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The Reds swept not only the Cleveland series, but the 6-game homestand, with a 6-4 victory over the Indians this afternoon at Great American Ball Park. Edinson Volquez won the battle of league ERA leaders, as the Reds treated Cliff Lee rather rudely. The Reds scored more runs off Lee than he had given up all season.

Volquez went six innings and gave up two runs on four hits and four walks (and two HBP) with five strikeouts. Jeremy Affeldt started the 7th, but couldn't get an out and gave up three hits. He would be charged with two runs. Jared Burton pitched two innings and was charged with no runs, and Francisco Cordero pitched a shutout 9th for his 9th save.

The Reds got on the board in the first when Ryan Freel singled, Paul Janish worked a walk (just the fifth of the season for Lee) and one out later Brandon Phillips grounded out but Freel scored. That lead held up until the fourth when the Indians scored, but Adam Dunn answered with a solo homer. The Reds got two more in the 5th on four straight singles with two out, by Freel, Janish, Ken Griffey, and Phillips. They tallied another two in the 6th when Joey Votto hit a pinch-hit homer, plating Javier Valentin in front of him. Valentin was starting at first, his first start in nearly a month. Janish had three hits, Freel and Dunn two each. Janish is now batting .800 as a big leaguer. See, playing in the majors isn't so hard.

The Reds have pulled themselves up to two games under .500, at 21-23. They head out on a road trip tied with Pittsburgh for fourth place, jumping ahead of Milwaukee. The Reds now play three each in Los Angeles and San Diego before returning home. For the LA series, Bronson Arroyo faces Brad Penny on Monday night, Matt Belisle and Chad Billingsley will hook up on Tuesday, and Johnny Cueto faces Hiroki Kuroda on Wednesday. All games are late west-coast starting times.

posted by Shawn at 7:40 PM

 

The Reds won a type of game they have been losing all season, coming back not once but twice against the Indians. In spite of a stellar performance by Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona, the Cincinnati squad did not fold, but hung in until Adam Dunn could win the game with a home run.

Aaron Harang was his usual solid self, pitching seven solid innings and giving up just one run on eight hits, with one walk and five strikeouts. David Weathers pitched the 8th, and gave up a homer to Ben Francisco, who had doubled off him the night before. Bill Bray pitched a shutout 9th to set up the winner.

The Reds got a single run in the 6th, tying the score at the time, when Jerry Hairston doubled with one out, and one out later Brandon Phillips singled him home. That kept things alive, but by the 9th the Indians had a 2-1 lead and time was running out. However, Joey Votto singled, Edwin Encarnacion was hit by a pitch, and Dunn went deep, his 9th of the season.

The series wraps up tomorrow with Cliff Lee and Edinson Volquez.

posted by Shawn at 7:08 PM

 

The Reds extended their winning streak to four, longest of the season, in an exciting game with a happy finish. Cincinnati got off to a 3-0 lead before Cleveland came back to tie the score, then the Reds got the final run for a 4-3 win.

The Reds' offense started early, as with two out in the first Ken Griffey singled and Brandon Phillips hit an upper-deck shot for two runs. It was Phillips' 8th homer of the season. In the second, Adam Dunn added his 8th, a solo shot, for a 3-0 margin.

That lead held up for awhile as Johnny Cueto looked like the good Johnny, throwing sharp no-hit, shutout ball for five innings. In the 6th the wheels fell off, and the Tribe scored three times, all on solo homers. Cueto gave up just those three hits, two walks, and struck out seven. Then the bullpen came on for the rest of the ballgame. Jared Burton got two outs but also allowed two baserunners, so Jeremy Affeldt got the last out of the 7th. David Weathers pitched a shutout 8th with two strikeouts, and Francisco Cordero struck out the side in order in the 9th for the save.

The game-winner for the Reds came in the 8th as they took advantage of a control lapse. With one out, Phillips walked, Joey Votto doubled, and Edwin Encarnacion got a semi-intentional walk to load the bases. Adam Dunn then worked a walk to force in a run. Two groundouts followed, ending the inning, but the valuable run had been obtained.

The Reds and Indians return to action just before 4 PM Eastern this afternoon in one of the games available for regional telecast on Fox. Aaron Harnag pitches against Fausto Carmona, who won 19 for Cleveland last year. Carmona has a 2.70 ERA this year, although he has walked an astonishing 35 batters in 49 innings. He has gotten away with it by allowing just one homer. We'll see what the Reds can do about that.

posted by Shawn at 8:26 AM

 

Here's a tidbit from the fabulous website, The Hardball Times:

Edinson Volquez currently leads the NL in ERA. If he were to finish the season doing so, that would end the longest drought of any NL team having an ERA leader. The last Red to lead the league in ERA was Ed Heusser, in 1944. The Cubs haven't had one since 1945, the Brewers, Rockies, and Rays (all invented since 1944) have never had one, and the other teams have all had one since the 1960s.

posted by Shawn at 8:53 AM

 

The Cincinnati-Florida game scheduled for Thursday evening was postponed due to rain. The new date is August 18.

