Not a lot of highlights today, as pathetic Reds starter Homer Bailey shut down the Cardinals on three hits in a limp 3-1 loss to drop the rubber game in Cincinnati.

UNGLUED AGAIN: Jaime Garcia followed the typical game plan over the last month – pitch well through five, and then screw it all up in the sixth. After a single and an error by Skip Schumaker in the sixth, Garcia once again lost his composure. He threw two consecutive wild pitches to score the tying run. If he’s ever going to be great, he needs to learn to control his emotions better than that.

 MOLDY CHEESE: How much longer can we afford to play Colby Rasmus in this condition? His 0-3 today drops his average to .241, the lowest it’s been in two years. He did have an outstanding running basket catch in center, though. It’s just getting tougher to stomach.

EJECTED: In the disastrous sixth inning, Skip Schumaker’s high throw resulted in pulling Ryan Theriot off the second base bag for an error. When the umpire made the correct call, Theriot went ballistic. He charged the ump like a pit bull attacks a defenseless baby. While I appreciate the emotion, his blown gasket really threw off the game and damaged our chance to win. Bad move.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Lance Berkman, who provided the only fireworks with a second-inning home run.

CONCLUSION: These are the really frustrating games. We should’ve won this thing handily with Bailey on the mound and a rousing victory last night. Instead, the Cardinals came out and played like a bunch of groomsmen the morning after a drunken wedding. A missed chance here.