Loading ...I’m depressed. I haven’t given up yet, but I’m depressed over what has transpired during the last week and a half.
Bronson Arroyo is pitching tonight against the Giants, on short rest, with our hopes in his hands. If the Reds are going to mount a charge, it probably needs to start tonight.
Discuss it here.
Why Hollandsworth instead of Denorfia?
Reds
Freel CF
Hatteberg 1b
Aurilia SS
Dunn LF
EncarnacÃon 3b
Hollandsworth RF
Phillips 2b
Ross C
Arroyo P
Giants
Finley CF
Vizquel SS
Hillenbrand 1b
Bonds LF
Durham 2b
Alou RF
Feliz 3b
Alfonzo C
Morris P
Arroyo registers a K to start it off.
Giants go in order.
Freel walks on 4 pitches. That’s the way to have success against Morris – let the breaking stuff move out of the zone.
Quick stolen base. Freel now has 35 of them, vs. 10 times caught.
Wow – Hatteberg walks on 4 pitches as well.
Aurilia makes him throw a strike, then singles on the next pitch. 1-0 Reds.
Rockin’. Wouldn’t be a proper game without a Dunn walk. Loaded for Edwin, no out.
Hollandsworth finally does something! After the sac. fly by Edwin, Todd doubles in another run. 3-0 and still but one out; 2nd & 3rd for Phillips who’s been stone cold at the plate over the past week or so.
Finally knocking in some runs without HRs.
So 3-0 after two. Arroyo only needs to avoid the sudden implosion inning he’s been plagued by in the second half.
Arroyo pitching well – retired in order each of the first three innings. But see above re: implosion.
Hollandsworth now 2-2. Phillips breaks his 0-fer with a double, but Hollandsworth trips on the bases and has to hold at third. Ross now being walked intentionally for the second time, and Arroyo will get another 2-out at-bat with the bases loaded.
Bronson not taking pitches this time – tries a bunt that doesn’t work out. He just didn’t want to run the bases.
Ugh. Hollandsworth isn’t used to Rounding 3rd base, I guess. Well, we’re putting the bat ont eh ball at least.
Arroyo’s perfect game goes by the wayside with a leadoff walk here in the 4th.
Very nice play by Aurilia to get the force at second on that grounder – to deny Hillenbrand an infield hit.
how does dunn miss those?
Aww, no more no-no. But better news is that Reds still lead 3-0 at the midway point.
I don’t like having Hollandsworth in there any more than the next guy, but he almost hit that one out.
F’in Shea Hillenbrand
Strike his butt out.
Thank you.
Now strike out Bonds, please.
We haven’t seen Arroyo pitch like this since before the All-Star break. He’s pitching from different angles, changing speeds. Can’t believe he’s on short rest.
Six great innings by Arroyo. Anyone know his pitch count?
Looks likes 83 pitches through six innings. He’s good for one more, I’d think, before the bullpen comes in and blows it.
David Ross leads off the bottom half with a double. Man, where did Ross come from? He has never hit like this in his life, but he’s been great all season for the Reds.
So that’s why they kept walking Ross intentionally. Rips a leadoff double down the line in the sixth. See if Bronson can move him along.
Lots of empty seats tonight, I see. Have the fans given up on this team?
I haven’t.
Arroyo crushed that one, but he’s robbed and doesn’t move the runner over.
Well, robbed may have been too strong a term.
Let’s see what Freel can do.
Ohhhh – swung the bat and hit it right at the 3b. Poor luck, that.
Morris should go over 100 pitches for the Giants this inning. I’d like to get into their bullpen.
Freel can’t do anything there. I’d hate to waste that leadoff double. Ross is still stuck at second.
And that’s just what they did: wasted the leadoff double.
Oh well, hold ‘em in check, Bronson. Don’t have one of your patented four run innings in the middle of an otherwise excellent start. We’ve seen that a few times, unfortunately.
Matt Morris is a freak. Totally different pitcher than the one that threw in the first.
Man, Aurilia can do no wrong these days.
Please, Dunn, hit one to Kentucky.
Rich should hit against his former teams every night. When does Seattle next come to town?
A double play is not exactly what I had in mind.
Denorfia takes over for Dunn. Something wrong? Not a doubleswitch, just a straight sub. Must be just for defensive value.
I missed that switch. Narron up to his old tricks.
Now watch the bullpen blow the game and Dunn’s spot in the order come up in a crucial situation.
112 pitches for Arroyo on 3 days rest. Iron man.
Arroyo has thrown 112 pitches, and he’s on short rest. I can’t imagine that Narron would bring him back for the ninth, regardless of how well he’s pitching.
So who do they bring in?
He’s pitching great, though. Love that Arroyo.
Quick game so far. Not even two hours yet.
Hollandsworth hitting well tonight. 3-4.
Oh look, September call-ups! DeWayne Wise pinch-runs.
Ugh, DeWayne Wise. I was hoping I’d never have to see his sorry butt again. He’s the only guy that could make me miss Quinton McCracken.
So, is Arroyo actually going to hit here?
Oh well, Narron doesn’t have to make that decision.
I don’t know about Arroyo pitching another inning after throwing so many pitches already on short rest. But you can’t argue with his success tonight.
I can believe Narron sent Arroyo back out for the ninth. Not a bad decision.
But I cannot believe that he wouldn’t already have someone warming up, just in case. With the game this close.
And there’s a double play!!!
Bonds pops out! Great job, Arroyo!
Double play!
1 more out to go….
…And this one belongs to the Reds!
This team really needed that. Let’s cheer against the Padres tonight.
3-0 Reds, go Arroyo!!
Nice and soothing – a complete-game shutout. Hurrah for Bronson!
