Votto Out, The Reds Get One Hour Of Self-Pity

For the Reds, this stinks. It really stinks. Worse than that old carton of milk we once found under a reporter's desk in the newsroom. Rancid. But losing Joey Votto to the disabled list is something the Reds have to deal with, and have dealt with, in a positive way. While Joey has been in and out of the lineup the past three weeks, the Reds have played well. But Milwaukee and St. Louis on the road is a whole different animal than dealing with Cleveland and Houston at home. I'm not sure they can weather this storm. But this is where we will give the manager credit. Dusty has instilled a positive vibe in this team that is contagious. Hopefully that's the only thing that is contagious, but I digress. They had to battle the absences of Votto and Phillips. They get Phillps back in the lineup Saturday night. We should learn in short order if he is healthy enough to give the Reds the kind of juice he was giving them before the injury. But what has carried the Reds so far is the one facet that has remained healthy, and that's pitching. It's up to Harang to set the tone on that tonight.