Hi, friends! It's been some time since we last saw each other. In that time, I've endured multiple corporate-wide layoffs and furloughs, and word has it more heads will fall next month. Owie! So far I've made it through unscathed, and I've even had the chance to do some Louisville Bats baseball writing!

I think a big hand is in order for Slyde and the gang. The current crew has done the most amazing job keeping fresh content up on the site, and they're great at writing funny and informative. I have a personal fondness for the Farmers Only feature, which BK has done splendidly, but everyone has helped make this a much richer community. I'm sure JD is thrilled with what these guys have made Red Reporter. I know I'm really proud.

But the reason I'm writing today is to direct you to a little feature I wrote for The Courier-Journal (The Curious One) about our friends Sam LeCure, Danny Dorn and Drew Stubbs, and their epic clash in the 2004 College World Series. (Our old buddy Justin Turner was there, too!) I had fun hearing those guys' stories. I hope you enjoy reading it!

Bats have powerful memories of College World Series

Hello.

I haven't been around much, but I'm still kicking. I'm going to be doing some reporting for my paper, The Courier-Journal in Louisville, for the Reds' Triple-A franchise, the Bats. I'm not the beat reporter, but I'll be something like the backup beat reporter.

Anyhoo, I cut my teeth on the Reds Caravan yesterday. We ran a little item on our Page 3, which is sorta a quirky/interesting news page, so I wrote about some of the guys' favorite autographs that they've gotten. Space and time were limited, so I didn't get to ask/say everything I wanted, but I think it's got a little sauce.

You can read the story here.

Some other tidbits that didn't fit into the story/didn't make the cut:

• George Grande once met Martin Luther King Jr. at an airport and had him talk to a youth team he was coaching.

• The only pieces of memorabilia Grande admits to acquiring were scoops of dirt from Yankee Stadium -- where he did his first major leage broadcast -- and Shea Stadium -- where he saw former college teammate Tom Seaver make his Mets debut.

• Yonder Alonso said he does practically nothing outside of baseball. Of his bat: "That's my girlfriend." Of her name: "Louisville."

• Speaking of Louisville, Alonso stepped foot in the city for the first time yesterday. He loves the park -- "It's a hitter's park; the wind blows out" -- and said he wants to start the season here.
• Alonso said he feels comfortable playing third base or either corner outfield spot and that "I'm a hitter." He said he hasn't spoken to Dusty about where he'll play once he's in Cincinnati but plans on having that conversation soon.
• I caught the tail end of a conversation in which Dusty said he's proud of Jerry Hairston for figuring out he needed to stop trying to pull the ball and that Chris Dickerson just has to stay healthy to be successful.

So that's about that. I didn't get to ask a lot of the questions I wanted, but I'm not unhappy with what I came out with. Hope you don't hate it too much.

It's T-Day, and as cliche as such a thing has become, it's still important to remember that there are things in life to be thankful for. Here's my list. I'd love to hear about yours.

• Timely hits.
• Title inspiration.
• Women's T-shirts and tanks.
• Day-long "A Christmas Story" marathons.
• Fall and winter leagues.
• Turkeys that can't fly.
• Sexy hand flips.
• Canada.
• Extra storage space.
• Young, live arms.
• Bad girls.
• Pitchers who are more than meets the eye.
• Nearly perfect television shows.
• Corey Patterson is a free agent. I think every fan of every team can be thankful for that.

