Francisco Cordero

Ouch.

The tires are flat just a few days after the Reds bandwagon was getting full.

After holding a commanding 9-1 lead, the Reds end up losing 10-9 in stomach punching fashion to the Atlanta Braves.

The Reds jumped out to a eight run lead in the second inning and everything seemed juuuust fine. Rookie Mike Leake had his seventh quality start in eight appearances, going six innings giving up five hits and three runs (one earned).

The Cincinnati Reds have a very good baseball team. That isn't opinion, it is fact.

Coming into Atlanta on Wednesday they had won nine of their last 10 games, were seven games above .500 and in first place of the National League's Central Division.

The starting pitching had been superb, the hitting was outstanding and their defense was second to none.

Ramon Hernandez knocked in the winning run in the last of the eighth inning as the Cincinnati Reds did what they do best.

They came from behind to score the winning run in their last at-bat for the seventh time in eight wins.

The Reds evened their homestand at 3-3, while putting the skids on the San Diego Padres win streak at eight. They won the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 before the Padres came to town.

Where do I begin? How do you talk about ending a love-hate relationship?

That is where I am with Francisco "Coco" Cordero.

If you watched Saturday night's loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, you should already be in league with me.

Johnny Cueto left after five complete innings pitched and a one run lead. He was in line for the first win for a Reds starter in the young season.

Three pitchers (Daniel Harrera, Logan Ondrusek and Arthur Rhodes) were awarded a hold to set things up perfectly for our local stud, Cordero.

Coco Cordero is already in mid-season form.

Wait a minute, that is not a good thing, at least not in my mind.

As he did countless times last year, he was called on in the ninth to protect a lead, this time two runs.

He pitched horribly and yet was rewarded with a save. Show me some justice!

If you check the box score you will see his line is anything but good. One inning, one earned run, three hits and a home run. The game ended with the bases loaded.

By Todd Farino, www.thecloserreport.com