Game 10: Reds 4, Brewers 1

Edwin Encarnacion had the day off yesterday and spent the day taking batting practice. Apparently he put all that extra BP to good use.

Encarnacion's two-run homer in the seventh put the Reds (6-4) on top for good Thursday afternoon, powering them to a 4-1 win over Milwaukee.

While Encarnacion's power ultimately provided the winning margin, it was ace Aaron Harang's fantastic perfomance that kept the Reds in it long enough for them to get there. He went eight innings, allowing just four hits and one run while striking out three. He threw ground ball after ground ball, especially after the third, when he got the ball elevated a bit. Only one of his hits allowed came after the second inning, when Milwaukee (6-3) got its only run. It's just such a secure feeling when you know Harang is dealing. Usually when he's throwing like he did today you know it's just a matter of time before the Reds break through and it'll be over.

Today wasn't quite as secure as usual, though, because for six innings Brewers starter Carlos Villanueva was better. Both starters did a great job of pounding both sides of the zone, mixing up pitches and keeping hitters off-balance. Villanueva had a no-hitter through 4 1/3 before Scott Hatteberg (2-3, 2B, BB, R... Votto gets more firmly entrenched on the bench by the day, I fear) had a seeing-eye grounder single to right. Paul Bako then tied the game with an RBI double.

Then came the first major strategic issue I've had with Dusty. After Bako's double, Harang came up with runners on second and third with one out. CP23 was on deck, he had looked bad against Villanueva in his first two ABs but prior to today has been one of the hottest hitters on the team. He has Hatteberg run and Harang try a squeeze. Harang misses, Hatteberg is tagged out, Harang strikes out and that's the inning. Keep in mind the infield was up, any moderately-hit grounder in the right spot scores two runs. I know Harang isn't the best-hitting pitcher, but with the infield in, if the ball is hit where a fielder can get it, the runners would have been able to get back before being tagged (no force outs on the field other than at first) and you have CP23 at the plate with two out and two on. Instead you get nothing in what was at the time a 1-1 game.

Even if the move had worked, I would have said it was stupid, but I was glad it worked. As it was, in a game when runs were at a premium, you can't deliberately take the bat out of the hands of one of your hottest hitters, and I think they would have had just as good a chance of plating one had Harang been swinging for a ground ball through the infield. Hell, he did just that the next inning, hitting a grounder past the drawn-in 3B Bill Hall for a single. If he does the same in that situation it's two runs. If he does that and Hall fields the ball, Harang is out at first and no harm done. Just reckless and stupid.

But Harang kept cruising and the Reds came up against Villanueva in the seventh. After touching him up in the fifth you could feel the breakthrough coming, but it started in an unusual way. Adam Dunn led the inning off with a check-swing single just over J.J. Hardy's head and into left. Then came Encarnacion's homer. It was obvious he was sitting on Villanueva's breaking ball, which had been giving hitters fits. This one broke right over the plate between the knees and waist, just a perfect pitch to hit and he crushed it to left-center. Hatteberg doubled, Bako singled him home (2 RBI for him today, he's still hitting) and it was 4-1. Harang cruised through the seventh and eigth, and Francisco Cordero nailed things down in the ninth for win #6 on the young season for the Redlegs.

CORDERO'S RECEPTION...
Somewhat less than warm in his Milwaukee return. I was a little surprised, but I really didn't have any idea what Milwaukee thought of him before he signed with the Reds. Maybe they saw him as moneygrubbing since the Reds' offer wasn't that much higher than the Brewers. Maybe it's just that he signed with a divsion rival, although with the Reds' recent lack of success it's hard to see anyone viewing us as their rival, except maybe rivaling Pittsburgh for last the Central. If I traded Cordero for Gagne in the closer's spot, I'd be mad, too. Still, it was surprising.

KEPPINGER...
... at shortstop makes me nervous. He has that David Eckstein thing of looking like he's throwing it as hard as he possibly can even on routine throws. Still, he didn't have any errors and generally hits (although he was 0-4 with an IBB today) so you can't complain too much.

WITH THE WIN...
The Reds clinched a series win over Milwaukee. Cincinnati has now won two of three series outright on the year (two of three from Arizona, split with Phillies, two of three from Brewers) and head to Pittsburgh for the first of 344 meetings with the Pirates Friday night. The Buccos (tm George Grande) have predictably been struggling this year, coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cubs at home. They're 3-6 on the year thus far. The Reds really can't go in there assuming anything, though; it was against the bottom half of the league that they really struggled last year, and the Pirates have a little starting pitching now. In the opener tomorrow, Edinson Volquez takes the mound for his second Reds start after a fantastic debut last Sunday. His opponent will be Pirates lefty Paul Maholm.

First pitch is 7:05 Eastern, 4:05 here in paradise. Peace.