- Homer Bailey pitched the first complete game for a starter on the Reds staff in 2013. Not that this didn’t come without controversy (we’ll talk that more in a bit).

- Xavier Paul provided all the offense the Reds would need with just one swing of the bat  in the top of the 2nd with a bases-clearing, three-RBI double, changing an already 3-1 score (after two consecutive walks to Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips had already scored a pair immediately prior) into a 6-1 chasm.

- Zach Cozart, Votto, Phillips, and Ryan Hanigan ALL had multi-hit games, with Votto notching a 3-4 with a walk.

- Joey Votto made a “photobomb” appearance (seen in the locker room wearing just a towel) on post-game Reds Live, much to the pleasure of many female viewers who lit up Twitter shortly thereafter (and I pander to my audience … might as well talk this more, too).

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May 14, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey (left) greets catcher Ryan Hanigan (right) after defeating the Miami Marlins 6-2 at Marlins Park. (Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)

Homer Bailey deserves much of the discussion from the game Tuesday night.  The fact that Dusty Baker allowed Bailey to get to such a relatively high pitch count could simultaneously be commended and chastised in the same breath.  I, for one, had no problem seeing Homer give it a go at the complete game when the inning started. Seeing his velocity hit intra-game peaks in the 9th only cemented that Bailey was juiced, running on all kinds of adrenaline and wanted to finish it off in the worst way possible.  Will the 125 pitches he ultimately threw catch up to him in the form of fatigue as the season moves forward? Boy, I really hope not … but he’s been the most comparable guy the team has to one Justin Verlander, who routinely does the same thing (and will forever be linked going in the same 2004 draft class, Verlander 2nd and Bailey 7th, but Homer straight out of high school).  The full “effects”, if any, on how Homer Bailey continues to pitch going forward will simply have to remain to be seen. We simply don’t know how his arm and/or shoulder will react after a reasonably heavy load in the game.

May 14, 2013 – Reds Live post-game comments from Homer Bailey (Credit: Fox Sports Ohio and @JoeyVottosTowel Twitter account for photo)

On the lighter side of things, a funnier moment happened in the aftermath of the win. Jim Day of Fox Sports Ohio was hosting post-game Reds Live, as he customarily does, and had interviewed Xavier Paul on-field as the “star of the game” of sorts, even though offensively it was really a team effort kind of night.  Clearly, Day wanted to get Homer Bailey; however, Bailey rarely seems to stop for on-field interviews unless he really is forced to do so.  What happened next wasn’t anything necessarily out of the ordinary, getting Homer to comment on his masterful 10 strikeout and no walk performance on the night from his locker in the clubhouse with media from multiple sources gathered around him.  What was slightly more unusual was facing the cameras at an angle in the corner that directed at other players’ locker spots and, notably, facing at Joey Votto’s spot over Homer’s right shoulder (the #19 jersey clearly visible hanging in the stall).  As the interview kept going in the later stages, Homer was speaking about his start, answering a series of typical questions (including the concerns on the number of pitches he threw, and so on) when a person walked across the rear of the shot.  Considering said individual went directly into the aforementioned locker meant it really was only one person, and, within moments thereafter, Twitter lit up from multiple places (notably from the female variety) to acknowledge said “photobombing” incident. Kudos, Joey Votto, for “stealing the show” and getting your “nipples on TV” (see previous MLB Network interview from last Friday for full disclosure).

[Author's note: I disavow having written the preceding paragraph, but I acknowledge my "journalistic duty" to pander to the lowest common denominator ... for those "offended", I'm sorry ... for those "not offended", well, you're welcome, I guess.]

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Continue the conversation with me on Twitter @JDRentz

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JR: How are Miami fans taking to the “gutting” of the team after committing to the new stadium with big aspirations just a year ago?

EK: Not too well. The 2012 team was hyped up to be a contender and something Marlins fans could look forward each year as the newly re-branded Miami Marlins. Of course, that was not to be. Owner Jeffery Loria works on an impulse and rather than allow the team one more chance to put things together, decided that they needed to reboot and start all over. Instead of getting to watch superstars like Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez, Marlins fans are settling for wash-ups Greg Dobbs and Placido Polanco. Even fan favorite and one of the World Series heroes from 2003, Juan Pierre, has been a huge bust.

JR: Is outfielder Giancarlo Stanton becoming disenchanted with the team / organization? And … should we expect to hear his name in any trade rumors (real or speculation) often as the season progresses?

Apr 28, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) connects for a two run homer in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Marlins Park. (Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)

EK: Giancarlo quickly stated after the trade that he was not happy with the direction the team was taking. He even told Peter Gammons that he doubted the Marlins purpose for the trades were to build a winner. To his credit, Stanton has been a professional about the whole ordeal since the season began. He has been playing hard and has tried to take on a leadership role in a young clubhouse. He got off to a slow start, but was just heating up at the end of April.

Unfortunately, that is when he went down with a hamstring injury that should sideline him for a month or two. As for the rumors, they are constantly out there, but it would make no sense for the Marlins to deal their superstar right now. Between the slow start and the injury, his value is not at it’s peak. Marlins fans have grudgingly admitted that Stanton does not seem to be in the Marlins future, but it would still alienate the fanbase to trade him right now.

JR: Is there any one starting pitcher on the Marlins roster that the Reds should worry to face in this upcoming series? [Jose Fernandez or Ricky Nolasco come to mind, and the Reds faced Fernandez once in the homestand a month ago]

EK: Jose Fernandez is the pitcher that the Reds lineup should fear the most. Yes, the Reds knocked him around in a start earlier this season, but he was still figuring things out. His last two starts have been a lot better. Two starts ago, he allowed just one hit in seven innings and struck out nine. His last start, he allowed a three-run home run to Adrian Gonzalez, but was able to bounce back and deliver a strong six innings, striking out seven more hitters.

