Bronson Arroyo channels inner 2006, Reds down Giants 3-2

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

That Bronson Arroyo is even still in the Cincinnati Reds rotation at this point is remarkable in its own right. That he managed to fire 6 innings of 2 ER ball on the road against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night is just dern skippy.

The 40 year old yielded a pair of solo homers in his outing, but walked just one while allowing six total hits on the night, providing the Reds with exactly the kind of performance they must have hoped for when signing him after his 2ish years on the shelf.

Congrats, Bronson. Laissez les bon temps rouler while you still can, man.

Honorable Mentions are due to: Wandy Peralta, who got the Reds out of a 2-on jam in the Bottom of the 7th and then breezed through the Bottom of the 8th; Joey Votto, who walked, singled, and drove in a pair; Billy Hamilton, who singled twice and scored twice; and Zack Cozart, who went 2 for 4 with a double.

Key Plays

• Big leaguers punish meatballs. Bronson Arroyo served up a meatball to Brandon Belt in the Bottom of the 1st, and Belt homered over the wall in CF, as he was wont to do. Reds trailed, 1-0.
• Ty Blach was perfect through the first 3 innings, but the Reds finally got to him in the Top of the 4th. Hamilton dropped a single into LF to begin things, and he motored over to 3B on Cozart’s double to the RF wall. Billy then came in to score on Votto’s RBI grounder to 1B, and the game was tied, 1-1.
• The Giants reclaimed the lead in the Bottom of the 5th, as Denard Span spanked an Arroyo offering over the high brick wall in right-center to put San Francisco ahead, 2-1.
• Fortunately for the Reds, Joey Votto is an RBI machine. After Hamilton singled again in the Top of the 6th and moved to 2B on a groundout by Cozart, Votto poked a single into LF to bring Billy in to tie the game, 2-2.
• A double switch brought in both Peralta and Scooter Gennett in the Bottom of the 7th, with Gennett at 2B set to leadoff in the Top of the 8th. That paid dividends immediately for manager Bryan Price, as Gennett smoked a triple off the CF wall, and he later scored on a ripped double into LF by Cozart. Reds led, 3-2.
• After that, Raisel Iglesias put together a bit of a nervy 9th inning, but one that was nonetheless effective enough to lock down a win. Reds won, 3-2!

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• Billy Hamilton scored a run in his 11th consecutive game in this one, the first such time that’s happened by a Reds player since Bip Roberts back in 1992, according to FS-Ohio’s broadcast.
• After his 6th inning RBI single, Votto sat 2nd in all MLB in runs batted in with 33, obviously because that’s what he gets paid for.
• Scott Feldman will get the start for Cincinnati in Friday’s tussle with San Francisco. He’ll be opposed by none other than Johnny Cueto, with first pitch set for a party-inducing 10:15 PM ET.
• It’s late. Even early, if you’re being technical. Go to bed.
• Tunes.