BubbaFan's Dark Night of the Soul. Reds lose, 5-3.

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Brandon Phillips.  It's kind of tough to award this one tonight because everyone was pretty bad.  Phillips was the only Red to have multiple hits and he scored a run.  Honorable mentions go to Carlos Fisher (perfect ninth inning, two strikeouts) and, um, Scott Rolen I guess (a hit, an RBI, a Web Gem).

Key Plays

• Perhaps you've just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, and you haven't been able to follow your beloved Reds very closely this year.  First of all, thanks for your service!  While I don't agree with the rhetoric that you're protecting my freedoms, I certainly salute your willingness to serve our country (and the people of Afghanistan that are not asshole Taliban) with bravery and courage.  Secondly, I have bad news for you about what the Reds starting pitchers like to do in the first inning.  Travis Wood was like Charlie Wilson, giving out singles like they were stinger missiles, only they ended up ultimately harming the good guys.  Nick Swisher singled to lead things off.  Wood struck out Curtis Granderson, but then Mark Teixeira singled, and Alex Rodriguez singled too, driving in Swisher.  Robinson Cano hit a double, which sent A-Rod to third and Teixeira to home.  Russell Martin grounded out, but even that was enough to score a run.  And then Fat Andruw Jones drove in Cano with a single to put the icing on this crapcake of an inning.  Yankees lead, 4-0.
• The top of our order fooled us into thinking they might compete with the mighty Yankees.  Drew Stubbs singled, stole second, and went to third on Brandon Phillips's single.  Joey Votto then drove in Stubbs by... grounding into a double play.  Yankees lead, 4-1.
• Travis Wood did settle down and made it through the seventh inning without allowing any more runs.  Jose Arredondo relieved him and walked Curtis Granderson.  Granderson stole second base, and then went to third when Paul Janish couldn't handle the throw.  One wild pitch later, and Granderson had earned a sloppy, error-fueled run.  Yankees lead, 5-1.
• The Reds hadn't been able to hit Ivan Nova all night, but still forced the Yankees into using a Dusty-esque three relief pitchers in the ninth inning.  Luis Ayala started and gave up a single to Brandon Phillips.  The improbably named Boone Logan then plunked Joey Votto.  Wanting a reliever that could pitch to more than one batter AND get them out, Joe Girardi brought in Mariano Rivera.  Rivera got Jay Bruce to ground out, but it advanced the runners.  Scott Rolen singled, and Phillips scored while Votto went to third.  Chris Heisey grounded into a force out and Votto scored.  Edgar Renteria represented the tying run at the plate, and naturally struck out.  Yankees win, 5-3.

via www.fangraphs.com

Other Notes

• 22 of the 24 outs Nova recorded came via groundouts or strikeouts.
• I haven't paid much attention to the Yankees, but man do they have a collection of mid-decade All-Stars.  Russell Martin, Andruw Jones, Eric Chavez.
• In the four games on the homestand so far, the Reds have scored only seven runs and are batting only .220.
• Seriously, screw interleague play.