Astros @ Reds, 9/9/12; Adiós, Ciudad de las Reinas

[Ron Brand]

Houston at Cincinnati
12:10 PM CT

2B Jimmy Paredes
RF Brian Bogusevic
1B Brett Wallace
LF Fernando Martinez
3B Matt Dominguez
C Carlos Corporan
CF Jordan Schafer
SS Tyler Greene
P Edgar Gonzalez  (1-0, 1.69)

2B Brandon Phillips 
SS Didi Gregorius 
1B Joey Votto 
RF Jay Bruce 
3B Todd Frazier 
LF Xavier Paul 
CF Drew Stubbs 
C Ryan Hanigan 
P Johnny Cueto  (17-7, 2.58)

Running out the Top Lineup today for sure.

[NeilT]

City of the Queens?

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Si.

[NeilT]

I never knew Queen was from Cincinnati. 

[Ron Brand]

I wasn't going to give them the dignity of the Queen City. Not today.

[Ron Brand]

Boy, you don't hear a lot of Grady Hatton resets.

[Ron Brand]

Gonzalez uses some magic mojo to keep Frazier off-balance and he gets a weak K. There's two down in the top of the second and the Astros lead, 1-0.

[Ron Brand]

Astros got three singles and a sac fly to lead off the game and get a run before Dominguez hit into a double play.

[Ron Brand]

Edgar Martinez leaves the field in a jog you might expect from Kenny Powers.

[Ron Brand]

Cueto is way, way too much for Bogusevic.

[Ron Brand]

Wallace with a two-out single up the middle, followed by a walk to F-Mart and Dominguez hits a 3-run bomb!

[Ron Brand]

Little hanger over the plate and he hit it about 390 to left.

[Ron Brand]

Corporan follows with a single.

[Ron Brand]

Cueto is puzzled and having a fairly animated conference.

[Reuben]

Dammit, JD just can't seem to resist gushing about the 4-0 lead the Astros have. It's the 3RD INNING, JD. And it's the Reds. And the Astros.

[Ron Brand]

Schafer whiffs and after 2 1/2 it's Astros, 4-0.

[Ron Brand]

Dammit, JD just can't seem to resist gushing about the 4-0 lead the Astros have. It's the 3RD INNING, JD. And it's the Reds. And the Astros.

His bosses probably don't want him downplaying anything that has the slightest glimmer of positivity this season.

[Ron Brand]

Gonzalez is doing something that is freezing these batters, but I haven't figured out what it is yet. He's got some pretty good movement going on but I haven't noticed a lot of changes in speed, and he's pounding the strike zone.

[Ron Brand]

Hanigan finally gets a bat on one and it's over Bogey's head for a double.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

It would be really cool if Domiguez figures out out to hit with a fair amount of consistency.

[subnuclear]

It would be really cool if Domiguez figures out out to hit with a fair amount of consistency.

How are his 3B skills? Haven't been able to watch much.

[Ron Brand]

It would be really cool if Domiguez figures out out to hit with a fair amount of consistency.

He's still young. His minor league track record isn't very good, but he has shown improvement this year.

[Ron Brand]

How are his 3B skills? Haven't been able to watch much.

I haven't seen much, but he's supposed to be very good.

[juliogotay]

How are his 3B skills? Haven't been able to watch much.

Reputation is very good defensively. Haven't seen enough myself to say. He has made all of the routine plays.

[Ron Brand]

Horrible call at 2B. Where the hell is the manager?

[Ron Brand]

Paredes singles to put runners on first and second with one out. Bogey up, action in the Dickities' pen.

[NeilT]

It would be really cool if Domiguez figures out out to hit with a fair amount of consistency.

He's having a fair amount of consistency this week.

[Ron Brand]

That was a fucking waste. Bogey and Wallace both strike out as Cueto fights to stay in the game.

[Reuben]

Argghh. Bogey and Wallace both go down swinging at down-and-inside sliders on 3-2.

[Ron Brand]

Schafer dives and misses on a sinking liner that turns into a triple that scores Votto. 4-1.

[Ron Brand]

Schafer appears to be hurt. They aren't stopping play though.

[austro]

Schafer appears to be hurt. They aren't stopping play though.

Gonna need that medical marijuana.

[Ron Brand]

Gonzalez wriggles free.

[Reuben]

Schafer appears to be hurt. They aren't stopping play though.

Gee, I hope he doesn't have to come out of the game...

[Ron Brand]

Cingrani relieves Cueto for the top of the fifth.

[juliogotay]

I was glad, and a little surprised, that FMart caught that. It was not an easy play. BTW, did anyone realize he has hit over .300 in his last 15 games with an OPS of about 1000? OB of .391 and SLP of over .600. I haven't been watching reguarly and didn't know he was doing that well.

[Reuben]

I was glad, and a little surprised, that FMart caught that. It was not an easy play. BTW, did anyone realize he has hit over .300 in his last 15 games with an OPS of about 1000? OB of .391 and SLP of over .600. I haven't been watching reguarly and didn't know he was doing that well.

I knew he was hitting OK, no idea it was that good.

And yeah, I was surprised he caught that, but only because he has looked pretty awful in the OF. Perhaps he can hit enough to be a platoon DH next year.

[Ron Brand]

Still 4-1 through 5.

