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The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
Lotsa dap to pass out today. Billy Hamilton went 3-6 with a double and two runs scored. He also reach on an error when he forced a bad throw on a routine ground out to shortstop. He also stole two bases. Also, his double was an easy single for pretty much every other player in the game. He's really, really fast.
Chris Heisey had a great day too, going 3-5 with a 2B and two RBIs. Jay Bruce was 2-5 with a bases-clearing 2B and four total RBIs. And the bullpen. Arroyo only went a shaky five innings, likely because he's battling the flu. Simon, Parra, and Ondrusek threw four hitless to back him up.
Key Plays
Well, when you blow the doors off and win by eight runs, it's not like any one clutch hit won the game. Bruce's double with the bases loaded in the first inning set the tone, so there's a big one. Todd Frazier followed that up with a home run to give the Reds a five-run lead before Arroyo even had the throw a pitch.
In the second, Billy laid down a nice bunt for a single and then stole second. He's really, really fast. Then Heisey doubled to bring him home. BeeP added a sac fly later in the inning to make it 7-0.
Arroyo clearly didn't have his best stuff today, but he soldiered on. He gave up a solo home run to Neil Walker in the third and one to Travis Snider in the fifth. A sac fly from Justin Morneau cut the lead to four. But that was as close as the Pirates got.
Double-single-double from Hamilton-Heisey-Votto in the eighth destroyed any faint hope the Pirates had at making it interesting.
JamGraph
Source: FanGraphs
Other Notes
Billy's two steals makes him a perfect 12-for-12 to begin his career. He's really, really fast.
Bruce's four RBIs gives him 107 on the season.
Votto's double was his 30th.
Alfredo Simon deserves some gift certificates or something. He has thrown 84 innings in 61 appearances. His ERA is an even 3.00.