The Cincinnati Reds dropped 19 runs on the St. Louis Cardinals last night, so the absence of Joey Votto from the lineup for a second straight day mattered not in the grand scheme. Nick Martini picked up for him by socking an early 3-run homer, and the Reds simply boat-raced the Birds from there on.
Tonight, it’s lefty Drew Rom on the mound for St. Louis, and it’s understandable that Reds manager David Bell would have Votto on the sidelines for that scenario, too - in a vacuum. That it’s now the third straight game with Votto not in the starting lineup and the second to last day in which he’s under guaranteed contract with the franchise that drafted him over 20 years ago, though, makes you begin to wonder just what the hell is really going on in that Cincinnati dugout.