It's only 8:40 p.m. and the Reds have already lost one game tonight. Now we've got Bronson Arroyo going in the second game (accompanied by David Ross, fresh of the DL) for the second half of the double-header, and I'm not feeling at all confident. It would be just like the Reds to go on a 6-game winning streak and then get immediately swept by the Pirates. At least it might take some of the air out of the idea of handing Pete Mackanin the manager position. Have him in the running, sure, but at least interview some guys.

Anyway, here's the line-up for our Reds tonight. I see that Norris Hopper was already caught stealing.

Reds
Norris Hopper, CF
Jeff Keppinger, RF
Brandon Phillips, 2B
Jorge Cantu, 1B
Adam Dunn, LF
Edwin Encarnación, 3B
Alex Gonzalez, SS
David Ross, C
Bronson Arroyo, P

Go Reds!

Hey, there's always a bright side, even to a rough outing by Aaron Harang. Finally, the beat reporters can stop trying to come up with different ways to say “boy, this bullpen stinks.”

Though, now that I think about it, the bullpen hasn't had a chance to outstink Harang yet. It could still be more of the same.

On an unrelated note, who hates the idea of a Big 10 network besides me? I'm not a Big 10 fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I'll tune in to see a Purdue game on Saturdays. I've got a sinking feeling my casual college football following is soon to be at an end.

And while we're talking about ideas we hate, who was it who was talking about the length of Mike Stanton's contract? Ah, here it is, thank you John Fay. Stanton's entitled to $3 million next year, plus an option for 2009 with a $500,000 buyout. Ugh.

Woo, Adam Dunn just hit a 2-run homer. Do we really want to let this guy go free agent after this season just so Krivsky can lock up eight more Stanton's for the next three years?

Perhaps I've just been burned by the bullpen so many times that I can't even bear to get my hopes up when the Reds are up 5-2 on the Cubs in the bottom of the sixth, or maybe I really do have a sixth sense about these things. I *have* been kind of psychic lately.

On the other hand, when Aaron Harang is pitching, as he is tonight, he often doesn't give the bullpen much of a chance to lose the game for him, so maybe I'll be wrong this time.

We came back early from the Indians/Bats game tonight to get our new first grader to bed at a semi-decent hour. It was clearly already too late, as he's now refusing to sleep as he obsesses over the fact that 1) we won't let him sleep in our bed, and 2) we won't play musical chairs with him. Oh, the wonders of being 6.

Here's hoping it's not also too late for this game. Though our Reds retain the lead, the Jacque Jones homer that actually left the building isn't feeling too promising.

Shall we…?

Yeah, let's have a game thread!

The starting lineups for this afternoon, courtesy of the Associated Press:

PADRES

Brian Giles, rf
Geoff Blum, 2b
Mike Cameron, cf (ex-Red)
Adrian Gonzalez, 1b
Khalil Greene, ss
Rob Mackowiak, lf
Morgan Ensberg, 3b
Josh Bard, c
Jake Peavy, p

Peavy is 4-0, 1.99 in 7 career starts against the Reds.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, your Cincinnati…

REDS

Scott Hatteberg, 1b
Norris Hopper, cf
Brandon Phillips, 2b
Adam Dunn, lf
Jeff Keppinger, ss
Edwin Encarnación, 3b
Jason Ellison, rf
David Ross, c
Bronson Arroyo, p

Arroyo is 2-3, 3.49 in 5 career starts against the Padres.

John Fay reported that Alex Gonzalez has a “tender” throwing arm. Here's hoping this doesn't signal another infielder with arm problems, to go along with Juan Castro and Jerry Gil, who have already had Tommy John ligament replacements on their throwing arms this season. Anyway, Gonzalez is getting the day off, along with Ken Griffey, Jr.

I have to run to the store real quick, but will be back for the 1:15 PM start time…the store is right around the corner….just wanted to get the lineups up before I went. BRB!

HMZ

Walked into the room in the top of the first and couldn't believe that the Reds weren't down yet. I mean, it is Bronson Arroyo on the mound after all.

Even more surprising, given the above-mentioned pitching situation, the Reds scored in the bottom of the inning. As I sit here, nursing a sore knee (I've been overexerting it since I've been working downtown) and trying to convince a slightly-wheezy but no longer really sick 6-year-old to take it easy lest he relapse, our boys are up 0-3 in the top of the third. That tall drinka water that Dodgers have run out to the mound just got on base. Better start paying attention.