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Chicago just wasn't made for these times. Reds 5, Cubs 2.

A team effort stymies Travis Wood's Cy Young campaign.

By ken
Jamie Sabau

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Homer Bailey threw a not-quite-Hossian six innings, but allowed just two runs while striking out eight, walking three, and not allowing any homeruns. They say you find out something about a pitcher when he doesn't have his "A" stuff. We found out Homer's "B" game is still good enough to beat the Cubs.

Honorable mentions to Derek Robinson for executing a key suicide squeeze bunt, Ryan Hanigan for doubling in an insurance run, Todd Frazier for driving in a couple, and the bullpen for three scoreless.

Key Plays

  • Handsome Homer didn't have his best stuff early on. It caught up in the third, when an Anthony Rizzo double and Alfonso Soriano single each plated a run. Cubs 2, Reds nil.
  • Conversely, the beady-eyed, bearded Travis Wood breezed through the first two frames. The bottom of the order made some noise in the third but didn't get a run in. In the fourth, Brandon Phillips walked and went to third (running on the pitch, I think) on Jay Bruce's single. Todd Frazier scored BP with a sac fly. Cubs 2, Reds 1.
  • The Reds took control in the sixth. Votto looked awful against Wood in his first two PAs, but drew a four-pitch walk to lead off. Beep followed with a single. Then, the next four Reds hitters drove in a run: Todd Frazier rapped a single up the middle to score Votto; Derek Robinson laid a nice bunt off of a high fastball for a suicide squeeze to score Phillips; Ryan Hanigan lined a double to score Frazier; and PH Hail Ceasar! Itzuris lifted a single just over Starlin Castro to score Hanigan. That chased Wood, who entered the inning with 81 pitches and departed at 115 and without a Quality Start for the first time this year.
  • Sam LeCure pitched an uneventful seventh, Jonathan Broxton an eventful but scoreless eighth, and Aroldis Chapman closed the door in the ninth. MLB then retroactively changed the Save rule to not award one when facing the bottom of the Cubs' order with a three-run lead. Anyways, ball game.

Other Notes

  • The Reds announced that they are suspending Jose Arredondo as part of a "disciplinary action" (i.e., not drugs). Jim Riggleman thinks it will be for up to two weeks.
  • El Beeperino extended his hitting streak to 12.
  • This is the fastest the Reds have gotten to 12 games over .500 since 1995. H/T to Jamie Ramsey.
  • The Beach Boys are playing tomorrow at GABP. Wouldn't it be nice to see them? God only knows I'd rather be out than stuck here in my room on Red Reporter instead.
  • Start the reactor at 1:10 tomorrow, when the Heroes' Johnny Cueto takes on the Villains' Matt Garza.

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