Joey Votto homered to back a great Dan Straily start, Reds beat Brewers, 6-4

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Joey Votto isn't exactly on a quest to hit .400 in the second half of this season, but his statistics sure as hell are.  Votto entered Tuesday having hit an absurd .414/.504/.645 since the All Star break, and after back to back games without mauling the way we know he can, Votto blasted Matt Garza and the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

Votto homered, went 3 for 4 on the night, scored twice, and drove in a pair of runs for the Cincinnati Reds, and looked every bit the part in the process.  Even more fun, he now has 84 ribbies on the season with 18 games left in the year, and the idea that he may get to 100 before season's end is just the most entertainingly troll-y things to root for we've had as Reds fans in years.

Congrats on yet another big night, Joey, and have another trophy for your trophy tent.

Honorable Mentions are due to:  Dan Straily, who was nails in his 8 IP, allowing just 2 ER on 3 H while striking out 8 (against just a lone walk); Adam Duvall, who bashed a pair of doubles and drove in a pair; and Scott Schebler, who continued his hot hitting with a 2 for 4, ribbie night.

Key Plays

• Danged dingers dominated early in this contest, with Votto's solo blast off Matt Garza in the Bottom of the 1st initially putting the Reds ahead, 1-0.
• Solo shots from Keon Broxton (Top of the 2nd) and Jonathan Villar (Top of the 3rd) off Straily put the Brewers in front, however, and both landed well into the LF seats.
• The Reds finally busted things back open in the Bottom of the 3rd, however, and the Milwaukee defense chipped in to help them in a big way.  Tucker Barnhart began things by being safe at 1B when Chris Carter bobbled a throw that clearly beat the runner to the bag, and both Tucker and Straily were safe a batter later when a slow chopper towards 2B was ruled (after replay) to have been flipped to the bag just after Tucker slid in safe.  Garza then plunked Eugenio Suarez on the forearm to load the bases, and Votto then stepped in with an RBI single past the 1B and into RF.  That left the bags loaded for Duvall, who dumped a double down the LF line to drive in a pair and leave runners on 2B and 3B, and Brandon Phillips then plated Votto from 3B with a sac fly to RF.  Reds led, 5-2.
• A Duvall double preceded a Schebler single in the Bottom of the 8th, the latter of which scored a run to put Cincinnati ahead 6-2.  That gave the Reds juuuust enough breathing room for Tony Cingrani's rough Top of the 9th, in which he walked the leadoff batter on 4 pitches before allowing a 2-run dinger down the LF line to Carter.  That left things at 6-4, where they mercifully finished with the Reds as victors yet again.

Tony Graphanino

Source: FanGraphs

Other Notes

• Duvall attempted to score on BP's sac-fly to RF in the Bottom of the 3rd when Broxton and Kirk Nieuwenhuis collided on a successful catch, but he was thrown out by a good 10 feet for the final out of the inning.
• Straily's 8 IP marked a career high, and he reached that point having thrown an efficient 105 pitches. To top that, Jamie Ramsey noted that it's his 11th start of the season having allowed 3 or fewer hits in a game, which is gawdang Reds season record.  Big props, Dan!
• Tim Adleman will take the mound for the Reds in Wednesday's series finale against the Brewers, and he'll be opposed by Milwaukee starter Junior Guerra.  Guerra, by the way, isn't "Something Something Guerra, Jr.," according to Baseball Reference; rather, he's listed simply as "Junior J. Guerra."  I can only assume he was named by Grampa Simpson.
• First pitch in Wednesday's game will be at 7:10 PM ET, by the way.
• Tunes.