Reds outhit me. You, too. CHC 7, CIN 0.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Brandon Phillips squinted his eyes, dug deep into his baseball soul, and scrounged up a Matt Christoper moment for the Cincinnati Reds in the 8th inning of tonight's game against the evil Jake Arrieta and his Chicago Cubs brethren.

Phillips, that scoundrel, got a hit.  A double, even, and it was the only hit the Reds managed on the evening.  In fact, it was the only way a Red made it to second base all night, which just makes everyone sad.

Honorable Mentions are due to: Ryan Dennick, who tossed a clean inning in relief and makes me wonder why I added that "s" to the end of "Mentions" barely fifteen words ago.

Key Plays

• The Cubs scored five runs off a clearly tired Johnny Cueto in the Bottom of the 5th, which raised numerous questions about why the Reds ace was left hung out to dry in the first place.  Cueto battled multiple muscle injuries and DL stints throughout 2013, all of which combined to limit him to just over 60 innings pitched, yet when he ran into a wall just shy of 100 pitches, was already behind, had no shot of catching Clayton Kershaw for the NL Cy Young, and had a team behind him that was being no-hit (again), he was left in to throw balls until the Cubs finally mashed their way into some runs.  A Chris Coghlan double broke the camel's back, and that was finally enough to get Bryan Price to pull Cueto after 5.2 IP.
• Phillips reached on his double in the 8th, but that was all the Reds could muster.  A dinger off Sam LeCure wrapped the official scorer's evening, and that was that.  Reds lose, 7-0.