Game 11: Micah Owings makes entire lineup feel futile

Reds 4, Astros 2

Edinson Volquez: 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 5 BB, 7 K. Edinson Volquez is not being true to himself. He is not trusting his fastball. He's pitching backwards, leading with the offspeed stuff. He seems timid to challenge. When he misses the plate, HE MISSES THE PLATE--not even close. And yet, he somehow pitched his way out of every jam (there were a lot of them).

Willy Taveras: 1-2, BB, HBP. On base 3 of 4 times. It's too bad we don't know how to bring him around. I have no idea why he didn't take second in the top of the fifth with two outs, down one run. Dickerson took a couple pitches and grounded out to second to end the inning. I'm starting to think that Willy doesn't have the green light. I'm also starting to think that Willy should have the green light. Also, Willy made a spectacular, and I'll say it again, spectacular diving catch in left center to rob Bourn of extra bases. Truly a full-extension Superman grab.

Joey Votto: Up until today, he has looked solid defensively. Today was different. On the second play of the game he fielded a soft grounder and underhanded it behind a running/covering Volquez who, preoccupied with finding first base with his foot, reached back and just missed the ball off the edge of his glove. Both Marty and Brantley lambasted Edinson for poor fundamentals, but trust me, the throw was much worse. It was three days behind him and would have taken a contorted miracle. Edinson was charged with the error but I'm sure Joey would have gladly taken it. Also, in the bottom of the seventh, Votto bobbled a routine grounder near the bag. Arthur Rhodes, didn't cover the bag assuming Votto would cleanly make the play and scamper four steps to the bag. Once Votto picked up the ball after the bobble, the race was on for the bag, three players converging. Votto flipped it at the last moment to Rhodes to no avail. It just looked bad for both of them. Throw an 0-4 day on top of that with a bases loaded, 3-0 count double play groundout and Joey is probably anxious to get back out there tomorrow. Winning does soothe the pain though.

Quotes of the Game: Marty and Jeff bantering about exercise. Marty says, "I got two-and-a-half miles of walking in this morning before you even fluttered your eyes." Says Brantley, "I don't doubt that."

Jeff Brantley on Aflac trivia questions. "I think they're all conspiracies if you ask me. Trickvia, not trivia."

Marty on the Reds offense, or lack thereof, after Phillips grounds into a DP to end the first inning. "This club can simply not generate any offense, and they're getting killed by the number four spot in the order."

Brandon Phillips: What Marty said.

Pinch hitters: Jerry Hairston pinch hits in the seventh for Laynce Nix--he walks. Three batters later, Micah Owings pinch hits for Volquez and gives the Reds the lead with a 2-run double off the left center wall. Darnell McDonald pinch hits for Stormy Weathers in the ninth and smokes a 1-out triple to right center and scores on a Willy sacrifice to center. Our pinch hitters are now 7-14 on the season.

Micah Owings: Yes.

Reds pitchers: Don't they love to get people on base before they start trying. It's like they need the added pressure to step up.

Lance Berkman: The man who would lead the balloting in the Reds Killer Hall of Fame almost decapitated Carlos Lee in the on-deck circle after letting go of his bat in the backswing. The bat flew past Lee's head and he dropped to the ground and shook the stadium. From the batter's box, Berkman exchanged an embarrassing smile with the bottomed Lee.

Bitterness: With one out and the bases chucked with Astros in the fifth, Geoff Blum grounded to Brandon Phillips at second who daftly tagged out Hunter Pence running to second, and in the same motion, fired the ball to first to nail Blum by a step. Inning over. Replays indicated that Phillips missed the tag on Pence by about two feet, with the umpire shielded by Pence. At the time, The Astros were up 1-0 and the Astros announcer was adament about not letting bad calls affect a team. Paraphrasing--"They're just part of the game. You have to move on and forget about them." Well, after the Reds usurped the lead in the seventh, that same announcer only mentioned the botched call, which he dubbed "the phantom double play" about ten times up until the final out.

Laynce Nix: Put two good swings on the ball today with Jay Bruce still out with a minor hand boo-boo.

The Truth: I realize that good teams find a way to win ugly games, and these last few have certainly been that, but I get the sensation that if we play like this against the Cards and Cubbies we are going to get our asses kicked. Looking at the box scores, I am astonished that we are 6-5.