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That was a fun win last night, and the Reds need to keep it going. After playing in front of 37k last night, they'll be playing for a packed house tonight as only standing room only tickets are left as of 3 hours before gametime.
Some of that excitement is likely around the Chris Sabo bobblehead that will be given away tonight, but I imagine there is also some excitement around the return of right-hander Edinson Volquez, who hasn't made a big league start in 411 days. Volquez was dominant in the minors, though not efficient. He made 6 starts and only allowed 22 base runners, but he also only threw 31 innings. I would love to see him go 6 or 7 strong tonight.
Perhaps I'm getting a little spoiled by the starting rotation though. In their last 23 starts, only five starters have failed to complete 6 innings, and two of those went 5.2 innings. Only the Phillies and Giants have starters in the NL that average more innings per start than the Reds 6.3. They don't have any dominant names on the list, but the solid group continues to impress, that's for sure. Volquez has a tough standard to match.
I'd love to see the offense bust out the whooping sticks tonight. Give Volquez a nice cushion to work with early and let him pitch relaxed. I'm sure his nerves are going to be up anyway.
Go Reds!