Awesome, just awesome. That’s probably the best game Arroyo has thrown all year.
Time of game: 2 hours, 2 minutes. Wow.
I’m doing some work here tonight, so I’ll try and be back around ten to comment on the Padres game for a little bit. It’s nice to not be exhausted and discaouraged after the Reds game is over.
First career shutout for Bronson? Wow.
I’ll try to be back for the Padres game, too. It’ll be fun to do a little scoreboard watching. We’re not out of this thing.
Florida is losing right now, getting shut out. That will help the cause.
St. Louis beats DC, 2-0.
We have no chance of defeating the Cards, unfortunately. Hope the Pads lose.
Marlins lost, Padres begin in fifteen minutes.
I will not let tonight suck me back in. I will not let tonight suck me back in. I will not let tonight suck me back in. I will not let tonight suck me back in. I will not let tonight suck me back in. I will not let tonight suck me back in.
That’s a dis – announcing the Padres’ standing relative to other teams in the wild-card race, their broadcasters didn’t even mention the Reds.
It’s not about being sucked back in. It’s just following the team with interest unless they are eliminated. No more, no less.
Two pitching-aided teams going at it, Padres-Rockies. Remember Coors is now a pitcher’s park, just as extreme as Petco if not more so.
That said, two pretty decent pitchers in the kid Chris Young vs. Jeff Francis.
The Padres’ English-language radio announcers are capital-A asses – or at least one of them is. Maybe the Rockies’ booth will be better . . .
You must be referring to Ted Leitner. He’s definitely an acquired taste. I’m okay with him, but he’s been insufferable, lately.
The other guy is Tim Flannery, who after a rocky start, has developed into a really exceptional color man. Candid, very insightful, and now a legitimate broadcaster.
Their Nuxhall (though he works about half the time) is Jerry Coleman, HOFer, hero, and true legend. Take a few minutes to read some of these links.
No score in the middle of the 2nd in SD. Nothing much to remark on yet, except that the COL radio uses Bon Jovi for their commercial break bumpers.
Of course, once I say that. . . Piazza homers to lead off the 2nd, 1-0 Padres.
Crap. I’ve had enough of Piazza.
What’s wrong with this Leitner guy?
I thought Leitner, if it was him, sounded obnoxious – kind of like a TV political pundit.
San Diego adds another run on a sac. fly. 2-0.
Chris Young seems awful tough. 5 K’s through 2.1 innings.
Garrett Atkins ties it up with a 2-run homer. He’s having a fantastic season that has been totally under the radar.
Jerry Coleman – he’s the broadcaster that was hired out of the blue as the team’s manager back in the early 80’s. Didn’t do so great, went right back to the radio booth again the next year. I’d heard that somewhere, but didn’t remember who or when it was. Thanks for the links, Chris.
So I guess everyone is just used to Pacific Time at this point?? Everyone wanting to wait up for the Pads.
Went to the game tonight…. Bronson was spectacular. A few tears as he let up that first hit and a lot of baited breath after he made it two in a row. Got out of it and finished strong. Great night. I knew Bonds was usually unwelcome anywhere but SF, but I had no idea that his receptions were THAT ugly. Everyone booed as he came up and cheered loudly as he was retired, quite fun.
HANG WITH US HERE CHRIS!!! We don’t wanna lose ya.
Wish I could have been there, Justin. Looked great on television!
Still 2-all in San Diego. Rockies let a golden scoring opportunity go by last inning.
Come on, Rockies!
I’ve taken too many punches to the gut lately. I’m emotionally sitting out until they reel off 3-4 in a row. Good work by Arroyo, though.
San Diego just took the lead. How’d they score?
On a couple singles by Giles and Barfield, deep Piazza flyout to get Giles to third, then an RBI groundout. 3-2 SD.
Yorvit homers to tie it up again. 3-all in the top of the sixth.
The Padres are going to win this game.
Manny Alexander, he of the .490 OPS this season (and .608 lifetime), now has driven in 2 runs tonight for SD.
5-3 Padres in the bottom of the 6th.
Can’t believe so many are up and commenting here still! I think there are more post-Reds game comments than comments during the game!
Think how much more fun this’d be if the Reds were tied for the Wild Card lead. As it is, we’re just hoping.
Still 5-3 going to the 8th. Linebrink on to pitch for SD – he’s been as close to a sure thing as it gets.
Very disappointing.
Yep.
Single by Vinny Castilla of all people scores a run. 5-4 Pads now.
Runners on first and second for Colorado with two outs. Kaz Matsui batting. I actually didn’t know he was a Rockie.
Rockies threatening, Linebrink almost gets out of it and then gives up an RBI single to . . . the one-foot-in-retirement Vinny Castilla!
5-4 Padres.
Full count. Tension.
Fly ball to deep right-center. Top of the 8th over.
I’m going to bed. Go Rockies.
Trevor Time! Let’s see a blown save.
This mixed rooting thing is tough. I’m obviously for the Reds, but if they can’t make it, I’d like the Padres to be in there (as bad as they were last year, it was still fun to see my first post-season game in 10 years).
Crap.
In case that wasn’t clear enough, Trevor did not blow the save, and the Padres won 5-4.
You should revel in your situation. It’s a win-win, right!
Ok. My hopes for tomorrow are wavering at best. I’m just hoping that the Giants don’t have any tape of this guy and that he can somehow manage to fool these hitters enough to keep the offense in the game.
The offense, also, is going against a stud rookie reliever… quickly turned starter debuting in his first ML start.
I have to say that I am intrigued though. ESPN should have fun with this one too.
Bats had better come to the ballpark tomorrow.
YEAH … A WIN … Very nice pitching by Bronson