AN: FINALLY THE NASTY ONE HAS COME BACK TO FANFICTION!
That's right guys, I'm not dead! I've just been busy with school and my other stories on here that I kind of forgot about this one for a while. I know I'm a terrible person, but since grad school is ending in two weeks I should be able to update more frequently. Anyway last time we left off, Charlie Brown had his first bad professional outing. Can he bounce back? Let's find out right now!
Chapter 14: Bouncing Back
== Series against Chicago ==
The team's flight was to Chicago to take on the Cubs™ in a four game divisional series. The first game got the series off to a slow start as the team lost the game 2 – 0 behind Mike Leake who worked six innings while only giving up the two unearned runs to drop his record to 3 – 3 on the season. The woes continued for the Reds™ as they proceeded to lose the second game by a score of 6 – 5 in twelve innings. Homer Bailey gave them a quality start going six innings with only giving up three runs, but the bullpen once again floundered. It was the usual suspect of Carlos Contreas who lost the game dropping his record to 0 – 5 on the year. The offensive spark was provided by Jay Bruce's 3 run homer, Devin Mesoraco's solo homer, and even Homer got in on the act with an RBI groundout.
Following the two losses the team tried coming back in game three but once again fell flat losing by a score of 3 – 1. Johnny Cueto took the loss dropping his record to 7 – 3 despite throwing another quality start of six innings and two run ball. However, the only run support he got was from Joey Votto's RBI double. The team then proceeded to snap out of their funk and steal the final game in the series by a 9 – 3 score. Tony Cingrani pitched seven innings and recorded nine K's to improve his record to 6 – 5 on the season. The offensive explosion came from multiple sources; Marlon Byrd's RBI single, Kristopher Negron's RBI double and two run homer, and Bruce's two run double and three run homerun. With a little momentum on their side, the team flew to Detroit to take on the Tigers™ in a quick two game series with Charlie Brown starting the first game.
== Game Day (Monday June 15, 2015 7:05 PM EST) ==
Charlie Brown had found out before the game that his parents, Sally, Linus, and surprisingly Frieda had made the journey from St. Paul's to come and watch him play today.
'Well it's certainly odd that Frieda would be interested enough to come and watch me play. Last I checked she hated baseball and cared too much about her hair. Maybe she's changed? Guess I'll find out after the game is over.'
(Refer back to Chapter 10 for the meanings behind the asterisks next to the players' names.)
Cincinnati Reds™ (28 - 35) Detroit Tigers™ (24 – 39)
1. CF Billy Hamilton (S) ** 1. CF Rajai Davis **
2. 2B Kristopher Negron * 2. SS Jose Iglesias
3. 1B Joey Votto (L) 3. 1B Miguel Cabrera *
4. 3B Todd Frazier 4. DH Victor Martinez (S) *
5. RF Jay Bruce (L) * 5. RF J. D. Martinez
6. LF Marlon Byrd 6. LF Yoenis Cespedes
7. C Devin Mesoraco 7. 2B Ian Kinsler
8. DH Brayan Peña (S) 8. 3B Nick Castellanos **
9. SS Zack Cozart ** 9. C Bryan Holaday **
Pitchers: RHP Charlie Brown (2 – 0, 1.84 ERA) RHP Alfredo Simon (3 – 4, 3.38 ERA)
== Bottom of 1st Inning ==
It was a fairly routine top of the first for Tigers'™ starter, and former Reds™ member Alfredo Simon (pronounced Si-moan) as he had a 1-2-3 inning sending Charlie Brown out in a 0 – 0 tie to start the game. Charlie Brown looked out to the left field stands and waved at his family and friends before settling in to face leadoff man CF Rajai Davis.
Davis was a terrific speedster and was looking to use his speed to try and beat out a groundball as he came in really scuffling the past week or so. However, he got under a high and tight 4SFB on the second pitch and flew out to Billy in shallow center for the first out.
Next up was SS Jose Iglesias who was looking for a pitch to drive and maybe get his guys on top to give them some momentum. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Iglesias got a Curve that hung dead center and he pulled it into the left field seats for a solo homer. The ball was actually caught by Frieda who threw it back onto the field to show her support of Charlie Brown which got a resounding boo from the Tigers'™ fan base. However, they were still happy as they had an early 1 – 0 lead.
