Bravo Cabrera

Orlando Cabrera has been one of the best things to happen to the Cincinnati Reds in a long time.

It is just the first inning at Great American Ball Park, Cabrera has already had an effect.

Alcides Escobar hit a one-out triple with Ryan Braun, the Milwaukee slugger with a .343 batting average coming to the plate.   The normal wisdom is to concede the run that early in the game to prevent a big inning.

Braun smoked a Johnny Cueto pitch to Cabrera's glove side, deep in the hole at shortstop. 

Everyone with the possible exception of Ramon Hernandez expected Cabrera to throw to first.  Without hesitation, he fired home to Hernandez, who blocked the plate and tagged out Escobar.

An aggressive defensive play, it was a risk that could have been second guessed all day long but it set the tone already.

Cabrera then extended his hitting streak to 10 games by lining a double down the leftfield line.  It was the third straight game that he has had a hit in his first at bat to leadoff the game.

"He brings enthusiasm and emphasizes going from first to third," Bronson Arroyo said before the game.

Cabrera advanced to third when Brandon Phillips sacrificed him there but after Joey Votto walked, Scott Rolen hit a low line drive on a 3-2 pitch with Votto running.  Casey McGehee turned it into a double play.

There is a statistical significance to scoring first.

Milwaukee is 3-21 when the opponent scores first.  The Reds are 12-2 when they score first.




Note:

Today the Reds signed to a minor league contract 25-year-old Cuban free agent OF Felix Perez (6-2, 190, bats left, throws left)   They signing compliments the more heralded inking of Aroldis Chapman.