Game 33: Reds 5, Cubs 3

Francisco Cordero made it more interesting than it should have been, but the Reds (13-20) held on to end their five-game losing streak Monday, downing the Cubs (18-14), 5-3.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20080505&content_id=2645804&vkey=wrapup2005&fext=.jsp&team=home

Adam Dunn had a colossal homer to put Cincinnati up 5-1, and Johnny Cueto and the bullpen were able to hold on. Cordero, though, allowed four runners to reach and had to face Derrek Lee with two out before finally getting him to ground out unassisted to first baseman Joey Votto on a play that ended up way closer than it looked like it would be.

Cueto looked good for the first time in a while, enduring a shaky fifth where he gave up two runs and the Cubs were just scorching the ball. He probably could have stood to be lifted after that frame, but Dusty sent him out for the sixth. It was perhaps a necessary move considering how many innings the bullpen had thrown in the last two games in Atlanta.

Mike Lincoln threw a sparkling seventh, and then came another decision I didn't particularly agree with: throwing David Weathers in the setup role in his first game off the disabled list. Again, this may have been a need-based move rather than what he would have preferred to do; the bullpen threw a ton in Atlanta. Weathers proved me wrong, though, getting a huge strikeout
on Mark DeRosa to end the eighth.

With two hits yesterday and a titanic blast today, maybe Donkey is heating up... will be worth watching the next two games of the series.

PLAYER MOVE
David Weathers back off the DL, Bill Bray back to the Bats. Not a move I'm crazy about, but the Reds have to have a long man and Weathers has been too good the last two years to not earn another shot in the bigs. People calling for him getting released are doing so way prematurely. This guy was pretty much the team MVP last season.

CONDOLENCES
To Ken Griffey Jr., who had his best friend pass from cancer at the age of thirty-eight. He nearly had a dinger tonight, too, but Felix Pie robbed him over the fence in a true webgem.

COMING UP
How refreshing it was to jump out to an early lead (3-0 after one, 5-1 after three) and hold on and actually win a game. Now let's show it wasn't a fluke tomorrow night. Should be a good old good one, as it's a battle of the aces: Aaron Harang for the Reds, and Carlos Zambrano for Chicago. Game time is 7:10, 4:10 here in Padreland. Peace.