Getty Images

• You will surely be shocked to learn that Jim Bowden and the Nationals are after Adam Dunn. Just imagine Austin Kearns, Wily Mo Pena and Adam Dunn all in the outfield at the same time. Now imagine a fellow in leather pants tooling around foul territory on a Segway. Now stop imagining, because if you do it too much you'll go blind.
• With the GM meetings under way, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick looks at 7 things to look for in the offseason. None of them, not surprisingly, include the Reds. The only player among its top 50 free agents that MLB Trade Rumors sees us getting iis Mark Kotsay.
• The Florence Freedom hired former Reds second-rounder Toby Rumfield for their front office. Outside a 29-homer season with the Winston-Salem Spirits in '94, Rumfield never really panned out and never reached the majors. But if you don't remember him, maybe you can catch a glimpse in Florence, Y'all.
• Anyone hoping for Mike Cameron can cross him off your list. He re-upped with the Brewers for 1 year, $10M.
• The Reds selected David Bell to manage at Double-A Carolina. Chris Bosio (pitching coach) and Ryan Jackson (hitting coach) will be joining him.
• If you haven't sen it yet, check out John Erardi's piece -- with help from our own Slyde -- on tweaking the Reds.

Paul Connors/AP

I thought we'd celebrate All Hallows Eve with the scariest Red Reporter posts of the past 12 months. Please feel free to add your own.

• There was this ghoulish FanPost back in March that led to months of fun in center field. Corey Patterson might not have been much of a power hitter. He might not have been much of a contact hitter. He might not have been much of a baserunner. He might not have been much in the field. But.

• It's been a while, but there was a time when we thought Jeff Keppinger's knee injury might have been a serious blow to the Reds' playoff chances. Still, that was definitely a nasty little injury, if for no other reason than I've always seen kneecaps as particularly vulnerable body parts and consider their injuries quite icky.

• This post was so scary it might make you cry.

• In the scariest moment I've ever read about on a baseball diamond, one of our minor league squads got into a squabble with some idiot Cubs farmhands, one of whom pelted an innocent fan with a fastball. Thankfully, that dolt is being brought to justice.

• Sometimes the writing by local writers is downright scary. ...

• ... and sometimes boyish good looks just make people frightened. Plus, "His commercials make me sick to my sotmach."

• Finally, despite what the ads say, change isn't always embraced by the masses. SBN scared the shit outta y'all.

What posts/threads remind you guys of the Halloween spirit?

This game is supposed to get back under way at 8:37, just after Barack Obama's half-hour national ad. The Phillies lead the series 3-1. There's still the possibility of the game being postponed again -- by rain or by snow.

Associated Press photo/Tom Uhlman

As you await with bated breath the thrilling conclusion to Game 5 of the World Series, tonight or whenever it decides to stop raining in Philadelphia, here's a look at the top 10 Reds pitching performances of the year, sorted (by Slyde) by game score. I also added links back to the original RedReporter threads, so you can remember where you were when these gems took place. You might not remember, for instance, that most of us never saw the best game on the mound this season.

10. Edinson Volquez, August 17, GS 71: The first of several appearances by Edinson on this list, on this night Volquez beat former Red Kyle Lohse and the St. Louis Cardinals. It was a typical late-season performance for Volquez, with only 4 strikeouts and 4 walks, but he only gave up 3 hits and fanned Rick Ankiel twice. RR

9. Aaron Harang, June 13, GS 72: This was a fun night on several fronts: The Reds beat the World Champion Red Sox, Jay Bruce and Adam Dunn homered and the Harang struck out 7 for his first win in 6 appearances. The Reds were already in last place at that point, but hey, a win over the Red Sox is a win over the Red Sox. RR

8. Volquez, May 7, GS 73: This game was over when the Reds smacked three home runs in the second inning off the Cubs' Jon Lieber, but Edinson made sure by striking out 10 for the second of 6 times (!) on the season. He walked a season-high 6 but got his ERA down to 1.06, which it would never be again. Also remembered as that time Joey Votto had three home runs. The Reds were already in last. RR

7. Volquez, May 23 ,GS 74: Three starts later, Edinson struck out 12 but got a no-decision. The Reds needed some late heroics -- a 9th-inning home run by Adam Dunn off Trevor Hoffman -- to pull it off. The Reds were still in last. RR

