Despite the best efforts of Jason Standridge, the Reds got the post-All-Star-Break half going right with a 7-9 win over the Rockies last night.

Eric Milton allowed three runs (earned) on five hits and a walk through six innings for the win. Then the Reds sent out everyone and the kitchen sink to pitch the rest of the game.

David Weathers did OK, allowing no runs on one hit in the seventh. Todd Coffey did the same in the eighth.

Standridge allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits before his one-third of an inning was in the books. He finished the game with an 8.10 ERA. Yet it was Esteban Yan that was designated for assignment today. Go figure.

Finally, Eddie Guardado stopped the bleeding to finish off the ninth and get the save.

Chris Denorfia got to lead off, having been brought back from Louisville. Frankly, I'm surprised. Narron never seemed to want to play Denorfia when he was with the team in the past. He went 1-for-5 on the night.

Juan Castro surprised everyone with a three-run home run in the seventh inning off Ray King. Ken Griffey, Jr. didn't really surprise anyone with his solo shot in the same inning. Adam Dunn, Edwin Encarnación, Jason LaRue, and Eric Milton provided the remaining RBI.

LaRue went 2-for-3 on the night with two runs scored. He's hot! Let's not sit him! Javier Valentín pinch hit for David Weathers in the seventh with a single. Yeah, yeah, everyone loves David Ross. But I love the Catching Tandem of Power from 2005 even more. Especially now that they're the only people I recognize on this team.

OK, that's hyperbole. But you know what I mean.

The win brings the Reds' record to 46-44. Thanks to the continuing weakness of the Cardinals and about everyone else in the NLC, the Reds remain second in the division and just four games out of first. Tonight at 7:10 p.m., Aaron Harang faces off against Jason Jennings. Not that it's all that important, but I would love for Harang to be the first to get his tenth win.

You know how after a shocking event you can't seem to think of anything. But as time goes on, suddenly ideas begin to reform themselves in your mind, and some of them seem ridiculously stupid in the context of the big picture?

I've been having several of those all day. Things such as:

• I get loads of hits from people searching for “Felipe Lopez tattoos” and “is Austin Kearns married?” Maybe I should donate their Human League profiles to a deserving Nationals blog.
• I follow the Reds for the players. If they trade away my favorite players, am I no longer a Reds' fan?
• I wonder whether Wayne Krivsky is sad that the overwhelming majority of people think he's an asshat today.

To that last point, apparently the overwhelming majority don't. Or at least, not the overwhelming majority of those who feel the need to respond to online polls.

The Enquirer's poll asks “Do you agree with the Reds' decision to trade Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez and Ryan Wagner?” At the time of this writing 59.11% did.

Lance McAlister asks “Are the Reds a better team today than they were yesterday?” Right now, 75% say yes.

The Dayton Daily News wants to know “Did the Reds get enough for Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez and Ryan Wagner?” Only 40.78%, so at least the DDN is getting closer to asking the right question.

Not that I'd want to influence the results or anything, but all the polls are still open to cast your vote.

And if you know of someone looking for some slightly used human league profiles…you might send them my way.

The Reds pulled themselves to within one game of .500 in their last game before the All-Star break back on July 9. So many years, that would have sounded like a good thing, but this time it meant a 3-8 loss to the Braves.

Bronson Arroyo pulled himself to within three games of .500 with his four and one-third inning outing. He allowed six runs, all earned, on 10 hits and three walks. The loss brings his personal record to 9-6.

Matt Belisle finished out the fifth without a hit. Todd Coffey gave up two runs (earned) on four hits in the sixth. Kent Mercker held 'em scoreless in the seventh, as did David Weathers in the eighth.

Adam Dunn hit a three-run home run, scoring Scott Hatteberg and Felipe Lopez, in the sixth to provide the Reds' score. Ryan Freel and Rich Aurilia were the only Reds with more than one hit apiece. Freel went 2-for-3 before being pulled from the game with shoulder soreness in favor of Dewayne Wise. Aurilia went 2-for-4.

The loss brought the Reds' record to 45-44 to head into the All-Star break, and they weren't the only ones needing it, which is why you're reading this five days after the fact. Last night they were back home again to face the Rockies, with Eric Milton leading the charge against Jeff Francis.

Hardly seems to matter much now, but back on July 8, the Reds lost to the Braves, 1-4.

Aaron Harang pitched a complete game of eight innings and allowed four runs (earned) on nine hits and two walks. The man struck out eight. Would fewer runs have been allowed, zero perhaps, if we'd had the two new bullpeners we have today? I don't know. But that's what it would have taken, since the Reds scored only one.

That one came in the fourth. Scott Hatteberg got the RBI. Ken Griffey, Jr. got the run scored. Griffey was the only Red to walk. Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez were the only Reds with more than one hit on the night. Joyless, ironic, “Heh.”

The loss brought the Reds' record to 45-43. Bronson Arroyo would try for his tenth win for about the zillionth time the next day.

Just heard on WLW:

To make room for their shiny new pitchers Gary Majewski and Bill Bray and shortstop Royce Clayton, the Reds have designated for assignment Esteban Yan, optioned William Bergolla back to Louisville, and placed Matt Belisle back on the 15-day Disabled list with a strained back.

They've apparently also claimed Brandon Watson, a minor league outfielder, off the waiver wire, also from the Nationals.

Perhaps Krivsky would like to trade teams with Bowden.