Knowing he needed to regain focus quickly with Detroit's best two hitters coming up, Charlie Brown rubbed the ball in between his hands to get it the way he like before staring in at former AL MVP Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera gave Charlie Brown a good battle, but he went after a low and away Curve on the seventh pitch and pulled it weakly to shortstop where Cozart fired to first easily for the second out.
Next up was DH Victor Martinez batting left-handed against Charlie Brown who grounded out to Negron at second after four pitches for the final out of the inning.
== Top of 2nd Inning ==
Wanting to rally behind their young pitcher, the Reds™ started poorly when the "Toddfather" struck out looking on a curve for the first out of the inning, and Bruce followed that with a groundout to shortstop. Things looked bleak, but Byrd beat out a sharp grounder to first that Miguel dove to stop, but Simon was too slow to cover the bag. Capitalizing on an at-bat he didn't think he'd have this inning, Devin proceeded to hit a liner over the left fielder's head that got stuck in the corner as Byrd was charging hard and scored all the way from first as he beat the throw home by sliding around the catcher Holaday. Brayan then grounded out to second, but Cincinnati had tied it up 1 – 1.
== Bottom of 2nd Inning ==
Detroit's RF J.D. Martinez started off the inning by hitting a two pitch fly ball to shallow right field on a low Curve that was handled easily by Bruce for the first out.
Following him, LF Yoenis Cespedes, who was an off-season trade acquisition from the Boston Red Sox™, stepped in with a .223 batting average on the year. This was putting a lot of pressure on Cespedes to start producing, but he ended up flying out to deep left on a low Curve after two pitches.
Third up in the inning, was 2B Ian Kinsler. Kinsler was looking to get something going but froze on a high and away fastball that caught the corner on the fifth pitch of the at-bat to end the inning.
== Bottom of 3rd Inning ==
With nothing noteworthy happening in the top half of the inning, Charlie Brown stepped back out to face the 8-9-1 hitters in Detroit's lineup. First up was 3B Nick Castellanos who entered the game with a seven game hitting streak and was seeing his numbers start to increase after a horrendous cold spell. He went after the first pitch low and away 4SFB and grounded weakly to shortstop for the first out.
Following him was backup catcher Bryan Holaday who was struggling through what was undoubtedly a bad year for him. Coming in with an average of .140, (Yikes!), he was looking for anything to drive. However, he grounded the first pitch high and away 2SFB right to Votto who stepped on the bag himself for the second out.
That brought the top of order back up with Davis standing in against Charlie Brown. He lasted longer than the other two batters, but popped the third pitch up behind the first pitch bag as Votto moved over and made the catch for the final out of the inning.
== Top of 4th Inning ==
Votto lead off the inning for the Reds™ in the fourth and smacked Simon's fastball to dead center for a no-doubt homerun that was his 8th of the season. Using the momentum provided from that, the "Toddfather" and Bruce both singled against Simon putting runners at first and second with no outs. Byrd then struck swinging on a slider, but Devin worked a seven pitch walk to load the bases for Brayan. Brayan then hit a sharp single into right field that got Frazier and Bruce to score. However Cozart then grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, but the damage was done as the score was now 4 – 1 in favor of Cincinnati.
== Bottom of 4th Inning ==
On his way back out to the mound Charlie Brown high-fived both Devin and Brayan while congratulating them on their respective efforts. He then buckled down knowing he was facing the heart of Detroit's lineup. First up was Iglesias who felt confident after homering off Charlie Brown in the first, but ended up flying out to medium deep left field after two pitches.
Next up was Cabrera and he hit the fifth pitch to Charlie Brown's immediately left. It was going to be a tough play, but Charlie Brown stabbed at it and fielded the ball on one hop, before firing to Votto for the second out of the inning.
V. Martinez was up next and looking to get something going, and he succeeded when he hit the sixth pitch of the at-bat to right field for a two out single. Following him, J. D. Martinez hit the second pitch weakly in front of home plate which was fielded easily by Devin who threw the outfielder out at first for the final out of the inning.
