Pirates 8 Reds 4

Major League Baseball
Home Team: Cincinnati Reds (H. Bailey)
Visiting Team: Pittsburgh Pirates (A. Burnett)
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Game Time: 7:10 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: Shawn, Doug, Pops

Game Story | Box Score

The real story of this game, at least for me, was the seats we had. My buddy Doug got his hands on four "Scout Seats"--if you check out a map of Great American Ball Park, look for Section 24; not only is that where we were, but we were in the second row of said section, right behind the coveted Diamond Seats and looking directly at home plate. There are no bad seats at GABP, but these were definitely the best I've had. The only bad thing about them is that now I want to sit there every time. I was really hoping Aroldis Chapman would get a chance to pitch for the Reds so I could see what a 105MPH fastball looks like from that close, but alas, that didn't happen.

As for the game, it can be summed up in the words "Bad Homer." Reds pitcher Homer Bailey has dominated the Pirates throughout his career, so I went in with a good feeling. No streak lasts forever, though, and tonight Homer didn't have his best stuff. The Reds put up a couple of runs in the first inning, but Homer couldn't hold the lead, and the Reds' offense couldn't muster enough the rest of the night to overcome the deficit.

Still, it was a perfect night for baseball, and it's always great to be at the ballpark with some friends. This was my first trip to see the Reds in person since their one playoff game at home after the 2010 season, so it was long overdue.