We’ve waited 300 days (don’t check my maths) since the last Reds game, and the waiting was worth it.
Phil Ervin walk, Joey Votto single, Eugenio Suarez hit-by-pitch, Nick Castellanos hit-by-pitch, Mike Moustakas single. And that was just the first five at-bats!
You can’t ask much more than for all of the first five hitters to get on-base; what a great sign of things to come.
I honestly didn’t think Moustakas would be our Opening Day second baseman. I thought an injury or trade or strategical re-think would shift him to first or third, or even DH. Now, it looks like he could be the most potent second baseman in the league.
Obviously, seeing Votto lift a fifth-inning homer into the empty stands was tremendously encouraging. Currently he’s on 60-homer pace.
Nine strikeouts in exchange for one run was a stellar start from Sonny Gray, setting the bar high for the rotation. The second-tier relief corps of Lucas Sims, Nate Jones and Brooks Raley threw three hitless innings to complete a very successful day.
This is going to be a weird season, but it will be fun to watch.
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4000 miles from Ohio 