Red Reposter/Retweeter - Tell Me Something Good

FanGraphs take a look at Jay Bruce's Magnificent May
His line this month, with just a few days remaining, is .337/.400/.721. While it's unreasonable to expect Bruce's power surge to continue apace, given his HR-FB rate, this certainly looks like the prophesied season that Bruce becomes a 30+ HR hitter. What's truly unsustainable - if the Reds are hoping to compete over the rest of the season - is for Bruce to be the only Reds' hitter going on these tears.

Bruce's bat accounted for 11 of the 17 runs batted in during the Philadelphia series.

In vintage Halspeak, the Hall o' Famer calls Reds pitching a "fyffe and drum corps"
You forgot the "e" in corpse, Hal. But seriously - Hal is right to bring up the fact that the Reds offense put up double-digit hits on both Halladay and Lee. No small feat. Their strand rate in those two games was more than a little unfortunate. In at least one case during the Game from the the Nineteenth Circle, it was careless. 

Pitching is the place to focus your neuroses. But who imagined a stretch where Edinson Volquez, Aroldis Chapman and Mike Leake would all be in the minors, Carlos FIsher and Daryl Thompson would (with admirable effort) be pitching mini-starts and Travis Wood, who was derisively called a "poor man's Jaime Garcia" by his BRef ad-buyer - would be pitching like a rich man's Micah Owings.

Phillips took the blame for being picked of Wednesday night (or was it Thursday?)
I might be equally upset about the way Reds' hitters approached Wilson Valdez. But the whole game now feels-liked a black-out riddled debauch outside the realm of the real. Hangover Part III: Hoagie Hell.

Homer Bailey headed back home to get checked out
Come on, tell me something good. You don't have to tell me that you love me. But something good. Hopefully Bailey's shoulder, which he tweaked while swinging the bat, is merely sore. It's at least encouraging that the discomfort did not come by way of a pitching motion. But I am now officially in favor of the DH.

UPDATE: Apparently, it's a sprained shoulder. We'll know more soon.

Also in the article, Jay Bruce talks us away from the ledge in his usual level-headed, wise-beyond-his-years sort of way:

"It's tough. We've kind of been exhausting every option. We'll get the hit and can't hold the lead. Or we'll hold the lead and can't get the hit. It's just back and forth and it's going to pass though." - Jay Bruce

As you can see here, Leake is pitching tonight
The Reds were "reeling" when they came into Philadelphia. Time for a new slump descriptor. They're not "moribund" as I think the 2009 team was described at some point.  "Ill-fated?" "Attrition-y?" "Self-immolating?" "Craptastic?" 

DDN staff writer Marc Katz has got to be a RR poster
"Janish good for Reds at SS, give Heisey a chance in left," he sez. Sounds good to me. Though knowing what I know now, I'd have liked to see Janish pitch a little bit more last series.

Tweets after the Jamp.

Lance McAlister: 
Facing an infielder...Votto swung 3 & 1 and four Reds hitters made Valdez throw a grand total of 10 pitches/5 strikes in 19th

If you were awake, not totally pilled-out and hadn't already shot your television, this was kind of infuriating. But I guess they were tired? I dunno, just go back to sleep.

John Fay: 
Rolen looks at line up card, sees he's not in it: "There is a God." #reds

After the 19-inning game. I guess by the transitive property, Rolen a member of a weird personality cult that worships Dusty Baker? I've always suspected as much.

Joel Luckhaupt: 
There's not much about Caillou that doesn't suck.

That's mean, Joel. I know this isn't about the Reds, but it made me laugh. But if you swap out "playing in Philadelphia" for Caillou, you've got this week in a nice little nutshell. Which is kinda what Caillou's head looks like and it makes you want to crush it a little bit.

Lance McAlister: 
Thom: "Brandon manned up after game" Chris: "What choice did he have? We all saw it...and it was on tape"

The Reds commentators get a lot flack on this site, but this is pretty good. I'm not going to bend over backwards to commend BP.

Twitter / Jamie Ramsey: RT @julione85: @Jamieblog ...
RT @julione85: @Jamieblog Yesterday a student said he didn't like Bruce. I have officially decided to give him summer school.

I dunno, that seems kinda soft. Has he seen Jay Bruce's May slash line?

OMGreds: 
Bummed about the Reds' losses this week... but we're in this sucker for the long-haul. How can you not like this group of guys? You in? :)

I said we were all in on Twitter. I hope you don't mind me speaking for you. Signing up for this blog gives me POA 4 U BTW.

Louisville Bats: .
Chapman is back, ladies and gents. He hit 102 on the gun on his final pitch of the 8th, striking out Austin Krum. #Bats now trail 3-0.

I'll have some of that Kool-Aid. Around 100 and near the plate works for me. I look forward to Chapman appearances, even when the team is struggling, but I hope they don't rush him back to the detriment of his confidence.