Live from the Big Deal Palace

Here we are live from the Big Deal Palace (all 700 square feet of it). I've got the reds game up on one computer, the Fererer match on the big screen and the blog up on another computer. I'm going to have to buy a lot of carbon credits to pay the enviroment back for all the power i'm using today. I would have been here for the begining of the game, but old Time Warner had a bit of trouble with the superweb. After some yelling, we are up and running.

The plan was to give the good people in cyberspace what it is like to watch a Volquez start. The young kid who has inspiried hope in the hopeless Cincinnati fans. Well he was cruising through the first two innings with 1 hit, but the third has not been so kind. The umpire has an extremely tight strikezone, which has led to a few walks, one hit and three runs. We got out of it with a double play (our second attempt at a double play this inning). We are going into the bottom of the third and i'll be here to give you guys a sense of life as a reds fan with breaks only for commercials and to walk the Finch (my dog, not a bird who I take on frequent walks).

Back in a few with more updates (granted NO ONE is reading this real time so there is no need to consistently update, but I got to practice for the time FDB really takes off. Given my success with the Dive316, I'm sure this will be an internet sensation soon).

Bottom of 3rd
Bottom of the reds line up saw three up three down. Don't look know but we are getting no hit. Don't want to jinx it but he has a NO HITTER through three innings. I'd tune it to watch this no hitter. On the tennis match, Federer is making it competitive after being down 2 sets to 0. If i were a betting man and betting were legal, I'd find a way to hammer Federer in an in game running line. He has had 1000 chances to break and been unsucessful. While i know little about tenns, i do think the term "regress to the mean" may apply. If he keeps getting chances in these last 2 sets he can come up with a HUGE come back.

Top of 4th
Lead off single. Volquez looks like crap so this should be a long game.
Another single and we just learned Jose Rijo (or as my grandma called him jose rose) coaches for the nationals. How could he not work for the Reds? i mean he is our only good pitcher since mario soto. Sac bunt by Balistar, which moves the runners over (I havn't looked it up, but am generally ok with the pitcher bunting given most can't hit. This is something i don't understand, wouldn't a pitcher know the most about hitting having the advanatage of being able to think like the enemy. Also they get 4 days off, why aren't tehy taking more BP? Just don't get it).
Great play by Phillips to save a run.
2 outs with Belliard up, who hits an easy grounder to Keppinger.
Nadal holds. he's up 6-5 in the 4th. Lets see if Roger can force another tie breaker.

Bottom of 4th
Hariston fly ball to left. he's hitting the ball hard today (and has been since returning from DL). He needs to play everyday, especially since Keppinger is not good at baseball. Dusty has said he has trouble keeting Keppinger, Hariston jr and Boose's favorite player happy. Is keeping crappy players happy a part of being a good manager.
Speaking of Keppinger, he just grounded out to second base.
Federeer is in a tie break. Great first point.
Grif clogs up the bases with a walk. i think we should pinch run and try to manufature a run.
Phillips up. Reds announcers are trying to claim that David Weather belonged on the all star team a few years ago. i'm all about pulling for the home team, but seriously. the man's nickname is stormy weathers.
Phillips hits a line drive into left. Here comes the donkey
Nadal is serving for the championship. wow, didn't think this would happen.
It is a SHOT TO RIGHT. DUNN TIES IT UP AT 3!!!!! HOW THE HELL CAN WE TRADE HIM!!! that is how you play baseball, get a walk, a single and a dong. Can we build our franchise around this guy!!! New life here in the palace (i.e. my parents basement)
Ground out inning over. Great way to get back in this thing. lets hope Volquez can pull his head out of himself.
Federer has fought back to 5-5, this would be crushing to Nadal. 6-5 rodger set point.

Top of 5
Strike out to start inning
Grif showing some wheels in right to snag it
Nadal comes out of nowhere to hit a great passing shot and is now serving for the match.
3up3down. nice to finally see the real Volquez.
Rodger blasts a passing shot to stay alive. Too much excitment right now. Federer now has a chance to serve for the set. Nadal hits it long and we are going to a 5th set. I know you guys are all excited. Ok my mom is calling from upstairs. gotta do some laundry. back in an inning or two (will pause the tennis match to still give you some real time excitement)

Bottom of 5
Leadoff walk. Double by ross scores one. Volquez bunts the runner over and a groundout scores a run. Up 2 runs. nice to see. lets hope our ace can hold it together for a few more innings and turn it over to our stellar bullpen.

