Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cards: It Doesn't Get Any Better

I picked a great game to go to Saturday. That’s all there is to it.

I got to the park early, because that’s how I roll. I was on a mission. I got great seats, picked up my bobblehead, visited the Reds Hall of Fame (they’re running a fantastic Crosley Field exhibit. If you have a chance to go, you should), met five-time All-Star shortstop Leo Cardenas, and enjoyed my bratwurst and beverage in complete relaxation.

My mission was complete well before the first pitch.

Then it was time to sit back and watch the Reds complete their mission: defeat the mighty St. Louis Cardinals and guarantee a series win.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one in the ballpark on a mission Saturday night (I’m using the word “mission” way too much, aren’t I?).

Aaron Harang was on a quest (is that a better word?). He went seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned), walked one, and struck out seven. It was also his birthday.

His big day got even bigger in the sixth. Harang’s historically ugly swing finally made contact when it mattered most. With two outs, Harang nudged a ball into left field scoring Laynce Nix and Adam Rosales in what turned out to be a five run inning.

For those not familiar with Aaron Harang’s offensive capabilities (or lack thereof), he’s not exactly a Silver Slugger contender. In fact, he’s a career .082 batter. The odds of him connecting in that situation, or any time for that matter, were slim to none. To further prove my point, his two RBI brings his career total to 11.

To beat this dead horse even further, when the big right-hander came to bat with two outs in the inning, I leaned over to my friend and told him that if Harang actually got a hit or even made contact, I would crap my pants. And I guess, in a way, I did and so did everyone at the ballpark. The place absolutely erupted.

But just so you know, my pants remain uncrapped in the literal sense.

So despite the absense of Joey Votto (on Joey Votto bobblehead night, nonetheless), the Reds managed to pick up their third straight win without the “Clutch Canadian.”

Guys like Jay Bruce, Ramon Hernandez, Laynce Nix, Willy Taveras, and Jerry Hairston all stepped up and played fantastic ball while Joey was on the bench.

I thought to myself as I drove to the game, “You know, we’re probably not going to win tonight.” But these scrappin’ Cincinnati Reds continue to surprise me and my confidence in all most of them is growing each day.

But could the Reds pull off the sweep?

No.

But they fought and scratched the whole way, forcing the Cards to play extras earlier this afternoon. Though they lost, I don’t have many bad things to say about the game.

Edinson Volquez was not good by Edinson Volquez standards, but Cordero let the Cardinals have it. That’s probably why he was tagged with the loss.

You would think this offense would be all but finished after being down 4-1 and then 7-4. But they didn’t give up.

In fact, the offense enjoyed a rare power explosion, putting five homers on the board.

Joey Votto entered the game late and jacked his fourth home run of the season in his first at-bat of the game.

But probably the most exciting dinger came from Adam Rosales. He sprinted around the bags in 15 seconds! I’m sure there have been slower inside-the-park home runs than that. You gotta love the kid’s hustle and his goofy run.

If Rosales had the most exciting homer, the runner-up had to be from pitcher/slugger Micah Owings. It was his solo shot that tied the game in the ninth and sent it into extra innings.

Though the Reds dropped the rubber match 8-7, this team is showing life like I haven’t seen in a long time. I’m not ready to crown them kings of the NL Central just yet, but they sure are fun to watch.

Oh yeah, it should defintely be noted that Albert Pujols left Cincinnati having gone 1-11. Although that one was a solo homer which turned out to be the difference in the game.

And yes, he did score two other times as a result of being walked three times. But still, the Reds handled the The Machine and I can’t say enough about our pitching so far.