6. Bronson Arroyo, August 26, GS 74: Just days after Marty and Thom Brennaman railed on the radio that the Reds hadn't secured a complete game all year, Bronson came through with a solid if not flashy nine-inning, one-run game against the Astros to dig the Reds out of the cellar for good. Way to go, Bronson. RR

5. Arroyo, May 10, GS 77: The Bender was working as Bronson struck out 9 Mets to salvage a split of a day-night doubleheader. Then again, he was pitching on 6 days' rest after allowing 7 runs in 1.1 innings his previous start. RR

4. Harang, April 20, GS 78: The greatest moment of the season couldn't have happened had Harang not struck out 8 and allowed just 1 run in 8 innings to get the Reds to extras. Probably the most over-shadowed start of the season. RR

3. Volquez, June 4, GS 79: Edinson struck out 8 and allowed just 2 hits in 7 innings as the Reds beat the Phillies on just 3 hits. Approaching midseason, Volquez's ERA was still just 1.32 -- but it was about to go up in 8 of his next 9 starts. This game was pretty much the end of the Cy Young season. RR

2. Harang, September 17, GS 79: The Reds handed the Cardinals their 7th straight loss -- some consolation on a lost season -- and saw Harang get back into ace form, allowing 6 hits in a complete-game shutout. Hard to believe this was 1 of only 6 wins all season for the big man. RR

1. Johnny Cueto, April 3, GS 81: When Game 3 is the high point of your season, you probably root for the Cincinnati Reds. For many of us this was the first look at the sick movement on Johnny's Cueto's fastball, and Little Pedro seemed like a distinct possibility. Cueto struck out 10 Diamondbacks in 7 innings, taking a no-hitter into the 6th until Justin Upton's solo homer. Still, it was the only blemish on one of the best performances by any pitcher in the majors all year -- and it put the Reds in first place in the NL Central for the only time all season. Remember being in first? It happened. Not that many of us actually got to see it happen. RR

This series is tied up, but don't count on necessarily seeing any baseball tonight. Rain has descended upon Philadelphia, and there's a 90 percent chance of rain throughout the night. Rays manager Joe Maddon said it best:

From what I understand, it’s not going to start on time, but possibly relatively close. The proverbial window is like a 9:30 or so window, although this sounds like it may be a big bay window, where you actually could play a baseball game. They’re saying after this weather clears out, it should be good for the rest of the night.

So there you have it.

Associated Press photo/David Kohl

This photo was taken on Sept. 19 after Jay Hova homered twice in an 11-2 rout of the Brewers. Jay's season was a disappointment considering his amazing first week, but a success considering, hey, it was his first year in the bigs.

Use this thread to discuss your fondest Jay Bruce moment, the World Series, your Halloween plans or your favorite billionaire.

AP photo/Matt York

When the Reds traded Adam Dunn to the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 11, they didn't exactly get a king's ransom -- Dallas Buck, Wilkin Castillo and Micah Owings. But any haul that includes Owings has promise, because even if he fails as a pitcher, he's got a mighty bat to fall back on. 

Most poo-poo the idea of moving Owings to the outfield, saying his primary effectiveness is as a pitcher. Among th naysayers: Mark Sheldon of reds.com:

Where do the Reds envision Micah Owings playing for the upcoming season? Is he going to be a starting pitcher, or do they have any thoughts of turning him into an outfielder or first baseman to get him more playing time?
-- Kimberly K., Phoenix, Ariz.

Being from Arizona and watching him with the Diamondbacks, you've likely seen firsthand that Owings is a good hitter as far as pitchers go. But that's just his side job. His main gig is, and should remain, as a pitcher. It's not that easy to just switch him to regularly playing as a position guy. Rick Ankiel is the exception to the rule, not what usually happens. Owings had a hot start in 2008 and ran into a slump and a shoulder injury. It's far from being the end of the line for him as a pitcher. He will likely compete for the fifth starter's spot next spring, and I'd make him the early favorite to get it.