6th Inning
Volquez throws gas and gets a quick 3 up 3 down. Fly out, strike out ground out. Great inning for him. Reds load the bases, but fail to score showing our great ability to keep as many runners on base as possible. We did pinch hit for Volquez and wasted his at bat with Valentine's ground out.
Rain delay at 2-2 in the fifth set of Wimbeldon

top of 7
bray on, gets out of the inning only giving up a double. not a bad outing, lets hope for one more inning. Jimmy roberts is giving us a talk over highlights to bring us up to speed on the past 2 weeks. Not bad. lets hope to get 2 more in the bottom of 7 just to make it safe

Bottom of 7
We are back live after doing some laudry and walking the finch. reds strand two more in the bottom of 7th and we don't look so great. Rain delay is over and we are all set to bring you what hopes to be the last few games from london and 1.5 innings for the reds (but i doubt it).

Top of 8
Nadal is tied with federer 3-3. Kearns is first up. so the all stars are announced and Grif is left off the team which is extremely frustrating. i thought if you were old, the fans owed it to you. o well Volquez made the team and if he played in New York he would be the clear favorite to start. Since he isn't doubt he gets more than an inning in the middle of the game. Kearns grounds out.
Meat up with a base hit to right feild. Federer takes a 4-3 lead holding at love. Last player to come back from 2 sets down was 81 years ago. wow.
loduca up. he bunts and looks like we got a double play.. wait they have called it a foul ball. Dusty is out to discuss. Umpire deliberating on if this is a foul or out. Home plate umpire says it is fair, first base ump says it hit his leg. from replay he is clearly out. Looks like the reds may get it. so the call is that he didn't touch it, but the double play doesn't count. this is odd, either it is a fair ball and dp or foul and we go back to do the play again. Lets hope this doesn't matter in the end. sorry the last sequence was completely incohearent, but frankly i'm still confused.
So bottom line 2 out, runner on first with Pena at the plate. Lets just strike him out and move on. (Nadal ties it up 4-4) Willy Mo does what Willy Mo does and strikes out. 1 more inning

Bottom of 8
Federer holds.
Jon Rauch coming on for the Nats (from Louisville and a grad of Morehead State)
Edwin hits a bullet into left
Votto hits it down to second and LoDuca drops a ball my nephew should have caught. Tough error for the nats. so we now hve 2 on with no out. lets see if we can strand a few more runners
Ross gives up a free out by bunting the runners over. We now have Jay Bruce up because he didn't start to make room for keppinger and harrison jr which makes sense.
Nadal holds
Bouncer to the first baseman, throws home and edwin is tagged out. He went down without a fight. we do know that dunner would have run him over.
Nadal loses two straight break points. i think federer is a robot similar to the guy from T2. he holds.
bloop single to right and votto taps the plate. thanks for proving my point that he should play everyday. nice to have the 3 run cushion.
Keppinger up and i predit an out...and he flys out to go 0-5 for the day. here comes coco corderio
Harriston jr on to try and drive in the runners

Top of 9
Nadal holds. getting late in london where apparently they didn't learn about the lightbulb so we are trying to beat darkness to get this match in.
coco hasn't pitched in four straight games in over a year. after blowing one last night, lets hope our millions come through here. Pop up to short left
1 out
Also how do they let two guys wearing RF hats sit right in front of nadal's family. did they scalp the other tickets in the box or does he only get 2 tickets?
Federer holds again and Coco strikes him out (by the way if my nickname was the same name as Ice'd T's wife, i'd think about changing it, but that's just me).
Two out hit, so looks like we will have a little excitment with ronnie belliard up
Nadal holds on an amazing point. with coco getting him to two strikes
Ground ball under the glove of Votto and the inning lives on. Great job there Votto, what you lack with your bat you make worse with you glove. Tieing run at the plate
Nadal has 2 shots to break here
Deep groundball to keppinger who can't make the play. infeild hit run scores
Nice, go ahead run at the plate. Austin kearns has hit a few dongs in this park.
Again ahead 0-2, lets close this out. Base hit into right and another run scores, we got a 1 run ball game.
Dusty stares blankly at the feild (maybe shouldn't have pitched the guy for 4 straight days when he looked tired last night).
Nadal breaks Federer! WOW!
Dick Pole (our pitching coach, not a fake name I swear)
Will Nieves up, needing a single to tie it. Nadal serving for the win
another 2 strike pitch coming. throw it in the dirt (and he does for a ball)
Come on Cisco (a way cooler nickname than Coco)
Full count and runners will be going. And he finally gets the STRIKE OUT!!!
FIREWORKS GET GOING! First 4 game sweep since 2006. Nice win guys.

Final Thoughts
So what did we learn by the live blog.
1) live blogs are very hard and take a long time. you really do either need to live in your parents basement or make it your full time job
2) The reds have a chance if we can play like this all year (and get the right line up out there)
3) Dusty actually didn't do too much to screw us up this series. hopefully he realizes if he just stays out of the way we may be able to do some good things here
4) lets see how we play against the cubs before getting excited about making a run at the WNBA crown here.
5) Federrer is human afterall. i'm shocked

Any thoughts on the live blog. do we like it? should we do it again?how should we improve it? Have a great sunday everyone, i'll be by on monday for some random thoughts