Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
Drew Stubbs. Kevin Mitchell is Batman's favorite Red won himself a few more fans with a great performance at the plate tonight. He went 2-4 with a triple and his first career grand slam, two runs scored and 4 RBI.
Key Plays
- Reds starters continued to give up runs early in the game. Homer Bailey walked Tyler "Shawn" Colvin, who then went to third on a single by Derrick Lee. Aramis Ramirez then hit a fly ball that was deep enough to score the run.
- Red Reporter favorite Orlando Cabrera saw to it that the lead didn't last long. In the hometown half of the frame, Drew Stubbs led off the inning with a triple, and Lando hit a sacrifice fly of his own.
- Bailey wasn't at his sharpest today. In the third inning, he plunked Lee, and then let him get to second on a wild pitch. BK's alma mater, Xavier Nady, drove him in with a single.
- His struggles continued in the fourth inning. Bailey gave up a hit to Ryan Theriot, who then moved to second on a balk and to third on another wild pitch. Derrick Lee singled, and all of a sudden the Cubs were winning, 3-1.
- Dusty finally made a smart bullpen move, inserting Micah Owings in the sixth inning. Owings threw three scoreless innings, only allowing one hit and one hit by pitch.
- Lou Piniella was not so fortunate with his bullpen. In the eighth inning, he used Esmailin Caridad, who promptly loaded the bases with walks to Jonny Gomes and Ramon Hernandez, and an infield single to Chris Dickerson. Drew Stubbs then came to the plate and swiftly deposited the second pitch he saw into the Reds bullpen. GRAND SLAM!
- With a 5-3 lead, the Reds looked to Francisco Cordero to close things out. It wasn't smooth, as Coco gave up a one-out homer to Derrick Lee to bring the Cubs within one. One out later, Kosuke Fukudome singled, Alfonso Soriano reached on error by Scott Rolen, and Mike Fontenot loaded the bases with an infield single. Veins throbbed in the foreheads of Reds fans everywhere, but Chad Tracy hit a weak grounder back to the mound to end the threat and the game. REDS WIN!
Other Notes
- For those of you naysaying the Reds farm system, the Reds started three first-round picks today: Homer Bailey (2004), Jay Bruce (2005), and Drew Stubbs (2006). Mike Leake (2009) gets the start tomorrow.
- The Reds second through seventh batters in the lineup all went hitless.
- Drew Stubbs has equaled the number of home runs Willy Taveras hit in the leadoff position last year.
- The Reds have five errors in four games, three from former Gold Glovers Orlando Cabrera and Scott Rolen.