Paul Janish got the start tonight in Houston. I had a feeling he would. Renteria played two days in a row, including a day game after a night game, and his veteran bones need rest. Dusty's been trying to match Renteria up against lefties; Wandy Rodriguez is starting tomorrow for the Astros, so Renteria will probably get that start. Also, Janish is from Houston; Dusty likes to play guys in their home towns, knowing that their friends and family will be in the stands.
Yonder Alonso got his first start in left field tonight, and that probably was a factor as well. Dusty was looking for the center fielder and shortstop to help out Alonso if he needed it, and Janish has more range than Renteria at this point.
Janish had a great night, going 2 for 3 with two doubles and a walk. (His mom must have been there. He says his mom brings him hits the way other moms bring cookies.) He's now hitting .357 / .437 / .571 since being recalled.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. The Reds lost in OT, in a heartbreaking manner: Brandon Phillips made a nice pick and a great throw home, but Hanigan dropped the ball. What a waste of a rare good Arroyo start.
The Reds are downright confounding this year. When they're hitting, the pitching is terrible. When the pitching is good, the hitting is bad. When both hitting and pitching are working, the fielding sucks. They swept the world champion Giants over the weekend, but lost to the lowly Astros tonight.
They're now 7.5 games back. Barring an epic collapse by the Brewers and the Cardinals, things aren't looking good.
Labels: Paul Janish
