CNATI: Cincinnati OH Sports Journalism

Well, I'm not actually at the ballpark yet, but I'm getting there, don't you worry. I'll be there to midnight or so, I'm sure.

Anyway, already, Laynce Nix has been scratched from the lineup. Here are the lineups for Game 1:

Reds
Drew Stubbs cf
Drew Sutton 2b
Joey Votto 1b
Scott Rolen 3b
Jonny Gomes rf
Wladimir Balentien lf
Adam Rosales ss
Craig Tatum c
Kip Wells p

Pirates
McCutchen cf
Young 2b
Jones 1b
LaRoche 3b
Moss rf
Milledge lf
Cedeno ss,
Jaramillo c
D. McCutchen rhp

* Well, got here in the fourth. Went to my usual parking place and they wanted me out by 5. Wasn't going to happen. So ahd to go somewhere else and hope I don't get towed.

But yeah, the jokes are just too easy today.

I walked in and said, "I guess the good news is with minor league teams, you only play seven innings." I was told that joke had already been made.

So I followed that with: "you know, I think Ernie Banks woulda said, 'fuck this.'" That got a laugh. I'm usually the only one throwing the f-bombs around so litterally.

Hal said he already wrote that it's like another game with the Pirates in Bradenton -- but with fewer fans. Really, it's everyone gets on the scoreboard day at Great American Ball Park. I hope they remember to count the players when they announce the attendance.

* Bottom 4: Craig Tatum with the two-out walk. I was on the Bengals practice field when Drew Stubbs hit the lead-off homer. Several players there jumped. It took me a second to figure out it was a homer. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 2

Huge props to the scoreboard folks at GABP... at the beginning of the 5th inning, they show a dude in his own section and play ERic Carmen's "All By Myself." Very good. Scoreboard crew, you win.

* Top 5: You know when Kip Wells is on the mound, something special's gonna happen. 1-2-3. But he has 97 pitches. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 2

* Bottom 5: You ever want to talk to a big league player? Just heard someone talking to Votto from the bullpen while he's at bat. You can hear everything today. Kinda amazing. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 2

* Top 6: Another 1-2-3 innings. 108 pitches for Wells -- after 49 in the first two innings. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 2

* Bottom 6: A single by Balentien, but really, nothing else. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 2

* Top 7: Kip Wells out for the top -- he needed to go more than 6 today. He only gave up 2 hits, but that wasn't as important. Carlos Fisher gives up a triple to lead off the inning. Jaramillo singles in Cedeno. McCutchen's day is done, too. Pinch hitter lines into a double play. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 3

* Bottom 7: Joel Hanaran in for the Pirates. A walk by pinch-hitter Paul Janish. After a wild pitch moves Janish to second, Phillips replaces Sutton. He grounds out. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 3

* Top 8: Arthur Rhodes in, Janish and Phillips stay in. Two Ks for Rhodes and then a walk to the remaining LaRoche. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 3

* Bottom 8: 1-2-3 and it looks like we play more than 18 today. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 3

* Top 9: Massett in. Darnell McDonald in left, batting 7th (second in the bottom of the 9) Another nice double play by Votto. 3-6. Votto got the ball off a bounce, tagged the bag, threw to second and Janish tagged the runner.  Redlegs 3, Peglegs 3

* Bottom 9: A one-out single for McDonald off Jaramillo. Nice hit by Tatum the other way. Single, McDonald to second. Janish flies out to right, but it's enough to move McDonald to third. Drew Stubbs has a chance to end this one... And there it is -- wild pitch is a run

and this one belongs to the Reds

So, yeah... and now we wait for another game.

From the postgame notes, Stubbs' homer was the first leafoff homer for the team this season. The last time the Reds swept the Pirates in a doubleheader was July 9, 1976 at Riverfront Stadium. That was also the first birthday my sister had ruined by her little brother.

* and here are the transactions: "Following this afternoon's game, the Reds reinstated from the 15-day disabled list RHP Johnny Cueto (inflammation, right shoulder); recalled from Class AAA Louisville IF Kevin Barker and RHP Ramon Ramirez (#58); placed on the 15-day disabled list OF Laynce Nix (bulging cervical disc); optioned to Class AA Carolina LHP Matt Maloney; optioned to Class A Sarasota RHP Carlos Fisher."

Carolina's season ends the 7th, Sarasota the 6th. Both will rejoin the team in Colorado.

And then there's game 2 lineups:

Reds

Drew Stubbs cf

Paul Janish ss

Joey Votto 1b

Brandon Phillips 2b

Scott Rolen 3b

Jonny Gomes rf

Darnell McDonald lf

Corky Miller c

Johnny Cueto p

Peglegs

Andrew McCutchen cf

Delwyn Young 2b

Garrett Jones rf

Ryan Doumit c

Steve Pearce 1b

Brandon Moss lf

Ronny Cedeno ss

Ramon Vazquez 3b

Paul Maholm p

* Top 1: Well, we've already gotten the attendance of the first game beat -- there may be 5,000 combined buts in seats for these two games. A double, but 2 Ks for Cueto in his first inning back. I saw 92, but I didn't check the speed of each pitch. Redlegs 0, Peglegs 0

