Edinson Volquez had yet another quality start, giving up only two runs in seven innings pitched, and got his tenth win before the halfway point of the season.  Joey Votto had three hits including his twelfth homer of the year.  Jolbert Cabrera went four-for-four, avoided a tag at home plate with a brilliant slide, but severely dislocated a finger sliding headfirst into second and will be headed to the DL.

Daryl Thompson will be activated tomorrow to pitch the second game of the series.  We will have to wait and see if he will simply take Cabrera’s spot on the roster, or if other moves will be made.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, an better alternative to OPS.

Aaron Harang had a subpar start, lasted only five innings and suffered his tenth loss of the season, while young Dodger lefty Eric Stults stymied the Reds hitters for six innings to earn his first win of the year.  James Loney went 3-for-4, while Matt Kemp hit his sixth home run and drove in three for the Dodgers.  Brandon Phillips and Norris Hopper had two hits each for the Reds.  The loss completed a 2-7 homestand for the Reds.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, a better alternative to OPS.

Dusty Baker flip-flopped Joey Votto and Corey Patterson in the order, but it didn’t help much, as the only Reds run scored on a solo homer by Edwin Encarnacion.  Meanwhile, Bronson Arroyo gave up six Dodger runs in six and one-third innings.  Brandon Phillips had two hits and turned a spectacular double play.  James Loney and Juan Pierre drove in two runs each, and starter Derek Lowe picked up the win for the Dodgers.

Norris Hopper, activated from the DL before the game, pinch-hit for Patterson and played a couple of innings in center.  Hopper had a single and a base on balls, but was stranded in scoring position both times.  To make room for Hopper on the roster, Homer Bailey was optioned back to Louisville.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, a better alternative to OPS.

Johnny Cueto pitched a good ballgame for the Reds, but Chad Billingsley shut down the Reds offense as the Dodgers beat the Reds, 3-1.

Pinch-hitter Javier Valentin drove in the only Reds run with a groundout in the seventh.  Joey Votto collected two of the Reds’ six hits on the night.  Jeff Kent went three for four for the Dodgers.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, an improvement over OPS.

Hello everyone, I wanted to let you know about a great promotion that Major League Baseball as well as State Farm Insurance are putting on. State Farm is giving away some great prizes and all you have to do is go to the Offical State Farm Call Your Shot website and register through June 24th. If you are the lucky winner we have listed out what the winner will all receive below. Now tell me if that isn’t one of the best prizes for a baseball family! Make sure you take a few minutes to register, you could be the winner! Also, don’t forget to vote for your favorite players to be in the All Star game!

• All-expense paid trip for four to the All-Star Game and State Farm Home Run Derby
• First class hotel accommodations in New York
• Tickets to a Broadway show
• $1,000 MasterCard gift card

The grand prize winner will also get the chance to pick a spot to which two of the Home Run Derby players must compete to try to hit a ball. If the first player hits the ball to the called spot, the promotion ends. If either player succeeds, the fan receives a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid vehicle and a 2009 season-ticket package for any team.

Additionally, 10 fans will win first place prizes consisting of a $300 MLB.com gift card and 25 second place prize winners will receive $100 MLB.com gift cards.

As you can tell, this would be an amazing trip and prize package to win. So what are you waiting for? Go register for a trip of a lifetime!

Homer Bailey lived up to his name, surrendering three of them in two and one-third innings, as a Red Sox lineup without either Manny Ramirez or the injured David Ortiz cruised to a 9-0 victory behind Josh Beckett (7-4) and two Sox relievers.  Joey Votto was three-for-four for the Reds, and Jolbert Cabrera, getting a start at shortstop, was two-for-three, but since they were widely separated in the batting order, it still added up to zero runs.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, an improvement over OPS. 

Kevin Youkilis and Coco Crisp hit back-to-back homers in the top of the tenth to beat Mike Lincoln and the Reds, 6-4.  Edwin Encarnacion had sent the game into extra innings with a two-out, two-strike, bottom-of-the ninth homer off Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.  Earlier solo homers by Adam Dunn and Brandon Phillips, and a pinch-hit RBI single by Javier Valentin, accounted for the rest of the Reds runs.  Tim Wakefield and Edinson Volquez, the starting pitchers, duelled for seven innings before turning the game over to the bullpens.

Before the game, Danny Herrera was sent back to Louisville when Gary Majewski was reinstated from the bereavement list.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, an improvement over OPS.

Jay Bruce got the Reds off to a good start in interleague play with a leadoff home run in the first, and starter Aaron Harang, setup man Jared Burton, and closer Francisco Cordero limited the Bosox to one run on five hits.  Harang got only his third win of the season, but looked like his old self.  Sean Casey, playing first base for the Red Sox, also looked pleasantly familiar.  Adam Dunn blasted a solo homer, and Joey Votto hit a run-scoring double.  Manny Ramirez drove in the lone Sox run.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, an improvement over OPS.

Bronson Arroyo pitched six shutout innings and hit a solo homer, David Ross got Edwin Encarnacion home with a perfectly-executed suicide squeeze, and Brandon Phillips hit a bases-loaded triple to provide the final margin and get reliever Jared Burton his third win of the season.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, an alternative to OPS.

Johnny Cueto walked eight and gave up six earned runs in five innings, while the Reds offense managed only three hits off Braden Looper, who pitched not only his first career shutout, but his first career complete game.  The defense wasn’t any better, as Cueto threw one away in the infield, and Jay Bruce dropped one in the outfield.  Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel and even cowboy Jason LaRue homered for the Cardinals, who cruised to a 10-0 victory.

 Jolbert Cabrera, who was brought up from Louisville when Jerry Hairston Jr. went on the 15-day DL, made his first start for the Reds, playing second base in place of the slumping Brandon Phillips.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, an alternative to OPS.