In his time in Cincinnati, Owings had four pinch-hit opportunities -- with two game-winning hits -- and didn't throw a single pitch due to that lingering shoulder injury. "It's crazy, isn't it? I've enjoyed it," Owings said at the end of the season. 

So why should Owings' 'main gig' necessarily remain as a pitcher?

Why does everyone dismiss Owings' ability to hit? In 116 major league at-bats, he has an OPS of .907 and 5 homers, in scattered appearances and without concentrating much on his swing. In the minors he held his own with a .354/.368/.492/.860 line in just 65 at bats.

As a junior back in Tulane, Owings went 12-4 with a 3.26 ERA in the rotation, then hit in the cleanup spot everyday, clubbing 18 home runs and throwing up a .355/.470/.719/1.189 line as a designated hitter. He was nearly as effective as a sophomore at Georgia Tech, hitting 15 homers while going 9-3.

So someone explain it to me. I get that most guys can't hit and pitch. But guess what: Some guys can. His big league pitching numbers are good (a 1.28 WHIP last year and about 7 K, 3 BB/game), but I doubt he develops into more than a No. 5 starter.

Not that that's bad. A good No. 5 is hard to find, and I hope he gets his shoulder healthy and has his best year as a pitcher yet, helping to solidify our rotation. He certainly has more room to catch on there in years to come than in left field, thanks to the corner-infield logjam created by Edwin Encarnacion, Joey Votto and Yonder Alonso. But I'm growing a little tired of the lack of creativity in the minds of baseball folks regarding Owings' hitting. No one is born a pitcher or hitter. His bat might still need some testing in the majors, but Owings certainly has the talent to play the game from either side of the plate.

It's Game 6 at the Trop, and those pesky Red Sox still won't give up. Still, Tampa Bay has B.J. Upton. Go Reds!

Use this forum to discuss Fred Thompson, Sarah Palin or any other portion of the RNC. The Reds states.

Thompson

Triple-A: Daryl Thompson made his first start in Louisville in a month and a half, striking out 5 in 6 innings as Louisville won 4-1. The Bats got just 4 hits.

Double-A: Justin Turner had 2 hits as Chattanooga won 5-2. Eric Eymann hit his 30th double and improved to a .301 batting average.

High A: Yonder Alonso was 1 for 2 with an RBI and 2 walks in Sarasota's 7-1 loss. Jerry Gil struck out 2 and walked 2 in his High A debut.

Low A: Zach Cozart was 3 for 5 with a triple and Brandon Waring doubled in Dayton's 7-3 loss.

Rookie leagues: Alex Buchholz was 4 for 6 with a double and 2 RBIs, Cody Puckett was 3 for 5 with a homer and David Sappelt was 2 for 5 with a home run as Billings won 10-3.

Tune your dial to Baseball Digest Daily at noon today to hear a podcast interview of the Reds' first pick in the 2008 draft, now with the Sarasota Reds, Yonder Alonso.

And give props to Eric SanInocencio. He does a really good job with that show.

Every post should have art, so here's a picture of a horse:

Stubbs

Triple-A: Drew Stubbs was 2 for 4 with a triple in the Bats' 5-4 loss. Todd Coffey blew the save, and Daniel Ray Herrera gave up 2 runs for the loss. Jared Burton made a rehab appearance, giving up a run and throwing a wild pitch.

Double-A: Chris Heisey was 3 for 5 with a grand slam in Chattanooga's 11-7 win. Heisey's doing his thing in Double-A, sporting a .918 OPS in 15 games.

High A: Yonder Alonso had a single and an RBI sac fly, but Zach Stewart blew up in the ninth, giving up 2 runs in Sarasota's 2-1 loss. Matt Klinker struck out 10 and allowed just 2 hits and no runs in 6 innings in the no-decision.

Low A: Neftali Soto doubled and Brandon Waring was 1 for 3 with an RBI in Dayton's 2-0 win. Enerio del Rosario struck out 10 and walked none in the complete game, and Waring and Zach Cozart were named to the Midwest League postseason All-Star team.

