Heisey What You Did There! Reds 5, Pirates 3.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Chris Heisey started the scoring with a solo doink-joist in the Bottom of the 1st, and finished yet another successful post-injury game with a 2 for 3 night that also featured a walk. Heisey was slotted into the 2nd spot in the lineup, and it's downright delicious to see him do everything he can to dispel the idea that he's perpetually limited by reverse platoon splits.

[/sips bourbon]

Delicious, I say.

Honorable Mentions are due to: Brandon Phillips, who had a very Brandon Phillips-esque night by going just 1 for 4, but making that 1 count as a double that cleared loaded bases; Joey Votto, who went 1 for 2 with 2 walks (yawn); and Devin Mesoraco, who went 2 for 3 with a walk, too.

Zack Cozart's 0 for 4, 3 K performance did not win. I'm sorry, but tonight, Zackuum sucked.

Key Plays

• As mentioned, Heisey cracked glass in case of emergency and high-blasted a hanging breaking ball from Francisco Liriano out over the LF wall in the Bottom of the 1st. The Reds tacked on 4 more in the Bottom of the 5th despite almost running themselves out of a chance of a big inning. Devin Mesoraco led off with a double, but was thrown out at 3rd on a Mike Leake liner. Fortunately, Shin-Soo Choo followed with a single to move Leake to 3B, and a Heisey infield single plated Leake. Votto was walked, Liriano was replaced, and BP followed with a double to score them all. Reds led, 5-0.
• Mike Leake had cruised through 5 innings, but the Top of the 6th proved to be a bit more difficult. Starling Marte led off with a solo homer to CF. Andrew McCutchen hit a solo homer to CF. Russell Martin hit a homer to LF. Hot damn, Michael...that's kinda rough. Leake was chased and replaced by Logan Ondrusek, and Lurch combined with Alfredo Simon, Manny Parra, Sam LeCure, and Aroldis Chapman to shut the door. Reds win, 5-3!

FanGraph Section That Was Pre-emptively Awesome Just Because It Meant Baseball Had Returned But Is Equally Rad Because Yay Reds Won

<iframe src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=0&type=livewins&num=0&h=450&w=450&date=2013-07-19&team=Reds&dh=0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" height="450" width = "450" style="border:1px solid black;"></iframe><br /><span style="font-size:9pt;">Source: <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2013-07-19&team=Reds&dh=0&season=2013">FanGraphs</a></span>

Other Notes

• The stupid Cardinals are winning again because of course they are.
• This, this right here was exactly how I'd hoped the 2nd half of the season would start. Joy.
• Chris Heisey, y'all.
  
• More jams? Jams!
• Don't ever just go away and leave for 4 days without calling me again, baseball. I was worried sick.