Rookie Mike Leake, Friday night: wow, 7-1 score, complete game into the ninth, Reds lose in Extras. Double wow: Rookie Travis Wood, 3rd major league start, the talk of baseball Saturday as he dueled Halladay, and took a PERFECT GAME into the ninth, Reds lose in extras. Just to type those two epitaphs, wow! A "pending epitaph" is what some are trying to write and say about The current 2010 Reds, fueled by three extra inning losses in a row, Friday nights colossal collapse, almost a mirror image of the comeback by Atlanta earlier this year: The Reds are the first team in MLB history to lose two games in one season in which they led by six or more runs entering the bottom of 9th" compliments @juergenscj. (Thanks for reminding us Chris, sheesh, JK LOL ummm thats our tweet language for those of u still stuck in Fb land)
Of course its to early but awfully foreboding for catastrophic melt downs like those for a team trying to earn league wide respect as contenders and not pretenders . But these meltdowns evidently effect us fans more than the players, as John Fay reminds us: RT @rfeyh04: @johnfaymanQ: how much does it destroy reds psyche to lose third straight in extras//A: Much harder on fans than players. Lets hope so, as the Reds throw another Rookie out there Sunday: Three rooks in a row! Hasnt been done since 1994 by Cincy, and we have wasted two fine outings by Leake and now Wood, Getting to 50 wins would be oh so sweet pre Allstar break.
Folks were slamming Dusty, maybe rightly so, for leaving young Leake in there (86 pitches going into the ninth) but what if Leake could have got the job done, we all would have said "Great job Leake" with no credit towards Dusty, the way it should be. The player on the field gets the credit, and should get he blame, but the manager got the blame this time, like I said probably rightly so. These are major leaguers though, young Leake as mature as they come, yes Dusty has to look out for the youngsters but heck its our RP that is much more suspect. The Reds still hold a 2 game lead over the Cardinals who recently seem content in following the Reds in 2nd: neither team making the "Big trade " to prep for the second half, although Reds management is doing their part in trying.
This season continues to not let any Reds fan get comfortable, especially if the relief pitching has anything to say about it. Our sticks will be there, barring injury (Capt Rolen, that back ok?) Its folks like CoCo and aging Allstar Rhodes that frankly scare the VuVuzuela right outa' me! There are 25 Million reasons why we are stuck with CoCo (Who I saw Seattle let go years ago after many blown saves and an aging arm) he gets to Cincy and Reds fans go crazy for his latin flair and heart. Now the 23 saves are sweet but his 6 (pace for 12) blown saves will "not get it done" as one HOF'er put it. Rhodes is great but Rhodes is old, he has given up two games of late, and because of his stellar perf so far (40+ scoreless innings earlier) he's got a long leash.
One @jlglitz and I recently pondered 100 mph'er Aroldis 'Phenom' Chapman adding some closer help, and because of his wildness we thought what the heck, even a wild pitch laloosh style, at a mascots head may help at this point!
Were halfway there folks and our team has excited us, we are in this, and our rookies are phenomenal: what a fun first half! Now lets get those Phils on Sunday!
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