Scott Rolen can't come back soon enough. Reds lose, 7-1.

by Brendanukkah on Jul 22, 2010 9:29 PM EDT in Game Threads

Candlesticks always make a nice gift. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Livan Hernandez. The slowest pitcher alive threw a complete game, allowing only one run, striking out five, and walking none. Honorable mentions go to Willie Harris, Nyjer Morgan, Carlos Fisher, and Orlando Cabrera.

Key Plays

We should expect Edinson Volquez to have some rough starts in his comeback, and today was one of them. He started off the game by walking the slumping Nyjer Morgan, who then stole second. Morgan took third on Roger Bernadina's flyout, although replays suggested he left the bag early and was thrown out by Drew Stubbs. Still, the call was safe. And he was safe at home when Ryan Zimmerman grounded out. Nationals lead, 1-0.
Volquez's wildness was worse in the second. He walked Willie Harris, Adam Kennedy, and Wil Nieves to load the bases with no outs, and Livan Hernandez hit a single to drive in a run. Only one of those four batters was hitting over .200, and that man (Kennedy) was only batting .250. Nyjer Morgan then grounded into a force out, but it was enough to score Kennedy. Nationals lead, 3-0.
After being beaten by the smgma that is the Nationals' bottom of the order, the Reds duly got clobbered by the Nats' quality players. Zimmerman singled to lead off the third, and Adam Dunn hit a home run. The Reds had done a good job of keeping Dunn in check in this series, but he got his revenge in a big way this inning. After striking out Cristian Guzman, Willie Harris tripled off of Volquez and scored on Kennedy's single. Newly recalled Carlos Fisher came in and got a double play to end the inning, but it was too late. Nationals lead, 6-0.
The Reds feebly attempted a comeback in the fourth inning. Orlando Cabrera led off with a single and went first to third (how we do!) on Jay Bruce's single. Jonny Gomes lined out to the shortstop, Ramon Hernandez scored Cabrera by grounding out, and Drew Stubbs struck out. Nationals lead, 6-1.
Roger Bernadina homered off of Bill Bray in the seventh inning. Nationals win, 7-1.

via www.fangraphs.com

Other Notes

Edinson Volquez only got seven outs, but four of those were from strikeouts.
Livan Hernandez had not won a game since June 21.
The Nationals hadn't won back to back road games since May 12-13.
Adam Dunn is batting .182 with two home runs in his career against the Reds.

Final - 7.22.2010	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Washington Nationals	1	2	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	7	10	0
Cincinnati Reds	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	0
WP: Livan Hernandez (7 - 6) LP: Edinson Volquez (1 - 1)

Complete Coverage >

Tweet Comment 39 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

sigh Willie Harris

Rob Dibble, Norm Charlton, and Randy Myers were nasty boys. Arthur Rhodes is a nasty MAN. by Brendanukkah

by Caleb on Jul 22, 2010 9:54 PM EDT reply actions

Yikes.

I thought that said “sign Willie Harris.”

by the finest muffins on Jul 22, 2010 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions

ugly loss

hopefully this will be the low point of the season. nice to see Hernandez back in.

getting it back together on the road may be just what this team needs. gomes needs to get back on the swing. i want 100 rbis out of him before season’s over. someone needs to take hold. votto hates the spotlight. keep it off him and he’ll keep doing his job. glad to see bruce coming alive a bit.

what happened to the two out rbis i was so fond of in the first half? that’s what made this team so much fun to watch just a month ago.

by Howie Feltersnatch on Jul 22, 2010 10:53 PM EDT reply actions

Couldn't agree more with the title

Cairo has been surprisingly passable, but this is a different team with Rolen on the field.

I’m looking forward to winning both series and having a 4-2 road trip.

see what I did there with uzr? it’s like a LOL cats saber-pun combo.--Verka Serduchka

by nycredsfan on Jul 22, 2010 10:58 PM EDT reply actions

DFA Cabrera, Cairo, and Bray!

Today’s game sucked. Today’s lineup sucked.
Did anyone go to the burger and chili cookoff at Coney Island today?
I was there cooking, and it was the only reason today didn’t completely suck. (Mostly because of the free Crown Royal.)

Watch it, ass blood.

by -ManBearPig on Jul 22, 2010 11:20 PM EDT reply actions

let the swim with the fishes

I am thrilled for your success, hell I'm amazed by it. Nobody who knows you saw this coming.

by justin007000 on Jul 22, 2010 11:54 PM EDT up reply actions

these are the kinds of things you need to advertise in advance!

Made from 100% Recycled Awesome,

by 'tHan on Jul 23, 2010 8:33 AM EDT up reply actions

yeah, dummy!

You need to tell us these things a couple days BEFORE!

"so there was a reason firefox said i spelled that wrong" -- justin007000

by jch24 on Jul 23, 2010 9:20 AM EDT up reply actions

sorry. I only found out about it last week after it was already sold out.

