for post #30, i will start off with a trivia question.

it is not too often that a starting pitcher goes 7 innings against the tribe. most often, it seems a starting pitcher against us has 100 pitches or more in the fifth inning, if they make it that far. but there has been four pitchers this year who went at least 7 innings against us, AND did allow a walk. do u know who those four are?

answer at the end.

now on to today's game. it is saturday, and cliff lee is matched against matt belisle at great american ballpark. norris (?) hopper just led off the bottom of the fifth with a lead off triple. we are down 4-3 already. we have worked belisle well, but have only scored 3 runs so far. 2 of those were solo shots via the bats of grady and jhonny.

it is now 5-3. what is up with jeremy sowers? westbrook is starting his rehab. the train is coming jeremy. it will be dropping off jake, and then taking you back to buffalo. the game is now in the hands of the bullpen. we need 4 quality (aka scoreless) innings to be able to mount a rally. if we do not do so today, we will have lost another road series. young rafael perez starts the pen's day. striking out ken griffey jr is definitely the right way to start things off, rafael.

brandon phillips is killing us. he just stole a base. thanks to victor not catching brandon though, we just recorded an out that probably would have been a base hit due to where josh barfield was.

so, i have heard how cincy's pen is so atrocious. in 4 games, i have not seen it though. they went four innings last night with only a solo bomb by pinch hitter garko to preserve the victory for phenom homer bailey. belisle has come out to start the 6th. he just retired jhonny on a groundout. now dellucci is gone. and so is barfield. sigh.

back to the pen. almost a 1-2-3 inning. the error by perez removes belilse from the game. the first two balls to pinch hitter david ross were more like perez's throw to first, wild. but he recovers to get another soft comebacker.

now it is officially up to cincy's pen. the first to try the hold the lead is rookie right hander marcus mc beth. this dude just made his debut earlier this week. grady is on, that is good. grady is now on third, that is better. pronk is up, which could be great. mc beth will not face him. the man facing pronk is lefty john coutlangus. pronk almost grounds into an inning ending double play. instead, a run is in and he is at second thanks to a wild pitch. i thought victor had the game tying hit. but it was right at the shortstop, alex gonzalez. dang!

perez is on again for his third inning. i know he was a starter in buffalo, but since he was recalled, i believe this is the fourth time he has pitched into his third inning of relief. ( vs boston, KC, det, and today). once again, ken has hit a solo HR. he did so last night, and that run was the difference in the game. hopefully the same will not be true tonight. earned run numero uno for perez. conine strikes out, but the damage is done, reds back up by 2.

majewski now in, leading off against pinch hitter ryan garko. a basehit by jhonny follows a K by garko. you gotta believe! speaking of dellucci is up. the count is now 3-2. DD is due. c'mmon. he is fouling off pitches. lets hope he gets one to hit. HE DOES. tie game! home run number 3. he starts off in a 0-2 hole, takes three straight close pitches for balls, then fouls off a couple, then BAM. barfield is now on. ygb! michaels is out and the lefty stanton is on to pitch to grady. stanton pitched 2 fairly easy innings last night. grady has 3 hits today, a HR, a 2B, and a 1B. dangit. brandon makes a nice play on a rocket shot by grady. but we have a whole new ballgame. and the reds have used more pitchers than we have.

betancourt is in for us now. so is franklyn gutierrez. a good inning for rafael #2, 1-2-3.

hopefully the tribe will score here in the 9th, and i can start grilling my steak. i have everything ready to go.

interesting, a tie game, yet reds' closer weathers is in again. even the reds' broadcasters are concerned that weathers is 'running on fumes'. we shall see. casey is out one on a nice play by gonzalez. pronk is now up. what a moment this would be for him to break out of his 'slump'. he has been driving the ball today, except for the almost DP ball. darn. fly ball to centerfielder hamilton. two gone. ygb, baby! let's go victor. wow, a pop up on a 3-0 count. what the heck, victor?

the bottom of the ninth. wow, norris just hit a foul ball that sorta scared me. he is really working betancourt well. c'mom strike out the side! it is now 2-2. i say throw that same pitch tha victor just somehow smothered. this has been quite an AB. end with a K. pitch 10. you do not want phillips at bat. 3-2. pitch 11 on its way. out, out, out. c'mon! THAT WAS STRIKE 3. i guess we are now even. hopefully, the result will not be. nope, no run will score. finally, onto extra innings. that was a scary inning. what an AB by hopper. i thought i was watching grady bat.

now a three run or more 10th should be in order. victor santos on. victor goes a quick 1-2-3.

mastny is on. he walks griffey. the way griffey has been swinging, that might have been a good thing. a sacrafice, a K, and a IBB ensue. now it is up to alex g. thank god for franklyn! what a ctach! i thought the game was over. wow!

a good start. barfield leads off with a single. a nice sacrafice by rouse puts grady at bat with a runner in scoring position. what a nice time it would be for that triple. ball four. just as good. two on, one out for casey. bases loaded for pronk. i like it. talk about being due. ok, i will take it. another RBI fielders choice. victor is putting up a nice AB. full count. 2 on, 2 out. YES! RBI single. 8-6 score.

that is your final! what a game. i am out. oh yeah....

the answer to today's trivia question.
1. kelvim escobar
2. joe blanton
3. curt schilling
4. brian bannister