Reds Lose Two of Three To Fat Little Birds, Cardinals 3-0

All of the pictures of cardinals, the bird, on Google images featured a bird similar to the one to the right, plump, weighing down the branch its sitting on. Like they've been going to I-Hop every morning and getting a double helping of stuffed pancakes. Not being from that area of the country, maybe that's just what they look like but they don't seem very aerodynamic.

Friday, LaRussa and his deformed face outsmarted the Dustys, running Miguel Batista out there to throw 6 pitches before the game got postponed due to the rain, which had been pretty heavy. Apparently, the home team has the say as to whether or not they want to start a game, when it's raining, then once the first pitch is thrown, it's up to the umps. So, I'm sure that had Volquez focusing during his pregame warmup on the closed circuit camera and decided to start it. Or, maybe they told Dusty they were starting the game and don't use your starting pitcher up. Either way, when the clouds cleared Baloney appeared on the mound, with the beacons of light shining in his beard, and he was pretty unsound. So unsound that he earned a paid trip to Louisville after the game in favor of Carlos Fisher.

Saturday was a little better. With the Reds making their first of two weekend appearances on nationally televised games, they waited for Ryan Franklin to get going in the pen, as they don't ever hit Carpenter, and made their move. Cairo, who looks as if he's going to be getting some time for the next couple of weeks with Rolen's severe old-itis acting up again, delivered the go-ahead two-run single to left. Bruce walked with the bases loaded to tie things up prior to Cairo's at bat. And yesterday, ESPN showcased the Reds' inability to get anything going against Westbrook, which shouldn't happen. Didn't he have an ERA over 10.00 coming in? That combined with his underwhelming stuff should make for a lot of hits. It didn't. And, though Volquez got an inoculation for his 1st inning virus, he gave up Yadier Molina's only bomb of the season in the 6th and that provided the margin. It was hard not to notice because Orel and Valentine wouldn't shut up about it but the Cardinals have a couple of arms in the late-inning pen. Those guys were throwing smoke, though the Reds Rocket is still confident that Mitchell Boggs as closer will positively impact the Reds' season. And, of yeah, I saw something about a big-named player for the Cardinals limping down the first baseline late in the game. That should also benefit the Reds, depending upon the extent of the injury. Maybe it's nothing and Pujols was just tired of standing around in the rain. I know I would have been.

The Reds head to Mil-a-wauk-ee today for a set with the Brewers, who appear to be playing a little better than when they came to Cincinnati. Braun and Fielder are both hitting about .600. But, as we've seen the last couple of year, the Brewers don't really like to beat the Reds. So, this series should have a positive outcome. The Reds Rocket looks forward to it.