CNATI: Cincinnati OH Sports Journalism

Spring Training 2010

Live: Reds v. Indians 3.5.10

By C. Trent Rosecrans, CNATI.com Posted March 5, 2010 1:36 PM ET

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- So, I was unsure what I was going to do for this whole deal. Today's different because the game's on TV and radio. But there will be more games without the two than with throughout the spring.

So, there's Twitter (@ctrent & @cnati) and I could have used CoverItLive for a live-chat type thing, but I decided what's best is to go old school and live blog it. I don't believe much in the live blog anymore for televised events, but think this in combination with Twitter for certain updates may be the best avenue. Twitter is just too brief sometimes and I hate it when people send too many and if you Twitter every pitch, you're just going to tune me out when something important happens. So, I'll do Twitter for large events, and the rest of our fun here. If you have any other ideas, let me know.

As a refresher, here's the lineups for today:

Racist Mascots
Asdrubal Cabrera    SS
Grady Sizemore    CF
Shin-Soo Choo    RF
Travis Hafner    DH
Jhonny Peralta    3B
Jordan Brown    LF Austin Kearns LF
Andy Marte    1B
Luis Valbuena    2B
Lou Marson    C

Justin Masterson P

Mighty Redlegs
Drew Stubbs    CF
Orlando Cabrera    SS
Joey Votto    1B
Brandon Phillips    2B
Scott Rolen    3B
Jay Bruce    RF
Jonny Gomes    LF
Ramon Hernandez    C
Drew Sutton    DH

Pitchers:
Mike Lincoln (2 innings)
Matt Maloney (2)
Justin Lehr (2)
Sam LeCure (1)
Carlos Fischer (1)
Jon Adkins (1)

* Also, I talked to Laynce Nix, who was a scratch because of his run-in with a wall yesterday and I asked him which arm it was, he said, "which arm? What?" I rephrased and asked which arm he hit the wall with, he said it was his right (glove) arm. "It's nothing," Nix said. "No big deal."


* Top 1: Just had four F-16s fly on by. That means it's time to play. Or, well, after the first pitches. Former Reds honored, including Joe Morgan, George Foster, Ken Griffey Sr., Todd Benzinger, Billy Hatcher and Tom Browning honored. And then some Motley Crue to start it off. That's starting it off right.

First pitch is a ball, high to Cabrera. John Fay notes it took two pitches for someone to say "c'mon blue." After a 3-0 start, Lincoln goes a striking looking and one swinging. And then1-0 it goes into the seats in right. 1-0. Looks like Mike Lincoln is out of the competition for the fifth spot. And Grady Sizemore grounds out, meaning he sucks. Shin-Soo Choo may or may not be excused from military service with a single to right off Mike Lincoln. Project Flyout to Center. I can understand no H as in Jonny Gomes, but the H after the J has always troubled me with Jhonny Peralta. As I noted yesterday, we've got to Johnnys in the lineup, neither spelled "Johnny." Racist Mascots 1, Redlegs 0

* Bottom 1: Drew Stubbs goes down swinging. His K rate has always been an issue. Of course, as the leadoff, do the people who don't think it's the same as any other kind of out conceed that point? Cabrera grounds out to Cabrera. As Joey Votto came up to bat, someone yelled, "2010 MVP." I said before last season he'd get MVP votes and he did. I'm going to predict now that he'll get more MVP votes this year. Not exactly going out on a limb, but it's there. And he grounds out to his counterpart, 3-1. I still think he's gonna be OK. Racist Mascots 1, Redlegs 0

* Top 2: You know what would be fun? Re-hashing the Reds-Indians trade that sent Austin Kearns to D.C. in 2006. Oh, nevermind... Kearns. He singles to right, Bruce got to the ball pretty quickly, limiting him to a single.

-- OK, they just announced we'll get the pitchers when they come out pretty much immediately, so if there are lapses in this Pulitzer-worthy liveblog, well, you know the reason why. Thanks

Marte lines out to center. Valbuena singles past a diving Votto. No diving for Marson's single to right, scoring Kearns. 2-0. That's new. A single to left, the first of six hits to go to that side of the field. That loads 'em. A salami all lined up for Sizemore -- and not the kind you get on a  Google Image search. Nope, just a ground-rule double. 4-0. Maloney is coming in for Lincoln.

It looks like I may have to run down to get Lincoln after this half-inning to assess the carnage. So, after one batter here, I'm gonna split.

Choo goes down looking.

* Bottom 3: That, Mike Lincoln said, did not go as he'd hoped. Lincoln allowed 4 runs in 1.1 innings, giving up 4 runs and 7 hits. Matt Maloney cleaned it up and it's 4-0. Now, after a Ramon Hernandez double and Sutton getting hit, I'm about to head back down to talk to Matt Maloney. He had a better outing than Lincoln.

Until pitchers start going longer, I may actually lose some LBs.

* Bottom 5: Ugh, so, it was supposed ot be that half-inning and that. And yet, it was two. Oh well. I missed two more runs in each of the last two innings for the Indians. From near the Reds' clubhouse in right, I looked through the little door and saw Shin-Soo Choo triple Lou Marson in in the fourth and in the fifth Brian Buscher homered off of Lehr.

So, back in the here and now, Hanigan flew out and Sutton grounded out.

As for Maloney, he was understandably happy with his performance. He said he thought the fact he came in with runners on

Sam LeCure in. He gives up a hit with one out, up the middle. Then with two outs, Yonder Alonso makes a diving stop, but a high throw. LeCure can't get the bag. Then some guy named eglarz takes LeCure deep to left. All three runs are unearned. Racist Mascots 9, Redlegs 0

* Bottom 6: The Reds batters are doing tehir part to help keep the pace of this game up. Alonso Ks in his first outting of the spring. He reaches for one outside against Cleveland lefty Rafael Perez. Racist Mascots 9, Redlegs 0

* Top 7: Another E3 for Alonso, he had a throwing error earlier, and this time he backed up on a groundball and it went five-hole on him. Valaika was backing up and nearly got the runner, but it was just late. Other than that, an uneventful half-inning. Racist Mascots 9, Redlegs 0

* Bottom 7: From here, Chris Perez, now in for the Indians, looks like Kenny Powers. Slimmer and sans goatee, but the mullet (at least in a hat) is there. It can lead to plenty of Kenny Powers jokes and that's a good thing. I wish I could buy his auidobook. Racist Mascots 9, Redlegs 0

* Top 8: Carlos Fisher in for the Reds. A double by Wes Hodges, then Paul Janish makes the defensive play of the day, diving to his left, on the other side of second base, and getting the runner for the second out. Racist Mascots 9, Redlegs 0

* Bottom 8: Against Joe Smith of Anderson, Miguel Cairo's double scores Ryan Hanigan and Paul Janish's sac fly scores Cairo. Racist Mascots 9, Redlegs 2


* Top 9: The man @JonAdkins96 is in the game. A walk and a single given up by the man from West Virginia, but no runs. Racist Mascots 9, Redlegs 2 


And I'm off to go talk to Dusty and write a story. Unless there's a miraculous comback, looks like the visiting Racist Mascots will ruin the Redlegs' first game in the Cactus League.

Final: Racist Mascots 9, Redlegs 2 -- 15 hits and one error for Cleveland, 5 hits, 2 errors for Cincinnati. Same time tomorrow, same place, same teams. The other guys will wear the white pants though.  

 


 



 

Categories: Cincinnati Reds, Featured Stories, Spring Training 2010