The Reds might do better in Vegas. (Photo by sean94110/Flickr)

This loss just felt bad. I mean, part of it is obvious, as it makes five straight losses – an entire trip through what we thought was a pretty decent looking rotation – which makes it the longest losing streak of the entire 2012 season. Yup, even when we were so busy in April and May not setting the world on fire, we never lost five straight games

At this point, I feel like we need Joey back pronto – just as a psychological boost.

Even though it was a close game – and the Reds were winning up until the 6th inning and tied into the eighth, nothing felt good about this game. Brandon Phillips had a nice night with three hits, and Leake wasn’t terrible. But Bruce was pretty bad – we all know he’s a streaky hitter, and that doesn’t even bother me that much, but this has been an exceptionally long bad streak.

And a lot of the problems seemed to magnify more general complaints. Like starting Miguel Cairo, and Valdez grounding into a double play at a key moment in the 9th inning. Yes, Rolen probably needed a day off, but we why didn’t we get a better bench bat at the trade deadline? Everything felt great at the time, because we were in the middle of an unsustainble winning streak. Now it feels like we’ve woken up sober, and without the win-goggles, our team isn’t quite so handsome.

Or the confusing bullpen usage – which implicated both the Broxton acquisition and Dusty’s managerial style. And why trade for Sean Marshall this off-season just to use him as a the world’s best LOOGY?

I should probably be bitching less, as un-regression/re-regression/regression will probably take us back to winning some of the time and also losing some of the time in fairly short order. Tonight feels like a night for grumpy whining, though, so, you know. Poop.