Comeback comes up short. BAL 5, CIN 4.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Jay Bruce has had an awful 2014, which he's admitted to.

Tuesday's 8th inning grand slam against the Baltimore Orioles was one specific kind of thing that had been missing from Jay's season so far (along with numerous others), but hopefully tonight's blast is the kind of confidence builder that carries him through the end of the season.

Dang.  I'm talking about a multiple All-Star and "confidence builder" in the same sentence.  Welcome to 2014.

Bruce finished 2 for 4 on the evening with said dinger and said four ribbies, and his offense carried the Cincinnati Reds to just short of a full comeback on the evening.

Have a trophy, Jay.

Honorable mentions are due to:  Billy Hamilton, who smacked a pair of hits, stole a base, trucked an umpire, drew a walk, and scored a run; Ramon Santiago, who had a hit and a walk in his 3 AB; and Ryan Dennick, for tossing a clean inning (with a K) after having been called up just yesterday.

Key Plays

• Rain delays farted the start of the game away, unfortunately, and there's no telling what impact that had on Mat Latos' beginning to the game.  A roughly 25 minute delay pushed back the overall start of the game, and rain that hit while the Reds were batting in the Top of the 1st set things back over an hour more.  Once the Reds wrapped their 1st, Latos proceeded to get knocked around in multiple ways, as a series of six singles and a productive grounder plated four Orioles by the end of the 1st inning.  Reds trailed, 4-0.
• A Jonathan Scoop dinger led off the Bottom of the 2nd to put the Orioles ahead by 5, and things settled down for a long way thereafter.  Finally, the Reds managed to get to Orioles reliever Darren O'Day took the mound in the Top of the 8th after an effective start from Bud Norris.  Hamilton led off with a walk, and after Todd Frazier was retired, Brandon Phillips reached on an error to put a pair of runners on base.  Devin Mesoraco was hit by a pitch to load things up, and Bruce followed with a big blast over the high wall in RF for quadinger.  Reds trailed, 5-4.
• Ramon Santiago doubled and moved up on a single from Hamilton in the Top of the 9th, but the Reds couldn't quite push the tying run across.  Reds lose, 5-4.