Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
Joe Inglett. So how did a guy who was 0-5 with three strikeouts win the coveted Star of the Game award? By coming in in the ninth inning to spare the bullpen and getting Brandon Phillips, Orlando Cabrera, and Joey Votto out on six pitches. That trio had combined for eleven hits against the actual Brewers pitchers. Which leads us to... Honorable Mentions! They go to Joey Votto, Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips, and Logan Ondrusek.
Key Plays
- Yovani Gallardo is a good pitcher, but the Reds didn't care. Boom! Double by Brandon Phillips (who was thrown at third trying to stretch it to a triple). Boom! Double by Orlando Cabrera. Boom! Single by Joey Votto and the run is in. Boom! A single by Scott Rolen, a flyout by Jonny Gomes, and Votto is on third so that he can score on WYLD PYTCH! [guitar solo] Reds lead, 2-0.
- Edinson Volquez is a good pitcher, but not this soon after Tommy John surgery. Rickie Weeks singled and went to third when Alcides Escobar doubled. Ryan Braun grounded out and Weeks scored. Then Prince Fielder walked and Casey McGehee was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with one out. But Joe Inglett struck out and Carlos Gomez grounded out to the pitcher to nullify the threat. Reds lead, 2-1.
- In the second inning, Boom! Drew Stubbs walked. Then Boom! He went from first to home on Ramon Hernandez's double. Edinson Volquez sacrificed Clutch Man Monie to third, and then Boom! Brandon Phillips singled and Hernandez scored. Boom boom! Singles by Cabrera and Rolen scored Phillips. Reds lead, 5-1.
- Something is clearly still the matter with Volquez. In the second inning, he gave up an infield single to Jonathan Lucroy, then a home run to the pitcher, Yovani Gallardo. Reds lead, 5-3.
- The Reds didn't do much hitting in the third, but shoddy Brewers fielding still gifted them a run. Jay Bruce singled, then Hernandez reached on an error by the shortstop Escobar one out later. Volquez bunted again, and Bruce, the lead runner was thrown out at third. But McGehee made an errant throw and Hernandez and Volquez advanced to third and second respectively. Brandon Phillips singled and Hernandez scored. Boom! Reds lead, 6-3.
- The Reds just couldn't stop scoring, though they tried. Chris Capuano had taken the mound in the fourth inning, but he loaded the bases quickly by giving singles to Votto and Rolen and hitting Jonny Gomes with a pitch. Bases loaded, no outs. Jay Bruce walked to force in Votto, but then Drew Stubbs struck out and Hernandez grounded into a double play. Reds lead, 7-3.
- Rickie Weeks homered for the Brewers in the bottom of the fourth. Even though he's been doing that to everyone lately, the Reds decided they'd seen enough from Volquez. He had thrown 95 pitches in 3.2 innings, and it was Logan Ondrusek time - the best there is at what he does. Reds lead, 7-4.
- The Reds didn't score in the fifth, but there they were in the sixth, right back at it again. Boom boom boom! Joey Votto flashed some quickness by reaching on an infield single to second base, then stealing second. Scott Rolen singled and Votto took two bases. Score! Two outs later, Drew Stubbs also hit an infield single, though that's a lot more ordinary, and Ramon Hernandez hit a double to bring home the baserunners. Reds lead, 10-4.
- Not content with giving their fans free wings, the Reds scored some more runs in the seventh. Brandon Phillips doubled off of David Riske, and took third on a wild pitch. Orlando Cabrera singled to drive him in and went to second on an error by Jonathan Lucroy. Joey Votto singled to send Lando to third, and Scott Rolen got his 60th RBI of the year with a sacrifice fly, and then everyone got tired of it all and just ended the game. Reds win, 12-4. Boom!
Other Notes
- The Reds tied a season high with 19 hits. 15 of them came from the first four batters in the lineup, who also scored 8 runs and drove in 7. Great job, Brandon Phillips, Orlando Cabrera, Joey Votto, and Scott Rolen!
- The Reds manufactured their runs, scoring 12 without the benefit of any home runs.
- Joe Inglett reached a top speed of 56 mph. BLee will have the actual number, but that's about as fast as I threw at a Nationals game back in June. Danny Ray Herrera still thinks that was pretty fast.
- Milwaukee has homered in its last 16 games.
- Edinson Volquez has an 8.25 ERA. He has walked 10 and struck out 16.
- The Reds have spent 51 of the last 72 games in or tied for first place.