Freel robs Jacque twice

This isn't a game that we lost. It's a game that Ryan Freel and the Reds took from us. Bronson Arroyo threw the ball well and Cincinnati made all of the right plays.

Both errors made by the Reds' defense were converted into runs for us. When we got chances against David Weathers, we came through. Hill didn't throw the ball all that horribly. We did everything we (reasonably) could.

You hear the expression, "sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the opponent." Often times, when that expression is uttered, you're not sure how much of it is true and how much of it was because of your own team's mistakes. I'm sure about today's game though.

Casey Stengel said it best: "Most ballgames are lost, not won." While his statement may be true in general, this ballgame was won by the Reds.

I'm not blaming Mike Quade for sending Jones in the ninth inning. I'm not blaming Jones for failing to score in the ninth inning. It was a seeing eye single through the infield! Jacque should've scored and the only reason why he didn't was because Freel charged the ball hard and made an extraordinary throw to the plate. Ryan Freel took the fifth run away from us. And it wasn't his first web gem of the day either.

I had the feeling that Ryan Freel's diving catch in the second inning would be huge. I had tonight's blog title entry already thought up in my head: "What the Reds' defense giveth, the Reds' defense taketh away." Those two plays by the scrappy Reds outfielder was the reason for the outcome of this game. You can't control when certain teams just flat out win ballgames against their opponents. It's just disappointing that this game had to come against us and now.

Not all of the Cubs are completely off the hook though. Bob Howry has thrown the ball real well lately with the lead. However, it seems as though he can't handle pitching in tie games for whatever reason. Of Howry's six losses this year, only two came in games where he blew a save.

On April 9 at home against Houston, June 21 at Texas, July 21 at home against Arizona, and today, Howry entered the game late with the score tied but ended up suffering the loss.

I understand why Howry pitched the bottom of the ninth. It was the right move to do, by the book, especially considering that Marmol was lifted for a pinch hitter in the top of the ninth inning. I just didn't have a good gut feeling about it.

With the lead, Howry's automatic. In a tie game, Howry scares the shit out of me.