The First West Test

Here it is, the first west test for the Reds. Lucky for them, they go to Arizona and San Diego. Arizona fired its manager last week, while San Diego has a record (13-19) that is identical to the Diamondbacks. This might be a west test the Reds pass. As we all know, they've had some brutal trips out west in the past.
The game Sunday between the Reds and Cardinals was disappointing, yet amazing. Disappointing that Volquez was charged with 7 runs. Disappointing that 5 home runs were wasted, including Adam Rosales belting his first as a big leaguer, Joey Votto hitting one in his return, and pitcher Micah Owings delivering with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th to tie it up. But it was also amazing to see all of the hitting accomplishments listed above. The Reds may have sent a message to the first place Cardinals. Here's Jay Bruce and Dusty.

A lot of people don't believe in moral victories, especially at the professional level. I can understand that. But with a young, emerging team, of course you can have moral victories. You just can't live off of them. So far this team has shown an excellent ability to accept a given situation and deal with it. They faced adversity with the loss of Phillips, Votto, and Gonzalez in the past week, and ended up with a winning home stand. And look out for Bruce. The kid is coming alive at the plate and in the field.