This team is bad like it was coached by David Miley. Cordero blows saves like his name was Raven Riley. Reds lose, 8-7.

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Joey Votto.  The battle of All-Star first basemen went in Cincinnati's favor tonight.  Votto went 2-4 with a double and a home run.  He also walked, had an RBI, and scored twice.  Honorable mentions go to Jay Bruce (2-4 with a dinger) and Ryan Hanigan for his nifty play at the plate in the ninth inning.

Key Plays

• The Reds got off to a hot start against Zack Greinke.  Drew Stubbs singled, but was then caught stealing.  A shame too, because after Edgar Renteria struck out, Joey Votto hit a home run.  Then Brandon Phillips doubled, and scored on Jay Bruce's single.  Francisco Cordero and Mike Leake will get a deserved amount of blame for this loss, but let's remember that Stubbs cost the Reds a run with his baserunning, and possibly could have played Rickie Weeks's home run ball better.  Reds lead, 2-0.
• The Reds loaded the bases in the third inning with a hit by Drew Stubbs, a hit by pitch by Edgar Renteria, and a walk to Joey Votto.  With no outs, ducks on the pond, and an ace pitcher on the bump, the Reds needed to make him pay.  Instead, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce struck out before Scott Rolen managed a single when Mat Gamel booted his ball.  Stubbs and Renteria scored.  Reds lead, 4-0.
• In the bottom of the third, Rickie Weeks hit a ball off the oddly angled wall in centerfield.  It scooted past the hard-charging Drew Stubbs, and Chris Heisey was nowhere to be found backing up the play.  Weeks was around third base by the time an outfielder even touched the ball and scored easily on an inside the park home run.  Reds lead, 4-1.
• Pitchers seem to bat well against us, and so it was in the fifth inning.  Zack Greinke singled.  Rickie Weeks, who the Reds have decided to keep pitching to for some unknowable reason, doubled to right field.  Greinke made it all the way home.  Nyjer Morgan singled off of Zack Cozart's (who had replaced Renteria) glove, and Weeks was able to score.  Morgan went to second on the throw.  Corey Hart singled, advancing Morgan to third, and Prince Fielder hit a sacrifice fly.  Game tied, 4-4.
• But not for long.  Mark Kotsay homered to lead off the sixth inning.  It was only Kotsay's second homer of the year, and Leake's night was done.  Brewers lead, 5-4.
• However, Zack Greinke's night was done too, and all things are possible against the Brewers' bullpen.  Zack Cozart hit a one out single off of Zach Braddock, and Joey Votto followed with a double.  Cozart scored, and Votto went to third when Mark Kotsay fumbled the ball.  Brandon Phillips hit a sacrifice fly to bring Votto around, and then Jay Bruce smacked a ball over the wall.  Reds lead, 7-5.
• Flash forward to the ninth inning with former Brewer Francisco Cordero on the mound.  Right off the bat, he walked George Kottaras.  Amazingly, he got Rickie Weeks out, but then uncorked a wild pitch that put Kottaras on second.  A moot point, though, since Nyjer Morgan tripled.  Kottaras scored, and Morgan nearly did too, but Zack Cozart came home on Corey Hart's grounder, and Ryan Hanigan made a superb play to tag Morgan.  With two outs, Cordero proceeded to walk Prince Fielder and gave up an infield hit to Casey McGehee.  The speedy Carlos Gomez replaced Fielder, and so when Mark Kotsay hit a two-strike single, the winning run was a foregone conclusion.  Brewers win, 8-7.

via www.fangraphs.com

Other Notes

• According to Fangraphs, this is still very much anyone's game.
• Going into this game, Rickie Weeks had a 1.393 OPS against the Reds.  They should definitely pitch around him for the rest of the year.
• This was the Reds' 46th loss.  20 of them have been by one run.
• I'm accepting that we won't be winning anything this year.