Meso He Will Rock You, Rock You. CIN 7, MIA 2.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Devin Mesoblasto smacked a pair of dingers during today's game - one a double dinger and the other a dinger salami - and as a result became the first Cincinnati Reds catcher to whack 20 dingers in a single season since the great Eddie Taubensee dingered 21 times in 1999.  He finished his afternoon 2 for 4 with a pair of runs scored and six runs driven in, and he's reached the point in his development where pitchers are going to ask for Pampers before having to pitch to him.  He also caught while Johnny Cueto spun another gem, meaning that it may not just be Brayan Pena's sharp NERTS behind the Reds ace's remarkable success in 2014.

Honorable Mentions are due to:  Cueto, who allowed just two runs in his 8 IP (both on solo dingers) while striking out 9, walking 2, and allowing just 5 hits; Jay Bruce, who went 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 runs scored, and a smokin' hot robbery of a would-be Stanton dinger late in the game; and Ramon Santiago, who went 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored to hopefully, hopefully begin the end of Skip Schumaker ever getting starts in the Reds IF.

Key Plays

• Because Giancarlo Stanton is a big strong man capable of doing big strong man things, the Reds found themselves with an early 1-0 deficit thanks to a boomshot from the Miami slugger in the Top of the 1st.  Fortunately for Cueto, however, the Reds lineup picked him up by promptly retaking the lead in the Bottom of the 1st.  Jay Bruce hit a 1-out single to LF (to LF!), and Mesoraco then blasted a 2-run dinger two batters later to put the good guys in front.  Reds led, 2-1.
• Both Cueto and Brad Hand (Brad Hand?  Brad Hand.) cruised through the next few innings, but the Marlins tied things up in the Top of the 4th thanks to the boomstick of Casey McGeheeheehee, who launched a solo dinger of his own off Cueto to level things.  Game tied, 2-2.
• The Reds finally handed Brad Hand a bad hand in the Bottom of the 6th thanks in large part to the budding boomstick of Mesoraco again.  A Ramon Santiago walk started things, and after Zack Cozart singled to put runners on 1B & 2B, Cueto sacrificed to move them both over.  Bruce walked to load the bases, and after Hand walked Frazier to score the first run of the inning, Mes proceeded to plow his 3rd grand slam of the season into the seats in LF.  Reds led, 7-2.
• A solid finish to Cueto's day, a stellar catch by Bruce to rob Stanton of a GABP oppo-dinger special, and a scoreless 9th inning from J.J. Hoover sealed the deal, and the Reds salvaged a win from an otherwise blase series with Miami.  Reds win, 7-2!