Homer Bailey Returns And Does Really Well, But Reds Lose To Cards In Extras

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Homer Bailey - 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

I didn’t really know what to expect, and you really didn’t either. However, Homer Bailey looked a lot like his old self when he was slinging no hitters and chucking 97 MPH fastballs at 120 pitches. Unless the wheels fall off I’d expect Bailey to spend the rest of the summer in the rotation and that might not be a bad thing. The Reds aren’t playing for anything but pride and development, which will hopefully lead to greener pastures in 2019.

Honorable Mention: Raisel Iglesias for pitching two scoreless innings with a strikeout, Suarez for walking and hitting the 2-run homer to knock in himself and Votto in the 7th, and to the little girl who was hit by a Molina liner above the eye in the 1st inning who bounced back to finish the game after being stitched up.

Key Plays

• Homer Bailey took the mound for the first time in a while, and, he was pretty freaking good in the 1st. He struck out the side while hitting 96 on the gun and his split finger was showing some serious drop and run from the arm side.
• Bailey gave up a leadoff double to Marcel Ozuna, who then advanced on a ground out. Tommy Pham popped out, Dexter Fowler walked with a full count and a close pitch on ball four, and Yairo Munoz lined out to right. 0-0.
• Curt Casali worked a walk on a 3-2 count in what was one hell of an at bat. Homer tried to bunt to 2nd, pulled back, and Molina let the ball get by him which allowed Casali to escape to 2nd. Homer then walked. Billy struck out on a real bad pitch. Peraza hit a soft grounder to SS which forced a fielders choice with runners at 1st and 3rd. Peraza got in a run down, Casali broke for home where he was thrown out, and the game is still tied, 0-0. TOOTBLAN!
• In the top of the 4th, Billy Hamilton misplayed a deep drive to CF that bounced off his wrist which was scored a double. Jose Martinez singled in De Jong, Ozuna flied out, and Tommy Pham grounded into a double play. Cardinals lead, 1-0.
• Homer Bailey was at 96 pitches and throwing a gem going into the bottom of the 6th. Riggleman had Lorenzen warm and presumably ready to pinch hit. Riggs instead had Homer hit for himself and to pitch for the 7th. This will be the one controversial move of the game. The rest of the Reds went down in order. Cards lead, 1-0.
• Riggs’s confidence in Bailey didn’t work out. Bailey got two outs rather quickly but then walked Dexter Fowler. Fowler then stole 2nd and no one covered the base. Yairo Munoz doubled to the gap in left field. Lorenzen came into the game and Gomber got an infield hit on a dribbler up the middle that Peraza had to make a difficult play on putting runners on first and third. Matt Carpenter walked to load the bases, and then Yadier Molina flied out to end the threat. Cards lead, 2-0.
• Joey Votto worked the count like usual and then laced a single right, and then Eugenio Suarez stepped in and just did what he does. KNOCKING IN A BIG ‘OL DINGER to tied the game. Game tied, 2-2.
• Iglesias pitched really well but nothing else really happened.
• In the bottom of the tenth, Duvall led off is a bloop single to center field. Phillip Ervin squared to bunt and was hit in the chest with the ball. Casali laid down a damn good bunt, but a good play still got Duvall at third on a bang bang play. This is the one time I won’t complain about Riggs bunting. It was just a really good play that was confirmed by review and Casali is really slow. Billy Hamilton put a good ride into one but it fell short. Game tied, 2-2.
• Amir Garrett entered the game and promptly got a strikeout. He then allowed a single and a homer to right field by Dexter Fowler. That’s not cool. Cards lead, 4-0.
• With Peraza, Gennett, Votto, and Suarez up in the bottom of the 11th you’d hope for some heroics. Peraza started the action with a ground ball single through the hole between short and third. They would intentionally walk Suarez with 2 outs and Duvall hit another blooper but this one was caught to end the game. Cards win, 4-2. Sad.

Tony Graphanino

• Joey Votto wants to be a bus driver when he retires. That’s awesome even if he’s just kidding around.

• The Cards now have had two starting pitchers, two nights in a row, that took a no-hitter into the 7th. That’s kind of insane when you think about it. What’s more insane is that neither pitcher got the win because Eugenio Suarez exists.
• Robert Stephenson pitched a 2 hit 7 inning shutout tonight. He walked 2 and struck out 3. His ERA in AAA is sitting at 3.06. BRING. HIM. UP.
• The offense has been woefully under performing since the All-Star Break. While we shouldn’t have expected what they did through June and early July this has been bad. How bad? They didn’t even do that during the 3-18 stretch.

• TUNES TO MAKE YOU HATE LOSING