Heightened Expectations Can Prove Problematic, Pirates 9-3

I'm sure that it's all part of Dusty's grand plan but the Reds didn't close out the series at home with the Pirates on a particularly strong note. First innings struggles are spreading throughout the rotation like malaria, as Wood gave up 3 in the first and the offense wasn't able to get much going against the Pirates big off-season acquisition, Kevin Correia. The clubhouse staff is going to have to do something about that swamp in Volquez's locker, as the mosquitos have bred and are buzzing around the locker room. It only takes a small amount of flood to transmit the plague of poor starting pitching.

Also, in related news not particularly good for the Reds, Mike Leake, apparently dissatisfied with making the meager $400,000+ which represents the MLB league minimum, allegedly of course, lifted a few shirts from Macy's. He, of course, was removing the price tags and putting them in his pocket for the ease of the cashier. If you present them all at once it saves time for both the clerk and the customer. And then, once you have the items at home, you don't have to spend time taking all of the tags off. Or, the more likely conclusion, there is some sort of misunderstanding at the Cincinnati Macy's. Members of professional teams are allowed to take a certain amount of items, free of charge mind you, in exchange for the joy they provide to the populous (*I mean "populace" as opposed to the adjective Firefox forgot to advise me against using). Two wins for a starting pitcher is worth like $75 in merchandise. So, Leake was actually a little under his allotment. We'll let the lawyers sort it out. Though his, Leake's, public statement (apologizing for the distraction) didn't really sound like a plea of innocence.

But, now to more important things like hammering the Diamondbacks for the next three days. Everyone, after losing 3 of 4 to the Buccos, is ready to go. So, looks like they have the Snakes right where they want them. Tough break for the Arizonans but that's the way of nature, cruel but necessary.