These Reds Are Fighters

One night after a very forgettable blowout at the hands of their NL Central foes, the scrappin’ Cincinnati Reds took the final game of the short series against the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-5.

I call these Reds fighters because they won tonight with a patchwork lineup that resembled something you might see during Grapefruit League play. As you will see, the odds were definitely stacked against them.

With Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips both out of the game due to flu-like symptoms, it was up to Ramon Hernandez and Jerry Hairston Jr. to man first and second bases respectively. Ramon has only played 11 games at first. That meant Ryan Hanigan, the number two catcher, started behind the plate. This put the Reds without catcher to go to if something happened to Hanigan.

Paul Janish got the start at short stop since Hairston was filling in at second. To follow up on the previous paragraph, Janish is our emergency catcher, in addition to being our emergency reliever. I think he’s an emergency beer vendor too.

Since the planets had aligned perfectly tonight, Laynce Nix actually started! The baseball gods forced Dusty’s hand on this one. That’s my only explanation for it.

Further proving that this club is tough, the starting pitcher this evening was the Reds #5 guy, Micah Owings. His line: six innings, seven hits, five runs (four earned), and four strikeouts.

Let’s not forget that the Reds have been playing a man down since Alex Gonzalez left the final game in Miami due to a left oblique strain. He has not yet been placed on the DL, so no roster adjustments have been made.

The Offense

Willy Taveras hit a home run. I know, Willy Taveras? I would have never guessed it. He also drew a walk.

Jerry Hairston had a hit. His batting average is .190 now. Great for your #2 hitter, right?

Jay Bruce went 1-3 with a walk. That one was his eighth homer of the season.

The substitute first baseman, Ramon Hernandez, went 2-3. He’s batting at a .280 clip now.

Laynce Nix didn’t disappoint in his rare start. He went 1-3 with a double, scored and knocked in a run.

Ryan Hanigan had an 0-3 night did have a sac-fly, contributing to the win.

Paul Janish went 2-3 with a walk and scored a run.

Micah “Bambino” Owings had a big triple tonight scoring Paul Janish. He then scored on a wild pitch by Braden Looper. I love it when pitchers help their own cause.

The Pitching

I already mentioned Owings’ line for the night. He did what he had to do in order to keep the Reds in the ball game.

This bullpen has been nothing short of stellar. Nick Masset, Arthur Rhodes, and Francisco Cordero finished the final three innings in hitless fashion. CoCo converted his eighth save in as many attempts this season. It was also his 22nd consecutive save I think. MLB Network just said it. It was either 22 or 28. I can’t remember and it’s not important.

Anyway, you have to be very proud when you can hand over a one-run game to your bullpen and get these kind of results.

The Bottom Line

This was a big time win. This was a gut-check game for the Reds, if there is such a thing this early in the season. Tonight showcased the Reds depth and put it to the test. Thankfully, they passed.

Also, you’re welcome for not mentioning Manny Ramirez.