Rookie leagues: Alex Buchholz doubled as Billings was rocked 9-0.

Sweet

Triple-A: Rick Sweet was named International League Manager of the Year, and the Bats lost 3-2. Sweet is really a pretty amazing manager whom the players love (and he's won MOY twice, including in '94 after back-to-back title seasons with Tucson), and the only question mark might be why he's not a major league manager. I really hope Walt Jocketty is taking notice.

High A: Yonder Alonso was 1 for 3 with a double in his pro debut and Juan Francisco was 2 for 4 in Sarasota's 4-1 loss. Zach Stewart threw a perfect inning and struck out 2.

Buchholz

Low A: Neftali Soto had 2 hits and 2 RBIs in Dayton's 6-3 win. Devin Mesoraco was 1 for for the 3rd straight day and the 4th time in 6 games. Mace Thurman struck out 6 (!) in his 3 innings, and he's kind of a stud. The 21-year-old Texan has struck out 42 in his 31.1 innings since being drafted in the 19th round out of Baylor. Still, he's given up 9 runs in his 15 innings for Dayton, which is not so studly.

Rookies leagues: Alex Buchholz was 5 for 5 (!!), improving to .407 on the season for Billings, in the Mustangs' 8-7 win. He's only played 24 games and has been out for a month with some sort of injury. Michael Konstanty had a 3-run homer, his 10th in 44 games, and Buchholz scored the winning run in the bottom of the 9th on a throwing error.

They finally did it.

Marty and Thom were harping on the fact that the Reds had not thrown a complete game all year, and how absurd that was, and how even the lowly Nationals had at least done that.

Now they can hush up.

Talk about that, or other things, in this edition of Reds Wrapup.

Soto

Danny Dorn homered and was 3 for 4 in Chattanooga's 10-1 loss. Also, Neftali Soto homered and is up to a .321 BA (yes, he's only 19) in Dayton's 4-2 loss.

The Bats won again, the S-Reds won 7-0 and lost 3-0, the G-Reds suffered a pair of losses and Michael Konstanty was 2 for 4 in Billings' 13-3 loss.

So what gets you going at this point in the season for the Reds? It's obviously a lost year as far as the major league club is concerned, but there are some prospects who are prospering and the club seems interested in competing next season. Does anything in particular give you hope?

Frazier

Triple-A: 2 hits, 2 runs and a walk for Drew Stubbs as the Bats lost 6-2. Bobby Livingston took the loss.

Double-A: Danny Dorn played first and went 3 for 4 as the Lookouts lost 6-5. Sean Watson loaded the bases but struck out the side.

High A: Logan Parker homered, Juan Francisco went 2 for 4 and Todd Frazier was 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs as Sarasota won 8-4. Zach Stewart gave up 2 hits but didn't allow any runs, lowering his ERA to 1.32 for the Florida State League.

Low A: Brandon Waring doubled and homered, Neftali Soto and Zach Cozart had hits and Devin Mesoraco went 1 for 4 in Dayton's 4-3 win. Jeremy Horst allowed just 1 run in 5..1 innings, improving to 7-2, and Aguido Gonzalez struck out 5 in 2.1 innings for the save.

Rookie leagues: Oscar Castro struck out 8 in Billings' 5-0 win. ... Juan Duran was 1 for 3 and Miguel Rodriguez homered in the D-Reds' 7-4 loss.

Sweet

Triple-A: The Bats beat Durham 6-3, clinching the International League West Division title with 11 games to go. Adam Pettyjohn struck out 7 in 8 innings, and Shaun Cumberland was 2 for 4. Rick Sweet also became the winningest manager in Louisville franchise history (297-267).

