Game 4: The Death of Mike Lincoln?

Pirates 10, Reds 2 (Yuck)

George Grande: Stop talking about people in the organization having babies and tell me what is happening in the game. Votto came up to bat and wasn't announced by Grande until the fifth pitch because he was congratulating everyone in the Reds family who had a baby this offseason. And when he did acknowledge Votto, he said "full count to Hairston," which wasn't suprising considering he was a play behind.

Joey Votto: Nailed by left fielder Moss at home plate on an Encarnacion single. Cleated in the knee by catcher Doumit. Rips pants. Limps off field. Runs gingerly rest of game. For the love of God, get better Joey. For the love of God.

Jay Bruce: A couple RBIs and another outfield assist to save a run at home, but was thrown out at first to end the game after forgetting to tag up. Yeah.

Unlucky: Due to the rainout last night, the Pirates skipped over their 5th starter (some guy named Karstens) and reverted back to ace Paul Maholm, who 3-hit us in 7 innings.

Quote of the Game: Chris Welsh describing Votto's home plate collision. "It looks like he got a contusion, meaning a cut, on his left knee..."

Chris Dickerson: Didn't play with the lefty Maholm starting. Instead, Hairston got the nod in left field--0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB. Super. Dusty said Dickerson had 20 HR, 30 SB potential. Not if you platoon him, you jerk.

Johnny Cueto: 6 IP, 9 K, 8 H, 1 BB, 4 ER. There were good innings and bad innings. His start today was a microcosm of his rookie year.

Daniel Ray Herrera: Although he struck out the side in the seventh, for the second time in two appearances he looked like he didn't belong. I'm still trying to understand how this kid retired 26 out of 30 people in Spring Training. Oh wait, I know, because it was Spring Training. If he threw as fast as he worked, he'd be the greatest pitcher of all time.

Micah Owings: Pinch hit. Swung at the first pitch. Doubled off the top of the left-center wall. Awesomeness.

Alex Gonzalez: Hit a plopper right in front of the plate and then let the ball touch his foot as he stepped out of the batter's box, graciously shortcutting to the inevitable.

Mike Lincoln: I suggested that Mike Lincoln was high during his last 1.1 inning appearence. Well, today, Mike might have been high and on acid. 1 IP, 5 ER, 3 H, 3 BB. This included a grand slam by Doumit and a follow up solo shot by LaRoche just to be an ass.

Nyjer Morgan, big bully: The Pirates' speedster weighs under 100 lbs. and bowled over Ramon Hernandez at home even though he could have scored standing up, then later, breaks up a double play at second by legally levelling Alex Gonzalez. This sure doesn't make us look like a bunch of cream-puffs.

Like I said earlier, it should have been Cueto vs. Karstens, not Cueto vs. Maholm. That's a good excuse, right? Ugly game all around. There's nothing like losing to the Pirates by nine at home in front of 22,276 people fans. And why didn't we play a doubleheader today to make up the Friday night rain game? This has been a very anticlimatic opening week.