The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
Homer Bailey settled down after a somewhat shaky start today, and once he did, he mowed through the Philadelphia Phillies like the ace we all know he can be. Bailey entered today's game having never registered a win in his career against the Phillies, and since he now has one we'll never have to hear that idiotic stat listed anywhere ever again. Frankly, I'm sorry I just took time out of your day to make you read that.
Anyway, Bailey threw 8 innings today and allowed just a single run. He struck out 7, yielded 3 walks, and allowed just 6 hits, none of which went for extra bases. In the process, he moved to 7-3 on the season, 7-0 on the season in games in which he did not get credited with a loss, and 0-0 on the season in games in which he was credited neither with an arbitrary W or arbitrary L. More importantly, obviously, is that he lowered his season ERA down to 4.60, kept the ball in the ballpark, and looked damn confident in doing so. Heck, the guy even knocked in a pair of runs with a single, and that's all worthy of today's JNMHSotG.
Honorable Mentions are due to: Billy Hamilton, who speed-killed his 2nd dinger of the season to complement fine CF defense; Aroldis Chapman, who struck out the side in the 9th for a perfect inning and a save; and every Red, who combined to walk no times on the day.
Key Plays
- The Phillies actually took an early lead on the Cincinnati Reds today thanks to some effective small-ball in the Top of the 3rd. Ben Revere hit a 1-out single to RF and moved to 2B on a subsequent single by Jimmy Rollins. Revere then stole 3B, and he scored when Chase Utley took a pitch that hit him as much as the HBP from the other day and hit it deep enough for a sac-fly. Reds trailed, 1-0.
- The good-guy bats god rolling in the Bottom of the 5th against Phillies' pitcher David Buchanan, however. Todd Frazier led off with a single, and he moved to 3B on a 1-out double by Zack Cozart. Bailey then singled up the middle on a grounder that just cleared Rollins' glove, and both runners came in to score. Hamilton then followed with his dinger, a liner that just cleared the wall in RF. Reds led, 4-0.
- Bailey settled in, kept the Phillies off the bases largely, and handed things over to Chapman for the 9th after throwing 121 pitches. Chapman wasted little time in sitting down the Phillies' last chances, and that was all she wrote. Reds win, 4-1!
Source: FanGraphs
- Billy Hamilton has hit 2 HR so far in the 2014 season.
- Robinson Cano has hit 2 HR so far in the 2014 season.
- Billy Hamilton is slugging .351 so far in the 2014 season.
- Jay Bruce is slugging .349 so far in the 2014 season.
- The Reds' victory today won them the series against the Phillies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers will roll into town tonight to begin a 4 game series against Cincinnati that will begin tomorrow night. ESPN will be showing the game, with Aaron Boone in town to eat a Jeff Ruby steak and call the game.
- Tunes.