Reds...1st Place!

By:  Cooper Ledford

The Cincinnati Reds can finally include "First Place" in their title, while not talking about the 70's, 1990, or 2006, but 2010.  The Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals, who had a 1 1/2 game lead over the Reds, 7-2 on Sunday to send the Reds atop the NL Central.  I attended this game, and it was a great game, and a good sized crowd.  Here is how the scoring took place.

In the 1st inning, with Carbera on base, Scott Rolen hit a two-run jack to right field, and the Reds had an early 2-0 lead.  The Reds would add on to their lead in the 3rd inning, when Rolen hit an RBI single to plate Votto, it was 3-0.  In the same inning, Jonny Gomes hit a sac fly to bring Votto home, and the Reds were up by four.

The Red Birds got on the board in the 5th, when Tyler Greene hit an RBI groundout, it was 4-1.  Cincinnati would get some more runs in the 5th when Bronson Arroyo hit a single that scored Bruce and Gomes, and it was 6-1.  Cincinnati would get another run in that inning, when Orlando Cabrera hit an RBI single to plate Hanigan, it was 7-1.  St. Louis would then get the final run of the game in the 7th, when LaRue hit a solo home run, it was 7-2, and that's how the game ended.

Bronson Arroyo went all 9 innings, gave up 7 hits, 2 ER, 3 BB, and 4 K's off of 103 pitches.  As Arroyo goes to 3-2 on the season, the Cardinal's pitcher, Brad Penny falls to 3-4.

Next, the 1st place Reds will host the Brewers for a two game series.