Brewer? I HARDLY EVEN KNEW HER! Reds 2, Brewers 1.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Devin Mesoraco has finally gotten the regular playing time he's deserved, and it's paying off in spades.  Tonight was the latest example of how the former top catching prospect in baseball has continued to mature, and for that he walks away with the JNMHSotG.  Mes called a stellar game, blocked balls in the dirt, controlled baserunners better than he has all season, covered ground to catch a foul bunt, knocked the crap out of former teammate Juan Francisco, and went 2 for 4 with a run scored.  Those are the types of plays that always matter from a team's catcher, but they were particularly magnified by the 2-1 pitchers' duel that was in play this evening.  Props, catch!

Honorable Mentions are due to:  Tony Cingrani, who shook off allowing an early inning trillion foot HR allowed to toss 6.1 IP of 9 K, BB, ER baseball; Joey Votto, who walked once and had a hit that only drove himself in, which was unfortunate; and Sam LeCure, for again being fireman extraordinaire.

Key Plays

• The Brewers actually jumped ahead in this one in the Bottom of the 2nd when Khris Davis laid into a high fastball from Tony Cingrani and nearly hit it into the slide above the second level bleachers.  Moon shot?  Moon shot.  Reds trailed, 1-0.
• The Reds got even in the Top of the 5th thanks to a leadoff single by Devin Mesoraco.  Mes reached 1st, plowed over former teammate and current Brewer 1B Juan Francisco - who was in the basepath attempting to field an errant throw from Scooty McScooterson - and when Mes saw the ball had gotten away, he did a pushup on END's back and raco'd his way to 2nd base.  Zack Cozart followed with a single that allowed Mes to come around and score (with a bit of help from a bobbled throw at home by Jonathan Lucroy).  Game tied, 1-1.
• Joey Votto led off the Top of the 6th for the Reds by destroying a homer deep over the wall in Right-Center to give the Reds a 2-1 lead.  Tony Cingrani blew through another inning worth of the Brewers' offense, and he gave way to Sam LeCure, Manny Parra, Jonathan Broxton, and Aroldis Chapman, each of whom put things on lockdown.  Reds win, 2-1!

FanGraph Section Indicative of Cingrani Flirting with the Brewers Before Ultimately Asking Someone Else to Prom

<iframe src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=0&type=livewins&num=0&h=450&w=450&date=2013-08-15&team=Brewers&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=2013-08-15&team=Brewers&dh=0&season=2013">FanGraphs</a></span>

Other Notes

• The Reds have now won 8 of their last 9 games, including 5 in a row, and currently sit just 2.5 games out of first place in the NL Central.  They're a half game behind the Cardinals for the first Wild Card position, and they're a full 6 games clear of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second Wild Card spot.  There are a lot of games left, but there's also a ton to play for.
  
• The Reds are 7-0 in games where Todd Frazier has hit in the 2nd spot in the order.
• Joey Votto is on pace for a 2013 that would feature roughly 25 HR, 80 RBI, a .320 average, a league leading OBP (.433), a SLG of .511, and a league leading 120+ walks while hitting 3rd the vast majority of the time.  In Joe Morgan's 1975 MVP season, he hit .327, led the league in OBP (.466), had a SLG of .508, had 19 HR, 94 RBI, and led the league in walks with 133 while hitting 3rd the vast majority of the time.  HI CHRIS!!!  TELL THAT TO MARTY AND 'tHOM, WOULDYA??
• Throwback Thursday?  Throwback Thursday!
• 'nother.