Double-A: Danny Dorn, Chris Valaika and Justin Turner homered in Chattanooga's 9-3 win. Dorn was 2 for 5 with his 20th shot, Turner was 3 for 3 with his 8th and Valaika was 2 for 4 with his 17th. Something should also be said for Robert Manuel, the 25-year-old who has appeared in 44 games for the Lookouts this season. He struck out 3 in 2 perfect innings and has had a remarkable year: 99 Ks in 80.2 innings with just 17 walks for a 1.23 ERA.

Cozart

High A: Juan Francisco was 2 for 4 and Todd Frazier had 2 doubles as Sarasota lost 7-3. Dallas Buck walked 3 and allowed 2 hits and 2 runs in his 3 innings, his 2nd start for the S-Reds.

Low A: Zach Cozart was 4 for 4 with an RBI and a double in Dayton's 6-5 loss. Ruben "Funky Cold" Medina gave up the walk-off single in the 9th.

Rookie leagues: Brett Bartles had 2 doubles and a homer in Billings' 12-9 loss. The Mustangs also lost 14-7 in a completed game. ... Juan Duran had a 2-RBI triple in the D-Reds' 7-4 win over the Yankees.

Please use this space to discuss matters.

Rosales

Triple-A: Homer Bailey gave up 9 more hits, but Jon Adkins blew up in the ninth, allowing 3 runs in Louisville's 7-6 loss. Adam Rosales was 3 for 5 with a homer, continuing his conquest of the minor leagues, and Wilkin Castillo moved to 3rd base and collected a couple hits. Justin Lehr threw two strong innings, and despite the loss, the Bats gained ground on the playoffs thanks to Toledo's loss. Their magic number is now 2.

Mesoraco

Double-A: Danny Dorn had 2 hits and Justin Turner was 2 for 5 with a double in Chattanooga's 5-4 loss. Ben Jukich gave up 3 runs in 5 innings, and Sean Watson took the loss.

Low A: Devin Mesoraco went 1 for 4 with a homer in Dayton's 4-1 win. Neftali Soto had a single, a double and 2 RBIs, Zach Cozart doubled and Mike McKennon went 2 for 4 but was homerless. 3 strikeouts in 3 innings for Jeff Jeffords.

Rookie leagues: Tony Brown had 2 doubles and David Sappelt had a double and a triple, but Billings lost 19-5. 3 doubles for Byron Wiley, and Josh Ravin allowed 2 earned runs but struck out 4 in his 3-inning appearance, his first since his demotion. ... Still no starting pitchers for the G-Reds, who lost 13-2. ... Juan Duran was 0 for 3 with a walk in the D-Reds' 4-1 win.

McKennon

Triple-A: The Bats' magic number is 3 after beating Columbus 7-5, their 7th straight win and 15th in 16 August games. Adam Rosales was 2 for 5 with a double in his first game back, and Josh Roenicke gave up 2 runs in the ninth before Daniel Ray Herrera shut things down.

High A: Juan Francisco and Todd Frazier doubled, but Sarasota was drilled 15-2. Logan Parker had a 2-RBI single, and Zach Stewart had two strikeouts in his perfect inning.

Low A: Devin Mesoraco was 2 for 4 with a homer, Neftali Soto had 3 hits and Mike McKennon homered for the 3rd straight game in Dayton's 9-8 loss. Brandon Waring added 2 hits.

Rookie leagues: Billings' game against the Casper Ghosts was postponed for the 4th straight day. ... Jerry Gil allowed 4 hits and a run in 2 innings, taking his 2nd loss as the G-Reds lost 4-2. I don't know if this pitching thing is right for him.

We won again, trimming our deficit in the Central to 21.5 games. I think there are more than that many games left in the season, so we're not out of this thing yet.

Use this space wisely. The Bats' game starts at 5, Dayton at 7. Also, Josh Hamilton's Texas Rangers play at 8. So there are a few things to talk about, if you find yourself in the thread with people that you have nothing in common with.