Watch it, ass blood.

by -ManBearPig on Jul 23, 2010 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Bray's been so bad lately, even George Grande said he sucks!

Fisher pitched very well though. Glad for that.

"Red Reporter - An elitist clique full of like-minded douchebags." - BK

by ZJiff30 on Jul 23, 2010 12:23 AM EDT reply actions

Does Bray have options?

Reds fan for 40 years!

by gejoe on Jul 23, 2010 12:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Maybe it's time to see what Aroldis can do

When you come to the fork in the road, take it.

by poojols on Jul 23, 2010 1:09 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

couldn't be much worse

and he would draw more people to the stadium

by Red_Poodle on Jul 23, 2010 1:12 AM EDT up reply actions

and then he will struggle

and we will clamor for DRH, and DRH, will struggle and we will want Bray back, and Bray will struggle, and well rinse and repeat.

I am thrilled for your success, hell I'm amazed by it. Nobody who knows you saw this coming.

by justin007000 on Jul 23, 2010 1:23 AM EDT up reply actions

I don't doubt that

but only Chapman is going to make the stiles turn!

I think Bray will settle down and improve, so I’m not clamoring for anything personally. I have already come to terms with teh fact that the bullpen can be very awful and pretty good

by Red_Poodle on Jul 23, 2010 1:26 AM EDT up reply actions

What about Viliquate or whatever that guys name is

I am thrilled for your success, hell I'm amazed by it. Nobody who knows you saw this coming.

by justin007000 on Jul 23, 2010 1:30 AM EDT up reply actions

the "whatever his name is" is part

makes me think no lol

by Red_Poodle on Jul 23, 2010 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions

he is going to be a star!

I am thrilled for your success, hell I'm amazed by it. Nobody who knows you saw this coming.

by justin007000 on Jul 23, 2010 1:38 AM EDT up reply actions

in a couple year's time

when he is the biggest star in baseball we’ll drag this conversation back out of teh archives and laugh! If not, we can sitll drag it out and laugh

by Red_Poodle on Jul 23, 2010 1:43 AM EDT up reply actions

he will be our Adam Wainwright as we push towards the World Series

I am thrilled for your success, hell I'm amazed by it. Nobody who knows you saw this coming.

by justin007000 on Jul 23, 2010 1:48 AM EDT up reply actions

I think someone should mark that post

for future reference

by Red_Poodle on Jul 23, 2010 2:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Sure, just flag it

by Brian B on Jul 23, 2010 6:49 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

even ezekiel thinks that his mind is gone!

Made from 100% Recycled Awesome,

by 'tHan on Jul 23, 2010 8:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1699!

"Red Reporter - An elitist clique full of like-minded douchebags." - BK

by ZJiff30 on Jul 23, 2010 8:41 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs

rec'd!

Made from 100% Recycled Awesome,

by 'tHan on Jul 23, 2010 8:44 AM EDT up reply actions

Papelbon is such a tool.

by chazzilla on Jul 23, 2010 12:42 AM EDT reply actions

sad news of the MLB day

if the seaosn ended today, we wouldn’t make it to the playoffs. SF won putting us a half game back in the wild card.

by Red_Poodle on Jul 23, 2010 1:00 AM EDT reply actions

and if my aunt had balls she would be my uncle

"Now onto more important things: Punching Errorlando Cabrerror in the fucking tits." -Geki

by GrooveLeg on Jul 23, 2010 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Prediction for tomorrow's game (sparked by Fay's RISP stats)

We will score 3 maybe 4 runs. Each one will be like passing sa gallstone—RBI sacrifices for most or all of them. We will pull out a win if Wood is sharp.

More specific, Votto will swing at the first pitch 2-3 times and get a hit off of one of them. He will be intentionally patient in another at bat and get a walk. Phillips and Bruce will each get an extra base hit (or a single and a steal) that will result in one of the hard fought runs. Cabrera will definitely miss something Janish would get. Cairo will be responsible for half of the RBI.

by Red_Poodle on Jul 23, 2010 2:07 AM EDT reply actions

wow, such pessimism

I’m not surprised to see it on the site, but from Poodle?

Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter. Buy The Wire-to-Wire Reds today!

by Slyde on Jul 23, 2010 8:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Looks like someone's been chained up in the backyard too long

"so there was a reason firefox said i spelled that wrong" -- justin007000

by jch24 on Jul 23, 2010 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions

I don't want to be pessimistic

I’m just scaling back expectations. I think the reason the past two weeks have been more difficult to watch for me is because I’ve begun to expect the kind of beatings they were putting on Chicago.

I didn’t think it was really that pessimistic either, I expect Votto to go 1-3, Bruce and Phillips to do well, it’s not so bad!

by Red_Poodle on Jul 23, 2010 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions