Reds Donate One Win to Struggling Astros Franchise, A-holes 4-3

The Reds decided not to sweep the Astros yesterday, figuring they already have enough to worry about. Their offense is brutal, as any offense containing one or more Clint Barmes will be, and they don't have much going on on the pitching side of the ball either. Though Wandy threw pretty swell yesterday, especially before the 7th when the Reds briefly forgot to take it easy on him and Heisey and Stubbs went back-to-back to tie things up.

The team got plenty of hits, 10 in all, with 2 from Stubbs, Votto and Hernandez but left the majority of those runners on base. The pitching staff featured what I'll assume without researching, which is the best way to write anything which will be publicly displayed, was a season high. Volquez worked in 5 of those in his four innings before hitting the bricks. He'd thrown 88 pitches, so probably needed a break. That's right where the Reds wanted him, between 75-90 pitches following the fourth. He's progressing, most importantly, within the system designed by Dustophicus and head goon Price. Leake also walked the very dangerous J.R. Towles before giving up the game winning double to Pence. LeCure, Ondrusek and Masset pitched well-enough to keep the lead from ballooning after Eddie's exit. Though Ondrusek allowed three base runners in his inning. At least he got out of it and it appears Masset has returned to normal or the evil-substitute Nick Masset has been captured by the police, though I expected to see a fake mustache or monocle signifying his evilness.

Reds have a series with a better team, the Cardinals, starting tomorrow. Better than the Astros, that is, certainly not the Reds. We'll have to see if LaRussa's face is less disgusting this time. He looked like Mask during the trip to St. Louis.