Game Thread: Pirates at Reds — 2008.05.29
Reds go for the sweep — and for ten straight home victories — tonight against the Bucs at Great American Ballpark. Aaron Harang is pitching for the first time since his outstanding performance in relief during Sunday’s 18-inning marathon loss to San Diego.
Pittsburgh’s starting pitcher will be former-Red Phil Dumatrait.
Discuss it here….

May 29th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
What the hell is going on? Grande and Brantley are talking about On base percentage. Belisle is in AAA. The Reds are trying for a 10 game win streak with Harang vs. the guy who through batting practice for us last year. What is going on?
May 29th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
*home win streak
May 29th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Nice bunt by Hair-i-ston
May 29th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Nice slide Bruce!
May 29th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Marty yesterday learned of Daryl Thompson, it would appear, suggesting that he, rather than Bailey or Maloney, ought to step in if Fogg disappoints as a starter.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Harang kinda looks like he threw 70 pitches a few days ago.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I don’t like seeing Harang get beat around…especially against the Pirates
May 29th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Should’ve had Affeldt start this one.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Way to go Crusty, thanks for burning our #1 and #2 starter!! Brilliant!
May 29th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Brantley has been saying for the last 5 minutes how Harang is not fatigued… Then after the homerun it HAS TO be fatigue…
May 29th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Why didn’t Fogg start tonight and give Harang his normal rest–after Harang’s “start” on Sunday?? Fogg could’ve have done much worse. Well…maybe…
May 29th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Yeah…tonight would’ve been a good night for a spot start…
May 29th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
I could see that for Thompson just because of the level of consistency he’s shown. Still would be better to give him 6 to 8 at AAA. It’s great to see Maloney bouncing back but he needs to show it for 6 to 8 games more as well.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Have I ever mentioned how much I love when pitchers who couldn’t cut it with the Reds go somewhere else, only to come back to Cincinnati and pitch like Cy Young?
May 29th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
yep, dusty you suck
May 29th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Perhaps I was wrong.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Take Dunn out on a day you need offensive? Explain that one….
May 29th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
with any luck dusty will continue to make poor decisions like burning starters for a losing meaningless game. Then maybe they can hire Mckrackin or what ever his name is. D.T. (Darryl Thomson) is great, love to see him here and Majewski if he keeps going, put Cueto in the Bull Penn as a middle reliever or something.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Ok why was Dunn taken out?
May 29th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
He was clogging the bases in that last inning
May 29th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Marty and Thom don’t know, but they are assuming Dunn must be sick or injured for him to come out. But they fail to recognize that it could be another wacky Dusty-fiable decision. We’ll just have to see.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
George Grande says Adam is fine.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Is dumatrait in the running for the cy young this year?
May 29th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/features/cy
May 29th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Why is EE not in the lineup tonight? Phillips made the last out of the inning, but they double switched out Dunn when they need some big offense?
Yeah, it would have been a good idea to start Fogg tonight. Would have been an even better idea to let him be the on who pitched until the game ended on Sunday.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I knew there would be some Dusty hate concerning his handling of the pitching staff vrs the Monks after Harang’s rough outing tonight … rightly so, Harang looked gassed. Anyone planning on making a firedusty.com website?
May 29th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
The Reds also could have given Affeldt the spot start. He wanted to do as much when he signed anyway. With Mercker back, you have another lefty in the ‘pen, too. But it’s easier for Dusty to pretend its 1972 and let everyone go on four days, with starters used in relief when necessary.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
I think it’s time, can we send Dusty to AAA?
May 29th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I love that votto decided to throw that underhand from that far away. Between him and EE I’m nervous anytime a ground ball gets hit to the corner.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Joey just likes to keep things interesting
May 29th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
There is still time for Bruce to hit a 7-run homerun
May 29th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
The decision to pitch Harang wasn’t totally unreasonable, but he HAD thrown on the side the day before. But he got two extra days of rest…
The question I have is about Dunn. WTF?
May 29th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I have no real authority to say this, but, Marty and Hal were talking about how the Reds have 20 straight games with no days off and moreover that the teams they will be playing are all solid clubs; my guess is that Dusty figured this game would be an easy win based on Dumatrait vs. Harang and rested guys accordingly,and then when the Pirates jumped out to such a big lead, it went in his mind from an easy win to a throw away loss, and he got Dunn out to rest him as well.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Dusty Baker probably decided to take Dunn out…Dunn doesn’t miss many games at all and is pretty tough. Of course he had one of the Reds two hits… :mad:
May 29th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
If that is his rationale, why didn’t he use it in SD instead of burning the 2 best starters? Maybe he learned not to do that, as if someone with 15 years management + more and a decade playing baseball shouldn’t know it. I’d say he is rather incompetent
May 29th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Anyone know why Dusty took Dunn out? Dunn’s only homered 3 out of the last 5 games…
May 29th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
I have been dissappointed with Dusty as well. Everything I read said that his best asset was getting the most out of his veterans, but does anyone feel like he’s personally getting more out of that group then anyone other manager could? Now one just hopes his reputation for ruining young arms isn’t accurate either.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
And he may have homered again if Dusty hadn’t removed him in the 9th inning of the 18 inning debacle in San Diego…
May 29th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Dusty needs fired!!!
May 29th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Taking Dunn out was not Dusty’s move. I know for a fact that Dunn was taken out due to some urgent family matters. In order to respect his and his family’s privacy, I can’t go into any more detail. But to reiterate, that was not a move that Dusty made.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Seriously now, the lineup gets 2 hits off of the amazing Phil Dumatrait and It’s the toothpicks fault?…cmon. And how do we know that Harang wasn’t given the choice of going today or not? After all, didnt he volunteer to go in at Petco? Weren’t the Reds trying to salvage that mess at Dodger Stadium by winning 3 of 4 in Diego? I don’t know, what the heck, FIRE DUSTY!
May 29th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
And is George really gonna call Jeff “Cowboy” all the time now? And would Ryan Freel please keep the gum INSIDE his mouth.
May 30th, 2008 at 12:11 am
…and George will always call Pittsburgh the buccos. And I really hope “jaybird” doesn’t stick. Please, God in Heaven.
May 30th, 2008 at 1:55 am
and jockerty?
geeze…
May 30th, 2008 at 5:38 am
Dusty-fiable decision by crypticphrasing
LOL, that’s got a nice ring to it! Good one crypticphrasing!
May 30th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Dumatrait is just not as good as the Reds made him look last night! The vibe I picked up, listening to last night’s game was not one I’d hang my hat on if I were the mgr of the Reds.