The 22 runs were the most scored by the Phils since they posted a 26-7 win over the New York Mets on June 11, 1985. The 22 run effort was the fifth highest outburst in Phillies history and the fourth time they scored 10 runs in the first inning of a game in franchise history. The last time the team scored 10 runs in the first inning was against the Montreal Expos (Washington Nationals) in June of the 2002 season.

The Phillies sent 13 batters to the plate in Monday’s game against Dusty Baker’s Reds scoring 10 runs on six hits, three walks, and one hit batter. The Phillies also hit three homeruns in the inning (Shane Victorino, Greg Dobbs, and Chase Utley).

The Phillies then went on to score one run in the second, one run in the third, and four runs in the fourth before the Reds bullpen posted three straight scoreless innings of relief. The Phillies would explode for six more runs in the bottom of the eighth off of backup shortstop Paul Janish. Janish was making his second pitching appearance of the season.

He previously pitched against the Milwaukee Brewers, allowing five runs in one inning of work, his first career appearance on the mound. This time around he allowed an RBI single to Victorino, an RBI single to Eric Bruntlett, and a grand slam to Jayson Werth before the dust settled.

Coming into the game Janish had an ERA of 45.00 and after the outing it ballooned to 49.50. He walked two and struck out one, Pedro Feliz, to end the inning. On the other side of the field Scott Eyre returned to game action after being activated from the disabled list on Sunday.

Eyre got himself into trouble in the top of the ninth inning when he put Reds runners on second and third with none out. He then proceeded to induce a shallow fly out to left field and two straight strikeouts to retire the side and end the game. Eyre had been on the disabled list since June 12 with a strained calf that he suffered running in from the bullpen the previous day against the Mets in New York.

Cole Hamels took the win, his fifth of the season, and his first since June 4 when he threw a five hit shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers in California. Hamels lowered his ERA to 4.70. The only run he allowed was on a Jonny Gomes homerun, one of only three hits surrendered in the game by the 2008 World Series MVP. Hamels also collected a two run double in the first inning and a single in the fourth inning.

The 21 run loss for the Reds was their worst loss in their 140 year history. Don’t forget that the Reds are the oldest team in the Major Leagues. “That’s the worst beating I can remember on a baseball field,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said on the team’s site. “There’s not a whole bunch to say. We just got slaughtered.”

Reds starter Johnny Cueto didn’t get out of the first inning, recording only two outs, before being lifted for Daniel Ray Herrera. Cueto allowed nine earned runs on five hits, three walks, and allowed two homeruns. The Utley homerun was off of Herrera. Cueto’s ERA jumped from 2.69 to 3.45 after the nine runs allowed in the first inning.

The Phillies continue their four game set with the Reds tonight at 7:05 at Citizens Bank Park. J.A. Happ opposes Aaron Harang of the Reds. Happ is 5-0 and Harang is 5-8. Happ is coming off two superb starts in which he has allowed only two runs in 16 innings pitched. He has also struck out 9 while walking only two hitters and allowing only 12 hits in that span.

Happ pitched a shutout against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 27, a 10-0 win, and allowed only two runs in seven innings against the Atlanta Braves on July 2, a 5-2 Braves win for a series sweep of the Phillies. Happ took the no decision. Happ has lowered his ERA to 2.96 for the 2009 season.

The list of position players that have taken the mound in 2009 are Nick Swisher of the New York Yankees, Cody Ross of the Florida Marlins, Jonathan Van Every of the Boston Red Sox, Paul Janish of the Cincinnati Reds and Josh Wilson of the Arizona Diamondbacks. When a position player takes to the mound during a regular season game it is looked at as a very embarrassing situation for the team but some of the position players that have to pitch take their new assignment in stride.

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The first position player to grab the honors in 2009 was Swisher of the Yankees. Swisher had to pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 13th. Swisher threw one scoreless inning, 22 total pitches, and topped out at 80 MPH on the radar gun. This fad has continued to become popular over the years. There have been 107 position players to pitch in a regular season Major League game since 1979. 55 of the 107 position players to take the mound have left the hill with a 0.00 ERA like Swisher.

The Arizona Diamondbacks fired manager Bob Melvin late at night on May 7th and replaced him with Farm Director and former Major League catcher A.J. Hinch. Hinch used a position player to pitch only six games into his managerial career when Josh Wilson took the mound on May 11th when the Diamondbacks lost to the Cincinnati Reds 13-5. Wilson tossed a scoreless inning of relief in the loss.

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The position player with the most appearances on the mound right now is Aaron Miles of the Chicago Cubs. Miles made three appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals over the past two seasons. Some of the most famous position players to pitch in a Major League game during their career includes Jose Canseco, Wade Boggs, John Russell (manager of the Pirates) and Terry Francona (manager of the Red Sox). Canseco pitched for the Texas Rangers in 1993 and injured his elbow while doing so for manager Kevin Kennedy. Canseco missed the final three months of the season due to the injury.

Some may think it is embarrassing to toe the hill as a position player but others like the challenge of throwing ‘heat’ to Major League hitters since they might never get the chance to do so ever again during their career. Let’s face it folks, with the continued bashing of the baseball throughout the league more and more position players will continue to make pitching appearances for their team to save the rest of the pitching staff.