Your Thursday Time Killer is named Danielle Lloyd....

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Reds sweep Astros by winning Wednesday night 6-1...

- Bronson Arroyo was, in a word, phenomenal.....he pitched his 7th career complete game and is now the winningest pitcher in the NL for the moment with 7 victories. Last season, Arroyo didn't win his 7th game until July. He allowed 5 hits and tossed just 92 pitches, talk about efficiency. As Marty said after the game, the Reds don't need him to pitch this well every game...but certainly need him to be consistently good.

- Even though they allowed the game's first run, the Reds just kept the beat going....Jerry Hairston was tonight's unorthodox contributor going 2-4 with a couple RBI and Jay Bruce looked like an All-Star. Bruce went 2-4 with a pair of homers and 4 RBI. Cincinnati was just 6-17 coming into yesterday when the opponent scores first but (as they have done a bunch lately) were able to respond. They never let off the gas pedal.

Speaking of Bruce....he said this after the game: "We go on the road with some momentum...we plan on coming back in first place."

- Looks like Edinson Volquez will start on Monday....he threw in the bullpen on Wednesday and had no problems with his back, leaving him on target to be reinstated next week. "I wasn't even counting. I was just throwing like crazy - bam, bam, bam," Volquez said. "[Dick Pole] told me afterward it was 78 pitches. I threw all of my pitches."

- As for Edwin.....he plans to accompany the team to Milwaukee for a weekend series and take batting practice for the first time since he broke his left wrist on April 27. Encarnacion chipped a bone on a swing. There's no timetable for his return. He resumed playing catch this week.

- The Reds are 26-20, tying a season-high for games over .500. They've won a season-high four straight. They are 17-9 in the Central. They're over .500 at home for the first time at 13-12. They're about to get back Brandon Phillips, their RBI leader, and Edinson Volquez, their No. 2 starter.

- Final Numbers....

R-H-E-Total-LOB
HOU: 1-5-1-1-3
CIN: 6-11-0-6-6

WP: Bronson Arroyo (7-3)
LP: Felipe Paulino (1-4)

Attendance: 17,602
Time: 2:08

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Odom, coaches seek key
Geoff Hobson, Bengals.com
Right end Antwan Odom's dramatic push in the weight room has mirrored the drive defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and defensive line coach Jay Hayes have brought to pass rush techniques this offseason.

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Best under-the-radar moves this NFL offseason
Fox Sports

3. The buzz-worthy move: Seattle signs WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh
The under-the-radar move: Cincinnati signs WR Laveranues Coles

No one will argue with the success T.J. Hoosh had in Cincy, and Bengals fans were downright devastated when they came "thisclose" to re-signing him, only to lose in the free-agent sweepstakes to Seattle.

Coles is a pretty darn solid pick-up, though. At a much cheaper price, the Bengals get a reliable gamer who will be playing with a chip on his shoulder. Unlike his former Florida State teammate (and Dillard's shopping mate) Peter Warrick, Coles should make quite an impact on the Cincinnati offense. Though admittedly more of a Chad Pennington guy than a Brett Favre one, Coles was still quite productive at the age of 30 for the Jets last season. With a four-year deal valued at $28 million, Coles is both a fiscally-smart and a rare savvy signing by the Bengals. Don't be shocked if he becomes one of Carson Palmer's favorite targets in '09.

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Andre Smith officially rehires old agent.....The NFL Players Association has confirmed that Bengals first-round pick Andre Smith has filed paperwork making Alvin Keels his agent, reuniting the two.

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Cool story on Elder Grad Eric Wood
Bill Koch, Enquirer
Eric Wood was far from a can?t-miss college prospect when he left Elder High School in 2004. No one could have predicted back then that in five years the Buffalo Bills would select him in the first round of the NFL draft.

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Billy G suing Kentucky for $6 Million....The lawsuit claims breach of contract and fraud. Gillispie was working under a memorandum of understanding but hadn't signed a formal contract during the two years he coached at Kentucky.

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Coach Cal's former team possibly in hot water....The Memphis men's basketball program has been charged by the NCAA with major violations during the 2007-08 season under former coach John Calipari, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported on Wednesday.

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Speaking of Uh-Oh.....Kentucky Wildcats recruit John Wall has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and entered a program for first offenders which could lead to having his record cleared.

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A look into the Reds future....
From Jamie Ramsey

TODAY?S LOUISVILLE GAME: For the second time in 3 days, the Bats were blanked on 1 hit, losing 2-0?Matt Maloney started for Louisville and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits in 7.0 innings (2bb, 7k).

LASTNIGHT?S GAMES: Louisville beat Pawtucket ?Adam Pettyjohn with a quality start (6.1ip, 9h, 2r, 0bb, 3k)?Norris Hopper had 3 hits and 3 RBI?Carolina beat Montgomery and have now won 6 in a row?Zack Cozart went 3-for-4 with a double and 2 runs scored?Juan Francisco extended his hitting streak to 9 games (15-40, .375, 3hr, 12rbi, 6r)?Saraosta lost to Dunedin in a rain-shortened contest?Carson Kainer had 2 hits and a run scored?Dayton fell to Wisconsin?Cody Puckett had another 3-hit game?David Sappelt extended his hitting streak to 9 games (16-35, .457).

