Volquez gives up being a hitman, walks the earth. Starting with the Braves.

Published April 25, 2009 at 3:26 a.m.
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...More photos »...by Tom Mihalek - AP...

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...Jeff Francoeur got his shirt at Wal-Mart. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)...

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The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Player of the Game

Jeff Francoeur.  Frenchy went 1-3 with a home run and two walks.

Key Plays

• The Reds followed the script in the first inning, with a single from Willy Taveras, a free base courtesy of a passed ball by sleeper agent David Ross, and then relying on Votto to drive in all of our runs.  It's simply amazing how often he comes through!
• Volquez hit Yunel Escobar with a pitch in the third inning and the benches cleared.  RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!
• Walks were a huge problem throughout the night, but never moreso than in the fourth inning.  Volquez walked FIVE batters in the inning, forcing in two runs and giving the Braves a 2-1 lead.
• Dr. Manhattan longed to witness a cosmic miracle, like oxygen spontaneously becoming gold.  Hopefully he was in attendance, because Brandon Phillips drew a walk (!) and singles by Ramon Hernandez (!!) and Alex Gonzalez (!!!) brought him in to tie the game.
• That was short-lived, because Jeff Francoeur hit a home run in the fifth.  Francoeur has been shockingly good this season, to counteract how shockingly bad he was last season.
• Walks haunted us again in the seventh (the Riverfront scoreboard never lies), though this time Nick Masset was the culprit.  He walked Yunel Escobar and Jeff Francoeur, then Matt Diaz singled to score a run, our Frisch's Big Boy Big Play of the Game.
• Down by two, Dusty cannily played for one run.  Bruce led off with a double, and Encarnacion drew a walk.  Poised for a big inning and with the surging Hernandez and Gonzalez at the plate, Ramon laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Sea Bass hit a sacrifice fly.  Smaw baw to perfection - only we were still down a run.  Laynce "Sometimes Y" Nix came to the plate and promptly grounded out.
• With one last chance, Mike Gonzalez closed out the game in filthy style, striking out Willy Taveras and the great Joey Votto.  Braves win, 4-3.

via FanGraphs

Other Notes

• Volquez struck out seven in five innings.  Sadly, he also walked seven batters (a whopping five of which came in the fourth inning).  We've been looking for more control out of the Wagon, and it looks like we'll have to keep waiting.
• The Reds struck out 12 times in the game.  Not terribly surprising, considering that Vazquez was one of the strikeout leaders coming into tonight's game.  Still, the Reds only worked three walks.  Our plate discipline seemingly abandoned us tonight.
• A couple Reds continued to steadily improve.  Ramon Hernandez had two hits, and Gonzalez, Encarnacion and Bruce had good days at the dish.  Burton and Herrera pitched scoreless innings, and Arthur "Bad Muhfucker" Rhodes continued to match David Weathers in scoreless appearances.  On the flip side, Phillips returned to the cleanup position and went hitless, though he did draw a walk and scored a run.
• chandrathan was traded to Talking Chop for Little Lady.

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Final - 4.24.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Atlanta Braves	0	0	0	2	1	0	1	0	0	4	4	1
Cincinnati Reds	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	3	8	0
WP: Javier Vazquez (2 - 1) SV: Mike Gonzalez (2) LP: Edinson Volquez (2 - 2)

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