JR: Around baseball, the Marlins are seen as a “doormat” team in 2013 after having success in multiple seasons in the recent past. How is Jeff Loria viewed as affecting (or hindering) the ability of the team to compete?

EK: Loria hinders the team’s performance by acting like he knows what he is doing. Loria often times dictates to managers who he wants in the Marlins lineup and active roster. He will trade a player or fire a manager on an impulse. He is extremely unpredictable and Marlins fans are quite fed up with it. I dare you to name a worse owner in professional sports. I will leave it at that, don’t like wasting my breath on this guy anymore.

JR: What “up-and-comers” are getting more playing time (and not “household names”) we should expect to see playing in the starting eight in the series?

May 5, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Marcell Ozuna (48) during an at bat during the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Marlins defeated the Phillies 14-2. (Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports)

EK: Some non-household names to watch include prospects Derek Dietrich and Marcell Ozuna. Dietrich was recently called up and is seen as the Marlins scond baseman of the future. He is up in the majors after Donovan Solano hit the disabled list. Dietrich has a home run and double early in his major league career and hopes to impress the Marlins enough to warrant the starting second base job when Solano returns. Derek was likely rushed a bit to the majors, but the Marlins had no choice with all the injuries on their roster.

Marcell Ozuna is the other Marlins prospect that was rushed due to injuries. Most prospect experts projected Ozuna to make his MLB debut sometime in 2014, but with him being on the 40-man roster, he made more sense for the Marlins to bring up. Ozuna has been impressive in his MLB stint though. He owns a slash line of .326/.367/.500 slash line with a home run and five doubles. Ozuna is filling in for the injured Stanton and could shift to left field in place of Juan Pierre if he continues to hit well.

JR: Should the Reds be worried about an “upset” in this series (given their woefulness on the road this season) and seeing the Marlins win at least a couple games?

EK: Hardly. The Marlins are not a very good team right now and their lineup is beyond putrid. I mean, Greg “Freaking” Dobbs and Miguel Olivo have spent a lot of time in the Marlins starting lineup. That makes me want to puke. Dobbs is directily the opposite player that Reds first baseman Joey Votto is. But the Marlins do have a chance to steal a game this series with their pitching. Fernandez has thrown the ball well and pitches the finale and Nolasco is coming off of a nine strikeout game his last time out.

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Continue the conversation with me on Twitter @JDRentz

In the newest issue of GQ magazine (May 2013 edition, hitting newsstands Tuesday, April 23rd), a series of current MLB players are featured in a photo shoot along with short Q&A segments with each of the featured players.  Besides Phillips, Buster Posey, Barry Zito, Chase Headley, Jake Peavy, and Andre Ethier are also in the issue for MLB style.

[featured excerpts follow ... you can see the entire online Q&A here and the full. feature in the print edition of the magazine:]

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“Though he plays for a small-market team, Brandon Phillips has managed to accumulate almost a million Twitter followers, the second most of anyone in baseball. He is indisputably the Major League leader in T.P.D.’s (Tweets Per Day), opining on everything from fried Oreos to Go-Karting to teammates’ unstylish shoes. A superb defensive player—he was a human highlight reel in this spring’s World Baseball Classic—Phillips has won three Gold Gloves in the past five years. When he didn’t win one in 2012 he said, ‘I thought I was being punked.’”

Brandon Phillips (Photo credit: Cass Bird / GQ)

>On last year’s National League Division Series:
“I’m still not over it. I’m still not over it. I’m still not over it, man.” “… Or for that matter myself: I wish I would have had a better at-bat against Romo to keep the inning going [in the ninth inning of Game 5, when Phillips popped out to foul territory].”

>On being on a small-market team yet a high Twitter following:
“I like to make people’s day and that’s what I did. I take pictures, interact with fans, go to kids’ games. I did giveaways to build my fan base up. I just say real quotes. I tell people how I think. I just do normal things that professional athletes should really do.”

>On “plate patience”:
“I understand what people are saying about my plate discipline; I’ll agree with that. I love to swing the bat. I love to hit. I’m the type of guy that wants to get the runners in. I would rather have a guy do that, actually, than walk all the time and not swing the bat.”

> On “greatest clubhouse prank”:
“One of my teammates was getting on my nerves so I put purple Kool-Aid in his shoe … when he took his shoes off and socks off his feet were purple. He ran into the clubhouse and the training room like, “Oh, my God! I don’t know what’s going on with my feet!” It was pretty funny, he really thought that he had a disease or something, like he was breaking out. It was pretty bad. He was so embarrassed…”
> On WBC teammate Shane Victorino‘s shoes:

@DatDudeBP: #RealTalk: Can someone PLEASE send my teammate @ShaneVictorino some DAMN shoes for the #WBC bc those shoes he had on today was#NoBueno.

“We got there and everybody had USA colors, national colors. Shane, he has no shoes, he has nothing. The only person who had his shoe size was the clubhouse guy. So we all went out for a stretch, just chilling, and the next thing you know Shane came out with the most raggedy, ugliest shoes ever. He’s a big leaguer and he came out with the ugliest shoes ever. We was like, “Wow, are you serious?” You had to see these shoes. They looked like the person who was wearing them had corns and bunions on their toes. Everybody was getting on his shoes the whole day, and so I decided to Tweet about it. He retweeted it and next thing you know Nike sent him some shoes.”

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Continue the conversation with me on Twitter @JDRentz