STUBBS BBQ: OF Drew Stubbs (Louisville) in 26 games this month is batting .337 (31-92) with 15 stolen bases, a .500 slugging pct. and a .431 on-base percentage...he?s reached base safely via hit or walk in 22 of those 26 games...he was named International League Player of the Week for 5/4-5/11.

QUOTE BOAT: "My leg feels good. It?s the best it has felt since the injury. That?s a great thing. I?m probably 95%." - Bats OF Norris Hopper who yesterday had 3 hits and 3 RBI in Louisville?s 7-5 win over Pawtucket...Hopper was recently reinstated from the disabled list (strained left hamstring) --Louisville Courier-Journal

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FAIL of the day....

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Don't get on this bus....

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Don't get on this bus....

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Best motivational poster you'll see today....

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The BEST movie news you'll read about today.....Will Ferrell has revealed the team behind the hit 2004 movie - including actors Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, and David Koechner and producer Judd Apatow - are meeting soon to discuss plans for a follow-up to the comedy film about a newsreader in the 1970s.

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If I was a doctor, I would want to work in this hospital....When Petra Kalivodova, a 31-year-old nurse, was considering whether to renew her contract at a private health clinic here, special perks helped clinch the deal: free German lessons, five weeks of vacation, and a range of plastic-surgery options, including complimentary silicone-enhanced breasts.

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Another one bites the dust.....Adriana Lima knocked up by NBA husband...So before she gets all huge and stuff, enjoy some of her fine work...

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Another of the MANY reasons Pittsburgh sucks.....on Tuesday night when the Penguins clinched the Eastern Conference Championship and punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals, it's customary for the league to present the Prince of Wales Trophy to the Conference Champs.

Hockey "law" says it's VERY, VERY bad luck to touch the conference trophy (because the only trophy you really wanna touch is the Cup). Well, Sidney Crosby just broke the law...idiot.

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THIS is how you accept the Conference Championship trophy....the Red Wings will also show the Penguins AGAIN how to hoist the Stanley Cup in a week or so...

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Here's your Cheerleader of the Week
Lauren Thompson - Arizona State

Name: Lauren Thompson
School: Arizona State University
Birth Date: February 16, 1988
Hometown: Scottsdale, Arizona
Year: Sophomore
Major: Business and Communications, minor psychology

1. I love (ASU), but I almost went to: San Diego State

2. My favorite class is: Class is class to me, they are kind of all the same.

3. Movies I can't live without: Serendipity, Wedding Crashers, Troy, It's a Wonderful Life.

4. Music I can't live without: Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Jacks Mannequin, Neyo, Keith Urban.

5. TV shows I can't live without: The Cosby Show! Only show that makes me laugh out loud all the time, Grey's Anatomy.

6. What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you during a game? Last year at the ASU vs. UA game me and my partner dropped a heel stretch stunt in the first stunt of the game. Haha, it was rough but we put it back up to redeem ourselves.

7. My favorite sport is: Football is better live but I like baseball on TV.

8. My favorite professional sports teams are: SUNS! Whoot Whoot! Diamond backs and Cardinals. I have to support the hometown teams!

9. My one Guilty Pleasure is: Laying in bed on cloudy days, watching movies and napping.

10. My best physical feature: I don't think about that stuff really but if I had to chose maybe my smile because that is what some people say.

11. Strange and unusual fact about me: I have lucky underwear for game days.

12. My friends would be surprised to know that I: They know almost everything about me. My family and friends are like a team.

13. Favorite Foods: I could eat salad for days, Italian food, P.F Changs, Smoothies.

14. Five People I'd Like To Have Dinner With (Living or Dead): My Mom, My grandpa who passed away Bill Cosby, Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn

15. Three People who annoy me: My roommates and sister, it's a love-hate relationship, haha.

16. Next Risk I Want To Take: Sky Diving, after I hang up my poms.

17. If your life had a theme song, what would it be: I'd probably have to say the Good Stuff by Kenny Chesney, because it reminds me of everything that's most important in life.

18. What reality show would you do best on and why: There are not really any out there right now that I could picture myself doing but I love watching them, Run's House and The Girls Next Door are my favorite.

19. If I won the lottery, the first thing I'd buy is: A vacation for my close family and friends.

20. Describe the worst date you ever went on: No bad dates yet unfortunately!

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Today's Definition of Duh....A man, a woman, and a police officer were attacked and bitten. Why is this a duh, you ask? Because it wasn't a by a dog...it was by a man. A naked man.

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Japanese advertisers always provide some great WTF's of the day....

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Reality TV stars are angry at the media for intruding on their lives....sounds like someone missed the point of reality TV.

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