Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
Ryan Hanigan. He didn't start, but pinch hit in the seventh with the score tied, one out and two on. He promptly hit a home run.
A very special honorable mention goes to Ken Macha, who took Chris Narveson out of the game after he started the seventh by striking out Jonny Gomes and walking Ramon Hernandez. Todd Coffey came in and gave up four runs. Then Mike McClendon and Zach Braddock came in to give up two more.
Okay, and another honorable mention to Aroldis Chapman, who pitched a perfect seventh inning, striking out two while hitting 104 on the Fox Sports Ohio radar gun twice. It may have meant little, but it really felt like the energy level of the game changed completely with his appearance. And I should also mention Johnny Cueto, who threw six innings of one-run ball, giving up only five hits and a walk in that time.
Key Plays
- I spent most of this game locked out of my apartment, but I'm pretty sure I didn't miss much. A single, groundout and another single did score a run for the Brewers in the fifth. But nothing much happened until Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the seventh and then, as mentioned above...
- Narveson walked Hernandez so Macha pulled him for Coffey. BP ran for CMM while everyone was making substitutions anyway. He then came around to score on a Miguel Cairo double.
- Paul Janish was next; he hit an infield single. The Brewers almost caught Cairo when he overran third, but he danced around Casey McGehee's glove to get back to the bag safely.
- Then Hanigan came in to hit for Chapman. Yep, he homered--to the left field upper deck, no less. Reds up 4-1.
- Drew Stubbs walked, Chris Heisey singled, and Joey Votto walked to load the bases for Scott Rolen with one out. He singled to right to score two more. Reds up, 6-1, and three Brewers relievers still haven't recorded an out.
- They did finally get one, the second out recorded by Gomes in the inning. Next Yonder Alonso came in to PH. He recorded an out on a check-swing groundout to end the seventh, finally.
- Nick Masset pitched a perfect eighth and Francisco Cordero came in with a five run lead, but for some reason he only let one player reach base. Reds win!
Other Notes
- Chapman was credited with the win, which was of course his first in the majors.
- The Reds now have an 8 game lead over the Cardinals in the Central
- Another 8: this was the Reds' eighth series sweep of the season, tied for the most in the NL.
- The Reds are now 78-55, 23 (!) games over .500. Which is what we all expected, I know.
- Every Reds starter reached base except for Jonny Gomes, who went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. Cairo and Rolen had pretty decent nights, each going 2 for 3 with a double.