Game Recap: Reds Slip Up Late against Phillies

"Team: A group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport."

Let us give a big thank you to Google for that definition. It played a good game all the way up until the final moment when I clicked the little red “x” to close out the session.

So now that I am done nerding out over my extensive word play, let us focus in for a couple of minutes what this “team” word really means. When one breaks down the definition and looks at the phrase that states, “forming one side” it shows us that a team acts as one unit, therefore it is un-fair to shift the entire blame of a loss on one player.

As many of you who watched the game may guess, or even shifted the blame yourselves, Jay Bruce is not the goat of this 5-4 game. There were many events that came down to this evening in the loss that it was.

Some examples:

Billy Hamilton getting picked off while dancing off of the bag early in the game.

Johnny Cueto failing his bunt attempt, thus having Marlon Byrd, a potential insurance run, thrown out at third.

Todd Frazier having two fielding errors.

There are many reasons why this game went south, but the one that is going to be gleaming in the shimmering, teary-eyed, hatred filled, Reds fans will be that of a not so distant deja vu that was Bruce losing a ball in the lights in Philadelphia. Let’s us not forget how Jumbo Diaz was only giving up rocket after rocket in that inning which were fortunate enough to be hit right at defenders.

But for what it was worth, let us recap.

Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips showed Reds Country why they are supposed to be the leaders of this team. Phillips was able to get on ahead of Votto twice and in that many chances Votto was able to drive Phillips in.

Zack Cozart would also double in a run of his own, which would be followed up by a well executed squeeze play by one William Hamilton.

The Pitching, up until about 1 out in the eight inning, was exquisite, or as the kids say, “BAE” for the Reds today. Cueto was only charged with two runs for his six innings of worth. Ryan Mattheus gave his one perfect inning of work. Then it was the combination of Tony Cingrani and Diaz that gave up the final three runs of the game.

So what does all this mean? It means that it will be interesting to see how the boys react to their next game with a struggling Mike Leake on the mound. Will this be just a bump in the road, or another mudslide?