Homer Bailey Makes First Start Of Season

Homer Bailey making his first start of the 2009 season struggles in the first inning but gets out of the jam without being scored on. In the bottom of the inning Joey Votto, making his first start after being side lined with an inner ear infection for ten games, drives 3-2 pitch the other way to give the Reds a 1-0 lead.

In the second inning Homer again gets behind batters and it costs him as the Tribe plates four runs after eight hitters come to the plate. In the bottom of the inning Ramon Hernandez drives a ball 441' for a two run home run to get the Reds back to 4-3. Later in the same inning Joey Votto pulls one this time for his second home run in two plate appearances. This time it's a three run shot to give the Reds the lead back, 6-3 after two complete.

After Homer walks the bases full in the fifth Dusty Baker comes has seen enough and comes get him. At this point he has no chance to win as he only goes 4 and 1/3 innings, but he does leave with the Reds ahead 6-4. Jared Burton comes on in a very tough situation with the bases juiced. Burton gives up a two run hit to tie the game but holds the Tribe right there.

The Tribe scores the winning run off David Weathers in the eighth and he gets tagged with the loss. This game was played in a way that the Reds don't want to try to repeat. They have had pretty good starting pitching and lights out relief pitching. Neither were good tonight. This team has three players that can flat out smash the ball. Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips.....but this is not the way this team will win most of it's games this year. They have to be able to get the clutch hit with runners in scoring position with less than two out. Again tonight they stranded ten runners. The Reds can still win this series this afternoon and are sending Johnny Cueto to the mound looking to take two of three from the Tribe.