Dorn

Triple-A: Drew Stubbs tripled as the Bats lowered their magic number to clinching the International League West to 4, beating Columbus 4-2. Stubbs also doubled, and Adam Pettyjohn struck out 7 and won his 6th start in 7 games.

Double-A: Danny Dorn's grand slam highlighted an 8-run second inning as Chattanooga held on to win 8-7. It was Dorn's 19th homer of the season. After not giving up a run in his first 8 appearances, Ramon Geronimo has allowed 7 in his past 3 innings.

High A: Sarasota cracked just 4 hits in a 5-1 loss.

Low A: Zach Cozart had 2 hits and Brandon Waring and Neftali Soto doubled in Dayton's 4-3 win. Mike McKennon homered for the second straight day.

Other: Billings was postponed, the GCL Reds were off and the D-Reds haven't updated in a couple days. But here's a nice little read from Joe Kay (not John Fay or Jim Day) of The Associated Press on Yonder Alonso's decision to sign. Essentially, he had his independent league contract and his fall schedule at Miami in front of him when contemplating what to do and opted to hit the big leagues. But get this: Alex Rodriguez said Yonder could stay at his house -- but that he should sign with the Reds if possible. Assist, A-Rod. There's some other good stuff in that little story.

Please use this thread to talk about the Reds or things that are good.

Here we go, another pivotal matchup. This is one of the most important games for the Reds in the past few weeks, so we really need to capitalize. The Central race is far from over, and we have nearly a 50 percent chance of winning today. Everything rests on what happens in this game.

Alonso

First things first: Yonder Alonso, the Reds' first-round draft pick, made an 11th-hour agreement with the Reds. His major league contract is worth $4.5 million over 5 years and includes a $2 million signing bonus. Alonso was the No. 7 pick after putting up a .370/.534/.777/1.311 line in 64 games for the Canes, collecting 24 home runs as a left-handed first baseman. He most likely shoots up to No. 1 among Reds prospects.

But the fun didn't stop there. The Reds also announced the long-rumored signing of Venezuelan Yorman Rodriguez, a five-tool outfielder who just turned 16. He was ranked the No. 2 international prospect, and along with Juan Duran and Alonso, they make for the equivalent of 3 first-round draft picks signed in one year. It was a very good day for the future of the Reds.

On to the minor league games.

Richar

Triple-A: Danny Richar connected on his first homer for the Bats, a 3-run shot off Ryan Wagner, as Louisville won 3-0. Richar was acquired from the White Sox in the Ken Griffey Jr. trade. Ramon Rodriguez and Daniel Ray Herrera combined to strike out 8, allowing just 4 hits. Louisville still holds a 12-game lead over Toledo, is 29 games over .500 and has a magic number of 6 to reach the playoffs.

Double-A: Justin Turner was 2 for 4 in Chattanooga's 3-1 loss. Sean Watson struck out 2 in his inning and nearly has his ERA below 5, and Chris Heisey had a hit in his third of four games since being promoted to the Lookouts.

Mesoraco

High A: Dallas Buck struck out 4 and allowed just 1 hit in 5 innings in his debut for the Reds' system as Sarasota lost 1-0 in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Buck was one of three prospects collected for Adam Dunn in a trade with Arizona. In Game 2, Juan Francisco went 2 for 3 with a double and a homer in a 3-1 loss. Zach Stewart struck out 1 in his scoreless inning.

Low A: Devin Mesoraco was 4 for 5 in a 6-5 win for Dayton. Neftali Soto was 2 for 5, Jeremy Horst struck out 6 in 5 innings and allowed 2 earned runs and Aguido Gonzalez allowed another run but struck out 2 and earned his 4th save. All 10 Dragon hits were singles.

Rookie leagues: Evan Hildenbrandt struck out 6 in 6 innings but allowed 3 runs and earned the loss for the G-Reds, 5-1.

Huge game for us tonight. Only 20 games back, and just 1.5 games back of the Pirates for 5th. Something big is happening.