Rus Livingood
June 5, 2013 – Rockies @ Reds – 7:10pm – Fox Sports Cincinnati
Reds Record (36 – 23)
Home Record (21 – 8)
Rockies Record (31 – 28)
Away Record (13 – 16)
Starters: Garland (3 – 6) vs. Villareal (0 – 0)
Storylines: A couple of hours before the game, it was announced that Johnny Cueto was going back on the disabled list. He had a setback with his oblique and made a grand total of three starts after returning from the injury, and now he will miss at least two starts even if he returns after the initial 15 days. This stint will start retroactive to June 1. Cueto just come off that brilliant one-hitter, and losing him is a blow to the team, no doubt. However, it is better to have him miss a few starts early in the season and hopefully be healthy and strong come the stretch run and hopefully the playoffs. Pedro Villareal was called up and gets the start in Cueto’s stead tonight, as his early season replacement Tony Cingrani just pitched a couple of days prior in the minors. This will be Villareal’s first Major League start.
The Setting: I am watching the game via DVR on a one hour delay due to being called to my restaurant to make a couple of pizzas and help the guys out of a jam. My newish workers couldn’t get the pizza dough to spread out the way they wanted and needed, so I ran over right before the first pitch to help out. It didn’t help that I was starving, as I wanted to devour the pizzas when they came out of the brick oven. Hey, if you ever find yourself in Huntington. . .
The Game and Analysis:
•On scale of 1 – 10, I give my viewing experience a -34 for this game. What a beatdown! I support my Reds through thick and thin, but I really wanted to turn this game off and go to bed or catch up on some of my shows on DVR. Another acceptable alternative to watching this game would have been running face first into a brick wall. The Rockies decimated the Reds 12 – 4, and if you want to know all the grisly details, read on.
•The Rockies jumped out to a 1 – 0 lead in the top of the first with a solo home run by Carlos Gonzalez.
•The Reds tied the game in the bottom of the first with a single by Todd Frazier. The next batter, Xavier Paul, hit a three run homer to make the score 4 – 1 Reds after the first inning.
•In the third, Troy Tulowitzki hit a two run homer to bring the score to 4 – 3.
•Gonzalez hit his second homer of the game, a three run shot, in the fourth inning. The Rockies took the lead, 6 – 4. This ball was absolutely crushed to right-centerfield.
•Todd Helton got into the fun with a homer in the seventh to score two and make the score 8 – 4. The Rockies would score once more in the inning on a double by Jordan Pacheco to make it 9 – 4.
•Not satisfied with two homers, Gonzalez hit a third shot in the eighth, another two run bomb that brought the score to 11 – 4. Tulowitzki lined the next pitch into the stands for his second home run of the game, and set the final score at 12 – 4.
•Normally, I would provide details of individual players or some discussion on strategy. This is not the day for that. I am sure you understand.
What Worked: The Reds scored four runs in the first!
What Didn’t Work: Everything else!
Where They Stand: The Reds are 36 – 24 and trail the Cardinals by 2.5 games in the NL Central. They are 1.0 game ahead of the Pirates.
Overall Thoughts: *Vomit sound*
Up Next: The Reds have a day off before a huge weekend series that sees the Cardinals come to town.
