OK, I get it, the AL is better. Reds lose, 7-5.

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Brandon Phillips, who reached base three times and clubbed a solo home run. Ramon Hernandez gets a near-miss on the JNMHSOTG, going 2-for-5 with a solo shot of his own. Everyone else will get nothing and like it.

Key Plays

• The Reds got an early start on stranding base runners. Fred Lewis and Jonny Gomes went down on strikes in the Top of the 1st as Votto and BP (respectively and respectfully) remained on 1st and 2nd.
• Homer Bailey cruised through two 1-2-3 innings, striking out the side in the 2nd and convincing everyone he was the same Hoss that had come storming through those proverbial saloon doors after his first DL stint.
• This series featured catchers on both the Reds and Orioles facing their former teams. Craig Tatum is an example of a player that used to play for the Reds and, it seems, is now playing for the Orioles. He exacted revenge on his former team and all who referred to him as "Taint 'em" by unrelentingly drawing a walk in the third. This set in motion a series of events that led to Nick Markakis hitting an RBI single. Hopefully, like that actress from Paper Moon who I think was named after him, his issues with his parent franchise are being resolved. Orioles up, 1-0.
• Miguel Cairo continued to not make outs.
• The wheels fell off for Bailey in the bottom of the fourth. Though he gave up two HRs, this may have been the most painful event of the inning: "Adam Jones singles on a pop up to pitcher Homer Bailey." Votto gave chase and Bailey dived for it, but Jones' Knothole pop-up fell in for a freak hit. A Derrek Lee 3-run shot and a Mark Reynolds singleton made it 5-0 Orioles.
• Brandon Phillips got one back in the fifth with his sixth of the year, but no one could bring in Votto and Gomes, who stood at 1st and 2nd with one out.
• Janish nailed Markakis at home and Bailey escaped a 2-out bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 5th.
• The Reds chased MLB Trade Rumors All Star Jeremy Gurthrie in the Top of the 6th. Another stat stringer event description was pregnant with irony, sadness and possible foreshadowing when "Soft J" Janish "softly groun(ded) out" to JJ Hardy. After that, Heisey brought in Cairo with a single and Orioles' pitchers started handing out free passes like it was Season 3 of the Wire and they were in Hamsterdam. BP Walked. Clay Rapada, a LOWOGY (lefty one walk only guy), came in to walk Votto. Gomes and Lewis walked in succession. When the Dust settled, it was 5-4 Orioles.
• Arredondo, who may be seeing more action than he bargained for, replaced Bailey to start the bottom of the 6th. He gave up a run.
• Chapman gave up a home run (the first of his career) to the wretched Luke Scott in the bottom of the 7th. The Buena Wrist-a Crucial Sub did, however, get two Ks and a pick-off.
• Ramon Hernandez punished the Orioles again for their blind faith in Matt "Dorian Gray" Wieters by clubbing an ultimately meaningless home run in 9th.

via www.fangraphs.com