I listened to the beginning of the game from the deck of the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor. I wondered why in the hell the Reds would start a space cadet like Edinson Volquez in Game 1 of a playoff series. By the time I got back to my hotel room to watch the finish, I began to realize it wasn't going to matter who the Reds sent out there that day. It was disappointing yes, but there's nothing embarrassing about getting no-hit by the best pitcher in the game. Getting no-hit by Eric Milton would be embarrassing (yes, he had one). Getting no-hit by Roy Halladay is not.
What is really embarrassing though is the entirety of Game 2.
First of all I want to say that I'm really disappointed in Chase Utley. I had respect for him. He has absolutely owned the Reds throughout his career - so there's no need for him to pull a chickenshit move like he did when he ducked out of his AB against Chapman. He generally has no problem getting on base like a real man against the Reds - there's no need for that limp-wristed Cardinals shit.
That being said, it's not like that free pass, or the free out they got with him on the play at second base decided this game. The fact of the matter is, you can't walk six guys, plunk three* and commit four errors and expect to beat the Pirates, let alone the Phillies. You can't let the other team rally for a run without benefit of a hit and expect to win.
I'm happy the Reds are even in the playoffs to begin with though. This has been a good season. It's disappointing to see it close out this way, but the last two series against the whiny bitches foreshadowed this. The Reds are talented, but they are also young and don't know how to perform in the spotlight. Let's hope the young guys are going to school on this trip and can bring something a little more substantial in big series next season.