== Bottom of 5th Inning ==
The fifth inning was rather pedestrian for the Reds™ as Simon found his form once again and shut them down. In the bottom half Cespedes led off by hitting a fly ball to medium deep center. It looked like an easy play for Billy, but he lost the ball in the sun and it ended up sailing over his head to the wall. Thanks to his hustling out of the box, Cespedes ended up at third on the E8.
The next batter was Kinsler, but he popped out to Devin near the Reds™ dugout on the first base side of the field after two pitches.
Castellanos was next and he hit the first pitch to Frazier who made the play at first, but Cespedes scored on the throw and made it a two run game.
However, the inning ended there as Holaday proceeded to pop out behind the first base bag in fall territory; after a six pitch at bat.
== Top of 6th Inning ==
With his pitch count being in the nineties, manager Brad Ausmus made a move to bring in RHP Joakim Soria to pitch the sixth inning and he did his job by getting a 1-2-3 inning which kept it a 4 – 2 game.
== Bottom of 6th Inning ==
Davis was up for his third at-bat of the game, but ended up popping out behind home plate to Devin after a seven pitch battle with Charlie Brown.
Following that, Iglesias then continued then capitalized on a low and in Curve ball by fisting it into center field for a single after it jammed him badly.
Cabrera then stepped up and connected with a 2SFB that was low and away by lining it into center field for a single. Thanks to his speed Iglesias managed to get to third base without a throw as it put runners on the corners with only one out.
Looking to capitalize and at least get the one run in. V. Martinez hit the second pitch 4SFB to deep left that was run down by Byrd, but allowed Iglesias to score easily and make it a one run game.
J. D. Martinez then stood in and got an RBI chance when Cabrera advanced to second on a wild pitch, when Charlie Brown's third pitch Curve bounced away from Devin. Despite this Charlie Brown battled for nine pitches when he struck out Martinez on a low and in 4SFB that he was too late to catch up with for the final out of the inning.
== Bottom of 7th Inning ==
After failing to score in the top half, Bryan Price decided to turn the game over to the bullpen as Charlie Brown was starting to get up there on pitches and he wanted to save the young man's arm from being overworked. He brought in RHP J. J. Hoover who proceeded to blow the lead when 2B Kristopher Negron airmailed Votto on an easy throw to first that allowed a runner to score and tie it up at 4 – 4. Despite this struggle, Hoover got out of the inning and the score would remain tied until the 10th Inning when one team managed to push ahead.
== 10th Inning ==
The "Toddfather" started off the inning by taking a pitch deep to center field to put the Reds™ up by a run, before Devin doubled home Bruce later in the inning to put them up another run. Following that, Aroldis Chapman came in and had a 1-2-3 tenth to pick up his 14th save of the season, and secured the win for Carlos Contreas who had a good outing in the ninth and picked up his first win of the season (1 – 5).
== Final Stat Line ==
Pitching: ND (Still 2 – 0), 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2.04 ERA on season, 83 Pitches, 58 Strikes, 25 Balls.
== After the Game ==
Charlie Brown met up with his family and friends after the game and decided to spend the few hours he had before the plane ride back home at a local restaurant. While there he was surprised to hear the Frieda began taking an interest in baseball again after her younger brother, Leland, starting playing for high school last year. She had heard about his triumphs over the course of the season and had joined the group today since she felt now was as good as any to show him that he had her support as well even though she never said it much when they were younger. Happy with this outcome, Charlie Brown then proceeded to have a good time with them before he had to head back to the team's hotel to pack up. Before leaving, his dad presented him with a new glove as a gift for making the show. (It's a tan Rawlings® Veteran Heart of the Hide®)
Arriving back at the hotel, Charlie Brown couldn't wait to try out the new glove at either the next training session or game and as he was packing up he thought about the day's events.
'Happy we bounced back today! I just hope that we can continue to win, otherwise we'll fall out of postseason contention.'
AN: And that's a wrap on this chapter. Love it? Hate it? Drop me a review and tell me how you feel about it. Once again I apologize for the long gap between updates and hope that you guys continue to read this story. Hope to see you all again in the next chapter, as once again this is "The Nasty One" signing off.
-PRAK #TheNastyOne