8:02 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

hopper?

"God has blessed me and I will continue to do my best for him. This is more important than anything I could do in baseball." -Albert Pujols

by shortstopv2 on Jul 3, 2008 8:25 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Well...

Andy Phillips has a history of conveniently timed “injuries.” It’s the only way the Yankees kept him on the roster as long as they did.

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Jul 3, 2008 8:40 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

good

"God has blessed me and I will continue to do my best for him. This is more important than anything I could do in baseball." -Albert Pujols

by shortstopv2 on Jul 3, 2008 7:42 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Grande attributes the Nats low batting average and HR totals

to not being able to get bunts down. Great analysis.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:42 PM EDT   0 recs

kkkkk

"God has blessed me and I will continue to do my best for him. This is more important than anything I could do in baseball." -Albert Pujols

by shortstopv2 on Jul 3, 2008 7:42 PM EDT   0 recs

did i put one to many?

"God has blessed me and I will continue to do my best for him. This is more important than anything I could do in baseball." -Albert Pujols

by shortstopv2 on Jul 3, 2008 7:43 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

KKKKKueto!

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:42 PM EDT   0 recs

KKKKueto

Very nice.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 7:43 PM EDT   0 recs

Yeah, you're right.

it’s only 4, Grande was wrong again. Drink.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:43 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

In other news...

KKKKueto at 26 pitches through 3. So far so good.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:45 PM EDT   0 recs

And 20-26 strikes. Good lord.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:47 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

there goes the perfect game

"God has blessed me and I will continue to do my best for him. This is more important than anything I could do in baseball." -Albert Pujols

by shortstopv2 on Jul 3, 2008 7:48 PM EDT   0 recs

Imagine

losing your perfect game, John Lannan.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 7:48 PM EDT   1 recs

why does hairston

have another pair of batting gloves in his pocket?
man he keeps hitting

"God has blessed me and I will continue to do my best for him. This is more important than anything I could do in baseball." -Albert Pujols

by shortstopv2 on Jul 3, 2008 7:50 PM EDT   0 recs

the things you worry about amuse me

I want a hamburger. No, a cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake. I want potato chips...

by Slyde on Jul 3, 2008 7:51 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Hudson cannot be stopped

you can only hope to contain him

www.crosleyfieldterrace.wordpress.com

by xjjeep90 on Jul 3, 2008 7:50 PM EDT   0 recs

Sweet cherry pie!

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:50 PM EDT   0 recs

CHERRY!

It’s 1984 again, and David Lee Ross is scoring on the big stage.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 7:50 PM EDT   0 recs

man keppinger has hit 2 hard

and nothing to show for it

"God has blessed me and I will continue to do my best for him. This is more important than anything I could do in baseball." -Albert Pujols

by shortstopv2 on Jul 3, 2008 7:51 PM EDT   0 recs

his first one wasn't that hard

and yes, i am badgering you

I want a hamburger. No, a cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake. I want potato chips...

by Slyde on Jul 3, 2008 7:52 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

"God has blessed me and I will continue to do my best for him. This is more important than anything I could do in baseball." -Albert Pujols

by shortstopv2 on Jul 3, 2008 7:56 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Damn Guzman for being quick.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:57 PM EDT   0 recs

Nice play by Phillips

He just missed getting him. That’s why Christian Guzman has the most hits in the majors.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 7:57 PM EDT   0 recs

Because Phillips makes nice plays?

I don’t get it.

We ain’t no last place team are we Pops ?

by Gray on Jul 3, 2008 7:58 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

wait, what?

how’d that happen? Most hits in the Majors? Guzman? My head hurts.

I want a hamburger. No, a cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake. I want potato chips...

by Slyde on Jul 3, 2008 7:59 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

He also has the most ABs in the majors.

We ain’t no last place team are we Pops ?

by Gray on Jul 3, 2008 8:01 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

You dead, Cueto.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 7:58 PM EDT   0 recs

Run scoring double

I ain’t even bullshitting.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 7:58 PM EDT   0 recs

Ah, the Elijah Dukes jokes are finally getting some play

I want a hamburger. No, a cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake. I want potato chips...

by Slyde on Jul 3, 2008 7:59 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

no ever lastings gob stoppers

pete rose to tony perez "how can anyone as slow as you pull a muscle?"

by dunnateher on Jul 3, 2008 8:00 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

He is on the disabled list and unable to bring forth winter turnips

Fie! Fie on the fife! What hath this to do with Milledge?

by Brendanukkah on Jul 3, 2008 8:02 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

So with the whole Phillips thing...

And given that we have Hudson AND Hopper…

Does this mean we might finally get rid of Patterson?

We ain’t no last place team are we Pops ?

by Gray on Jul 3, 2008 8:00 PM EDT   0 recs

Balk by JQ.

Common Johnny, strike this (guy) out

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 8:02 PM EDT   0 recs

Or walk him.

"My wife ain't never ran and got me no pheasant." - Fistbands

by BK on Jul 3, 2008 8:03 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs