I hope you finally found your mind, leave that Rodeo behind...Homer power-arms, power-bats the Reds to victory 6-4

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Gam

Homer Bailey.  Despite some of our collective grumbles, Dusty Baker didn't pull Homer after 6 innings; to ol' Dustbag's credit, Homer picked up his 3rd hit of the night in the bottom of the 6th and went on to close out the the top of the 7th in quality fashion as well.  His final tally:  7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 K, 2 BB; 3 for 3 with a run.  Homer's slash line on the season is now up to .297/.316/.351...I hope Drew Stubbs isn't reading this!  Honorable mention goes to Jay Bruce (3 for 5, 2 RBI) and Devin Mesoraco (1 for 3, BB, HR, 2 RBI).

Key Plays

• With a guy like Bud Norris on the mound, anyone would be scared.  Appropriately enough, the Reds shook off their 1st inning awe to strike in the bottom of the second.  END ate a single child to begin the inning, and after Drew Stubbs closed in on a record of his own, Devin Mesoraco crushed one down the left field line.  Reds lead 2-0.  That brought up the meat of the lineup...Paul Janish followed with a single, Homer reached on an infield hit, before Dave Sappelt singled in Janish.  That turned the lineup over to the weak part, and Votto predictably grounded into a double play.  Reds lead 3-0.
• Since the Reds are the Reds, and they do like Reds do, they promptly concluded that the few fans in attendance would rather watch a close game than a blowout.  Homer got the hat tip and obliged, allowing Jordan Schafer to walk before giving up a classic GABP pop-out HR to J.D. Martinez.  Seeing as a 1 run game was close enough, Homer retired the side.  Reds lead 3-2.
• Homer led off the bottom of the 4th with his second hit of the game, this one off of Lucas Harrell after Bud Norris left with an arm injury.  Dave Sappelt subsequently walked, and 2 batters later, Jay Bruce went opposite field to drive them both in.  Jay Bruce.  Went opposite field.  I'm new at this, but this is not a series of typos.  Jay...Bruce...opposite...field...if he can re-learn that, color me bubbly excited for 2012.  Reds lead 5-3.
• After Homer cruised through 7, Jose Arredondo was brought on for the eleventy-billionth time this season, and gave up a leadoff single.  A batter later, Bill Bray was brought on to face the left-handed Brian Bogusevic, whom he struck out.  Yay!  Wait, what?  He was left in to face righties?  Well, that's interesting.  Apparently, Chris Johnson signed with the Titans, moved them back to Houston to be the Oilers, learned how to play baseball, and then smoked one to the upper deck.  Ouch.  Jared Burton cleaned up the remainder of the mess.  Reds lead 5-4.
• Brandon Phillips is a beast.  Even moreso, he's a leadoff beast out to prove he needs a few more tens of millions of bones.  Want proof?  He homered to left center in the 8th.  Reds lead 6-4.
• In what may have been his swan-song as a Cincinnati Red, Francisco Cordero came on to close out the game.  He gave up his signature single before retiring the side.  Reds win 6-4.

via www.fangraphs.com

• This was the Reds' penultimate home game of the season.  With the win tonight, they improved to 41-39 at home this year, insuring a winning season at home for 2011.  Yay small victories!
• Brandon Phillips hit his 18th HR tonight, and his 6th in his last 9 games.  Can someone say CONTRACT?
• With the win tonight, Homer improved to 9-7 on the season.  The 9th win is a career high, eclipsing his 8 wins from the 2009 season.