March 16, 2014 - Some photos from today's game at beautiful Goodyear Ballpark.
Jay Bruce and Joey Votto were having an animated conversation while warming up before the game.
Yes, Votto is bracing himself on Bruce while stretching. Cozart also used Bruce to steady himself while stretching. Guess he's a guy you can lean on!
Joey signed some autographs for fans along the third base line before the game started. Cozart and Skip also signed.
Tony Cingrani started the game.
He looked pretty good. I think he got tired by the fifth inning. Not surprising at this point in spring training.
Devin Mesoraco got an error on a popup in foul territory.
Not really fair; Votto was all up his grill, and that's why Mez dropped it. But someone had to get the error.
No. 8 in the foreground is Jed Lowrie. He would score when the batter, Derek Norris, doubled, so the error was costly.
Votto homered in bottom of the first.
Not a great day for the Jaybird. He was 0 for 4, with a strikeout and a GIDP.
BP catches a popup in the 4th.
Cozart singles in the fourth. He went 2 for 3 with a reached on error.
Votto and Bruce head into the dugout together.
Chien-Ming Wang pitched the 6th and 7th.
I still remember him as the kid he was when he was the Yankees' ace. It's strange to see him looking so...old. But his pitching motions are the same, though he seems to be putting a lot more effort into it.
The results were the same, too. One hit in two innings, no walks, no strikeouts, no runs. But a whole lotta groundouts.
The game was tied 5-5 in the 7th. Billy got on via a bunt single.
He stole second.
I was hoping he'd steal home, too, but Brandon Phillips made it moot, by hitting a monster home run. Reds lead, 7-5.
Logan Ondrusek pitched the 8th.
He was perfect, but the scrubs were in on both sides by then.
At the dugout rail: Amaral, Negron, Chang.
Drew Hayes pitched the ninth.
He had to hold a two-run lead, and almost lost it.
He did manage to get the final out, though. His catcher, Brayan Pena, congratulates him.
Final score: Reds 7, A's 6.