[Reuben]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the Edgar Gonzalez Reclamation Project has worked out better than the Armando Galarraga Reclamation Project.

[Ron Brand]

Tyler Greene makes it 5-1 with a shot to right.

[juliogotay]

I hope we are close to seeing the last of Schafer.

[Ron Brand]

That's it for Gonzalez. They're speculating he has some kind of ankle problem.

[Mr. Happy]

I'm late to the party. Been doing laundry. Glad to see that we're in the lead, at least for now.

[Mr. Happy]

Who the fuck is Didi Gregorius?

[Ron Brand]

Who the fuck is Didi Gregorius?

He's their shortstop from the Netherlands.

[Mr. Happy]

Damn. WW came back from 3-0 to strike out the always tough Votto.

[Reuben]

Who the fuck is Didi Gregorius?

JD thinks he's a James Bond villian.

[Mr. Happy]

Oswalt only went two innings today, giving up four earnies and two long balls. His ERA is an Astroesque 6.29--not what the stRangers were expecting.

[Mr. Happy]

WW struck out a trio of dangerous hitters in Phillips, Votto and Bruce. Let him throw the seventh.

[Reuben]

Why was that guy in such a fuckin' hurry to get through God Bless America?

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Was that Billy Hatcher, I had just changed the channel back to the game.

[geezerdonk]

Cueto is way, way too much for Bogusevic.

You would have to go down to A ball to find someone who isn't.

[Mr. Happy]

Storey for a second inning? Is that tempting fate?

[Ron Brand]

Storey for a second inning? Is that tempting fate?

Not any more so than any other pitcher in this bullpen.

[juliogotay]

Storey for a second inning? Is that tempting fate?

This guy's a keeper, no?

[Mr. Happy]

Not any more so than any other pitcher in this bullpen.

Did you notice what I did there?

[Mr. Happy]

Hey Geezerdonk. You're cued. Bogusevic up with a chance at a Golden Sombrero.

[Ron Brand]

Last chance to give it away, coming up.

[Ron Brand]

Lopez comes back after nibbling low and gets Votto to hit a strike over the plate on the ground to second. Whew. One down.

[austro]

Ouch: Orioles lose Markakis to a broken thumb.

[Ron Brand]

I'll be glad to never hear that stupid 'Regulators' again.

[Ron Brand]

Bruce singles to right. Frazier up.

[austro]

I'll be glad to never hear that stupid 'Regulators' again.

Where did that crap come from, anyway?

[Ron Brand]

Frazier has been lost at the plate for a few days now.

[Ron Brand]

Where did that crap come from, anyway?

I don't know. I thought it was idiotic when they started using it, and it was just a matter of time before it backfired on them.

[Ron Brand]

Pop out to center, two down.

[Ron Brand]

Paul singles to left. Two on for Drew Stubbs, two out.

[Ron Brand]

Called strike three! Ballgame, Astros win the series on the road!

[Mr. Happy]

Astros win a road series!

[NeilT]

Astros win a road series!

FIFY.  pretty sweet.

[geezerdonk]

Bring on Chicago.

[austro]

Sweet: Lopez allows just enough baserunners to get me a save!

[Mr. Happy]

Sweet: Lopez allows just enough baserunners to get me a save!

Are you sure? I thought that the pitcher couldn't create his own save situation.

[austro]

Are you sure? I thought that the pitcher couldn't create his own save situation.

No, it looks like I was wrong. No save.

[Mr. Happy]

No, it looks like I was wrong. No save.

The rule that I will never understand is the "hold" rule.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I'll be glad to never hear that stupid 'Regulators' again.

As a rule, shitty bullpens on a shitty team should not self gloss.

[OregonStrosFan]

Astros win a road series!

Series win, SWEET!!!  I'm going to take some enjoyment from watching the 'Stros play spoilers for the rest of the season. Especially if it screws up the Co-ards!!!

[Mr. Happy]

Whatdayaknow? Our pitchers gave up five hits and struck out 14. It's normally the reverse of that.

[Reuben]

I blame the Regulators thing on Brett Myers.

[Mr. Happy]

I blame the Regulators thing on Brett Myers.

I blame it on the team marketing department. The players usually hate that kind of shit.

[Reuben]

I blame it on the team marketing department. The players usually hate that kind of shit.

My understanding (which certainly may be mistaken) was that Myers got the pen to start calling themselves the Regulators, early in the year when they were actually doing pretty good. Brownie and/or Lucas mentioned it on air, and then a couple weeks later they had the little video/graphic sequence. Then the whole team started sucking, particularly the pen.

[Mr. Happy]

My understanding (which certainly may be mistaken) was that Myers got the pen to start calling themselves the Regulators, early in the year when they were actually doing pretty good. Brownie and/or Lucas mentioned it on air, and then a couple weeks later they had the little video/graphic sequence. Then the whole team started sucking, particularly the pen.

You may be right about where it started, but the video/graphics didn't happen without the prodding of the marketing arm of the shop. It's one thing to promote a little esprit de corps between the players, and there's nothing wrong with that--in fact, my opinion of Myers just ticked up a rad if it was his idea to promote a little camaraderie. The problem was when, and I still blame it on team management/marketing, the spot was made. That was what crossed the line, and the BBG's made them pay. The Angel of Doom is now 1-10.