* Bottom 1: Single for Stubbs. Hits to lead off both games today. And runs. Really good at-bat from Janish. He was down 0-2, fouled off some balls, worked it full and then doubled to left, scoring Stubbs easily. A check swing by Votto is a ground out to first, but Janish moves to third. With the infield in, Phillips singles to left, scoring Janish. 2-0.  Rolen hits one to short, that Cedeno tries to backhand and goes by him -- it's ruled a base hit. Probably rightfully so as I watch it -- Cedeno pulled up a little early. I could understand either way on that one, I guess. Gomes hits one off the end of his bat and it's a ground-rule double. He didn't seem to take off at first, and the ball bouncing into the stands made it easy for him. 3-0. Pitching coach to the mound to check on Maholm. If McDoanld gets another hit here, well, it'll make my life easier. And he doesn't. He strikes out. Corky Miller walks, bringing up Johnny Cueto, who could make life for himself much easier here. Holy crap, with a 2-2 pitch, Cueto takes one and thinks it's strike three, walking off the field, but it's called a ball. I'm not sure I've seen that before. Maholm was walking off the mound too. He swings and strikes out. 41 pitches for Maholm. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 0

* Top 2: Another two strikeouts for Cueto, 4 through 2. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 0

* Bottom 2: Maholm needs just 10 that inning to go 1-2-3. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 0

* Top 3: Cueto shatters' Maholm's bat and has to dodge shards, while Rolen picks up the ball and throws him out. It's a tougher play for Rolen on a McCutchen smash. And another easy inning for Cueto. Redlegs 3, Peglegs 0

* Bottom 3: A bomb by Phillips and it's 4-0. A two-out double for McDonald. Corky Miller walks, meaning Cueto has a chance to have stranded 5 runners in three innings. He hits a chopper that Delwyn Young tries to field, it bounces away from him, but Ronny Cedeno is able to grab it and step on second. Redlegs 4, Peglegs 0

* Top 4: Another 1-2-3, for Cueto, but he's up to 69 pitches. Redlegs 4, Peglegs 0

* Bottom 4: Janish singles, Votto ends it with a double play. He's just scuffling right now. Redlegs 4, Peglegs 0

* Top 5: Cueto gave up another hit. Reds starters have only given up 4 hits today. Redlegs 4, Peglegs 0

* Bottom 5: Brandon Phillips hits one out 5-0 -- fireworks and everything, but John Russell throws his red flag (actually, that can't happen) and it's going to come back. I don't understand why fans would boo this -- I mean, you really think you know better than the umpire who watched an HD replay? It took 1:55 or that to happen. Next pitch, Phillips singles to center. Rolen flies out and then Gomes walks. McDonald crushes one down the line called foul that may have been fair -- rough inning for the umps. A double steal and McDonald has another one foul. McDonald check swing, goes on toward first thinking he'd walked. The home plate umpire calls him out as McDonald goes toward first. He swung, it was the right call this time. Miller corks one to left, but right at the fielder. Redlegs 4, Peglegs 0

* Top 6: Cueto's 85th and final pitch of the night goes onto the grass in center -- 408 feet away as McCutchen makes it 4-1. That's 5-plus innings for Cueto, 3 hits, 1 run, 5 Ks and a BB. 85 pitches, 56 strikes. Not a bad return. Great play by Janish to greet D-Ray and get Delwyn Young. Single by Doumit and double by Pearce makes it 4-2. Moss hits one up the middle, Janish gloves it on the other side of second base, but can't get his footing to make the play, base hit, runners on the corners. A single by Cedeno. 4-3. Looks like it's Masset and Balentien to right. Nick "Let's Pitch Two" Masset gets a lineout. Redlegs 4, Peglegs 3

* Bottom 6: Denny Bautista in, so is Andy LaRoche at third, batting 9th. Bautista's 3-1 pitch hits the homeplate umpire, Balentien had to look back to see the call and then sprinted to first on the walk. With one out, Janish strikes out and Balentien is caught stealing. Redlegs 4, Peglegs 3

* Top 7: 1-2-3 for Masset, striking out two. Redlegs 4, Peglegs 3

* Bottom 7: Votto is in some kind of funk. He strikes out and is 0-4 tonight and 0-for-8 on the day. Rolen singles. Kevin Barker, pinch-hitting, doubles. official attendance - 9,087 -- smallest (official) crowd in park history. That follows what was unofficially the smallest crowd in park history in the first game. And McDonald strikes out, making it official that I have to write a different story other than my McDonald playing well story. Oh well. Redlegs 4, Peglegs 3

* Top 8: Arthur Rhodes pitching for the Redlegs. And it's 1-2-3. I sure hope he stays in for the 9th. But I know he won't. Redlegs 4, Peglegs 3

* Bottom 8: Stubbs finishes his day like he started it -- with a homer. This one was a two-run shot though, following Balentien's ground-rule double. Votto's trying to snap an 0-for-14 skid. 1-6-3 DP. not so much. Redlegs 6, Peglegs 3

* Top 9: And it's Cordero to blow it. Or not. Lastings Milledge pinch-hitting with two outs Singles. But then a pop up. And this one belongs to the Reds.