Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
Orlando Hudson. The #7 hitter went 2-3 with a home run, RBI, and two runs scored. He also made a nice diving play on a grounder hit by Scott Rolen to snuff out a rally.
Key Plays
- As is their wont, the Reds made sure they were playing from behind right away. Juan Pierre singled with one out, and then Manny Ramirez took Maloney deep for his first home run since Aug. 11. 2-0, Dodgers.
- The hit parade continued the next inning. Mark Loretta and Orlando Hudson singled to start things off, and Brad Ausmus singled to score Loretta. With Hudson on third, Charlie Haeger sacrificed Ausmus into scoring position as well, and Rafael Furcal hit a sac fly to bring in O-Dawg. Juan Pierre then got his second hit of the game, but Drew Stubbs made a nice throw to nail Ausmus at the plate. 4-0, Dodgers.
- In the third inning, the Reds finally figured out Haeger's knuckleball in a big - albeit unlikely - way. Craig Tatum led off the inning with his first career home run. Silent treatment in the dugout for you, Craiggers. One out later, Drew Stubbs worked a walk, to Dusty's chagrin, and stole his first base in the majors. Anyone want to lay odds that Stubbs will steal 99 more bases before Taveras steals 75 more? At any rate, Paul Janish hit a home run, his first of the year. Then the usual suspects went to work. Joey Votto doubled and Brandon Phillips brought him around to score with a single. That was the end of the night for Haeger, and the Reds had tied the game, 4-4.
- Rafael Furcal broke the deadlock in the fifth, with a solo home run.
- The Reds looked poised to get that run back and maybe more in the bottom of the fifth. Votto led off with a single off of Jeff Weaver, and Brandon Phillips hit a double that moved Votto to third. Scott Rolen was hit by a pitch, and the bases were loaded with no outs. You can guess what happened next. Wladimir Balentien grounded into a fielder's choice as Furcal threw Votto out at home. Jonny Gomes popped up, and Tatum struck out to end the threat.
- Take two. In the sixth inning, the Reds again loaded the bases, this time with two outs. Janish doubled, Votto was walked intentionally, and Phillips reached on an infield hit. Ramon Troncoso relieved Weaver, and induced a grounder from Scott Rolen. Hudson made a nice play, and the threat was over.
- Not a great day for Maloney, but it was even worse outing for Carlos Fisher. Fisher has quietly had a good season, but not today. Pinch-hitter Andre Ethier doubled to start the seventh, and Furcal reached on a bunt single, then advanced to second when Fisher threw it away. Juan Pierre singled and drove in the two baserunners, while somewhere Willy Taveras could only sit and wonder how he did that. Fisher than walked Manny Ramirez, but immediately gave up a three run homer to Matt Kemp. Danny Ray Herrera came in in relief, got two outs, but then gave up a home run to Orlando Hudson, LA's fourth homer of the game. Six runs scored in the inning, and the Dodgers had their final lead, 11-4.
via FanGraphs
Other Notes
- The Dodgers have now won 21 of 25 over the Reds since 2006. No wonder Dusty is enamored of the Dodger Way -- or are the Dodgers so good because Dusty is some kind of Manchurian Candidate? Hmm....
- The Reds are now up to 109 runs surrendered in the first inning. That's nearly one per game, which means the Reds are almost always starting out behind the eight ball.
- Why did the Reds not score with bases loaded and no outs? Jeff Weaver explains: "Sometimes you use their aggressiveness against them," Weaver said. "That's what I did." Fuck. You. Dusty. Fuck. You. Jacoby.
- The Reds continue to have all the health of pre-teen coal miners. Brandon Phillips was hobbling after his hits yesterday, and Laynce Nix has a bulging disk in his neck.