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Dusty Baker Continues To Step in Dogs**t
Walkoff Walk — ... . Still, he's been a successful manager for most of his career, and even finds a way to win games where he makes the worst moves. Take last night's contest against the Pirates, via Patrick Sullivan at Baseball Analysts, down 3-2 in the eighth and two runners on with no outs: ...

Tuesday's Crystal Callix
Brew Crew Ball — ... outfield spot in the All-Star game, but you can also vote for whether or not he'll do it. Touring the NL Central, the Pirates became the third team in the division to hit a pitcher eighth this year when Paul Maholm batted ahead of Jack Wilson; as Hyzdu Headquarters points out, only two months ago Pirates manager John Russell said he wouldn't ever do it. Cubs, Astros, Reds: who'll be the next to take up this fun and exciting new fad? Well okay, probably not the Reds. MLB Trade Rumors (where everything is true) put together an ...

Baseball Analysts: Dusty Baker Manages, Fails; Observes, Succeeds
BBTF's Baseball Primer Newsblog — Baseball Analysts: Dusty Baker Manages, Fails; Observes, Succeeds Reds Manager Dusty Baker put a bunt on with Votto at the plate. Votto offered and fouled off a Marte pitch. He offered and missed the next. He fouled off an 0-2 pitch and then struck out on Marte’s fourth pitch to him. Encarnacion came to the plate and battled through an impressive at-bat, only to strike out on the eighth Marte pitch he saw. With two outs and Bruce set to come to the plate, Baker sent the reigning #1 Baseball America prospect back to the dugout in favor of...wait for it...Javier Valentin. ...

Why I Said "Under" For The Reds
Frost King Baseball — I almost can't believe it, but Dusty did it again . "It doesn't get much more painful for the keyboard-toting baseball enthusiast living in Mom's basement than the bottom half of the eighth inning of Monday night's Pittsburgh-Cincinnati game. Down 3-2, the Reds pieced together a walk and a single to start the home half of the inning against the Bucs' Damaso Marte with Joey Votto (.283/.343/.483 in 2008), Edwin Encarnacion (.246/.332/.462) and Jay Bruce (.286/.356/.437) coming up. In 2,985 Minor League plate appearances, Votto lays claim to one (as in, one), sacrifice bunt. ...

Game 141 Thread / Cubs @ Reds (1 of 3)
The Cub Reporter (TCR) | A Chicago Cubs Blog — ...   As you can see, except for AVG, Soto's numbers are all better, plus one can't discount Soto's invaluable contribution behind the plate. Regarding Votto, who hit .382 last month and had a team-high 18 RBI, he has played well while most everything and everyone around him has gone to hell. Also, don't forget Votto has had to overcome the handicap of playing for an imbecile. Reds starter Bronson Arroyo has been outstanding lately, winning 9 of his last 12 starts and posting a 2.62 ERA in five outings last month. He has already beaten the Cubs and Ted Lilly ...