Game 154: Reds 6, Astros 4

On a night where Homer Bailey was trying to set a career-high with his ninth win, Bud Norris was attempting to stave off a career-high eleventh loss, the Reds were looking to snap a four-game losing streak, and the Astros were simply trying to limit their number of losses, the dreary game at Great American Ballpark ended up being decided by dingers. In all, four home runs were hit, and seven of the ten runs on the board at the end of the night were there because of it.

What went right

- The Astros were able to continue their odd, season-ending power surge as J.D. Martinez and Chris Johnson both hit balls into the seats. Martinez' shot came off Bailey in the third; it was an oppo taco that just cleared the wall in right, scoring Jordan Schafer, who had walked earlier in the frame. Johnson provided the club's only other runs when he drove in Martinez with a moon shot to the second deck in left off of weirdie Bill Bray in the eighth. That ball traveled 413 feet, and it couldn't have come as a surprise to Bray, seeing as Johnson had crushed one just a few pitches earlier that ended up just foul.

- Houston batters banged out 10 hits in the game, getting six of them against Bailey. There was good traffic on the bases throughout the night, and Schafer was able to swipe his 20th bag of the season, despite missing significant time due to injury.



Bud Norris left early with shoulder discomfort.

- Brian Bogusevic again showed off his gun of an arm in right field, cutting down Bailey at home to earn an assist. He also got a rocket off to third later in the contest, but the ball was a bit wide of the bag, and Johnson made the safe play and knocked it down instead.

What went wrong

- Norris lasted just 2.2 innings, giving up 7 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. He was pulled after grabbing his throwing shoulder and grimacing in the middle of his duel with Paul Janish. Lucas Harrell came on in relief and got out of the frame unscathed, but didn't fare so well in the home half of the 4th, giving up a single to Bailey, a free pass to Dave Sappelt, free bases to both men via a wild pitch, and finally, a single to Jay Bruce which scored two, putting the Redlegs ahead 5-2.

- After Houston was able to pull within a run in the eighth, Wilton Lopez surrendered a bomb to the much-maligned Brandon Phillips (seriously, he's turning into the next David Eckstein for me: that guy you'd kill to have on your team, but nonetheless engenders serious hate when he's on the opposing club). Lopez hasn't exactly been a pillar of consistency this season, but he gave up the long ball at the wrong time, as it gave the Reds and Fransisco Cordero a bit more comfort going into the top of 9th.

- The Astros went just 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and left eight men on base in the contest.

What we learned

- While the Norris injury didn't look overly serious, it's likely that we saw his last pitch of the 2011 season, and talk about a guy who didn't deserve his record. If his stats stand, he'll end up with a 6-11 record, but his 3.77 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 4.07 FIP are stark improvements upon his career numbers. It will be interesting to see where he fits into the rotation in 2012, as he should be the second hurler in line in terms of ability if Wandy Rodriguez is still around.

- Lopez has been a bit of a disappointment this season. After posting a promising 2010 and being tossed around as a potential closer candidate in spring training, his numbers have ballooned, and he's seemed to lose confidence on the mound. Lopez' HR/9 mark is up to 0.80; it was 0.54 in 2010. While his ERA is actually lower this season (2.93 as compared to 2010's 2.96), the truth lies in the FIP, where he's nearly an entire run worse at 3.46 (2.59 in '10, ZiPS projected at 2.27 for 2011). His K/9 are up, but his BB/9 rate has risen to a scary 2.26 (remember, this guy is supposed to come in and pitch just three outs). Seeing the sorry state of the Houston bullpen, he's still one of the better relievers, and should stay in the setup role in 2012.

- Johnson continues to show flashes of brilliance with his sweet power stroke. Many have wondered if he might seriously contend with current starter Jimmy Paredes for the hot corner job in spring training, and this is one writer who thinks the competition should be open and fair. Paredes has been on a tear in September, posting a .320 BA and .333 OBP, but his slugging percentage is a laughable .340. Both men are below-average in the field, and honestly neither should be playing the third sack. Paredes probably has more upside, seeing as he is a line drive hitter and could beat Johnson in a foot race wearing flip-flops. Management will have to decide whether they want to have the guy who strokes hits but has little power, or the guy who can hit 'em a long way but strikes out a lot, and then deal whoever isn't chosen for farmhands.

Rodriguez goes up against Bronson Arroyo today at 11:35 am, needing just two K's to reach 1,000 for his career.

If you're one of the valiant few still watching the 'Stros, follow me for more commentary @tracelevos