The Reds will now host Cleveland for a three-game interleague series. The Reds have pushed their record up to 18-23 with three wins over the Marlins, and hope to extend their streak against the American League invaders.

It appears that Matt Belisle, scheduled to start last night, will be skipped in the rotation. Johnny Cueto is scheduled to go tonight against Jeremy Sowers, and Saturday afternoon, in a game for Fox TV, Aaron Harang will face Fausto Carmona. Sunday afternoon will match two hot pitchers in Edinson Volquez and Cliff Lee.

posted by Shawn at 8:27 AM

 

It was more exciting than it needed to be, but the Reds emerged from Wednesday night with a 7-6 victory over the Marlins, their third straight win. That streak matches their season high.

Bronson Arroyo started on three days' rest, and laid aside those concerns with seven shutout innings. The red flags never materialized as Arroyo pitched perhaps his best gave of the season, giving up five hits and three walks, striking out five. He was greatly helped by Corey Patterson's outfield arm, as Patterson gunned down two runners on the evening. Unfortunately, he couldn't go longer, because the bullpen set about giving the Reds' 6-0 lead back.

Mike Lincoln came in for the 8th, pitched a shutout inning, then stayed on for the 9th. He gave up four runs on three hits and a hit batter. But, it was still a lead, and closer Francisco Cordero was called in to, well, close. Cordero was not sharp in his third straight day of work. He gave up two hits, including a three-run homer, for a blown save and a tie game. The Jared Burton tossed a shutout 10th, and the Reds got the winning run across in the bottom of the inning.

Jerry Hairston, starting at shortstop, had three hits, and Brandon Phillips had two. Adam Dunn homered, Hairston had a triple and a double, and Phillips and Ken Griffey had doubles. The Reds were scoreless through the first four off Ricky Nolasco, before breaking out in the 5th. The Reds scored two in that inning, keyed by Hairston's triple, and Dunn homered in the 6th for a 3-0 lead. They added three more on a rally in the 7th for a seemingly solid lead.

With the Reds up 6-0, Paul Janish was inserted in at shortstop for defense, with Hairston moving to left field. Get the kid's feet wet, that sort of thing. Janish batted in the 8th, and hit a fly ball for an out. Then the score was tied. In the bottom of the 10th, Joey Votto and Edwin Encarnacion struck out, but Dave Ross drew a pinch-walk. Paul Bako also walked, and Janish came up again. The kid stroked a single to right, bringing home pinch-runner Johnny Cueto and ending the game. From emergency call-up to hero in one day. A good day for Paul Janish.

The final game of the series is tonight.

posted by Shawn at 7:11 AM

 

The Reds have now played 40 games, roughly one-fourth of the schedule, to a 17-23 record. That's a 68-win pace for the season. Not a happy place. The bad news is, they are in last place. The good news is, they are the best last-place team in the NL. That's not very good news.

The offense is 11th in scoring runs, the defense and pitching 13th in preventing them. Given how Great American Ball Park plays, those rankings in truth are probably reversed. The team is not drawing well: only Florida and Pittsburgh have averaged fewer fans.

That's due to performance. Only Edinson Volquez has really been exciting this year in terms of what he has accomplished. Volquez has been terrific, with only one problem area, issuing too many walks. Other than that, he has been outstanding: low hit totals, few home runs, high strikeout ratio. There have been other good performances; Aaron Harang has pitched much better than his mediocre record, Francisco Cordero has done a solid job out of the bullpen, Joey Votto has established himself as an everyday player, and veteran catcher Paul Bako has been wonderful.

The trouble is, the other side of the coin is so often turning up. Adam Dunn has been mired in a terrible slump all year, and is batting just .203. Ken Griffey Jr. is at .250. Corey Patterson, whom manager Dusty Baker apparently insisted upon, is hitting .236 and keeps being placed at leadoff against all logic. Young starter Johnny Cueto has struggled, and veteran Bronson Arroyo has been regularly blasted. The bullpen behind Cordero has struggled throughout the past month.

One reason Dusty Baker was hired is his reputation of coaxing far more out of his players than any other manager. The list of players who had their best years with Baker starts with Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent and continues on from there. That is not happening in Cincinnati. Outside of Volquez and Bako, no one is exceeding expectations. Anyone who saw what Joey Votto did last September knew that his season so far was attainable. Edwin Encarnacion, Brandon Phillips, and Jeff Keppinger have performed much like they did last season. If anything, there are more disappointments than pleasant surprises.

So far, the hiring of Dusty Baker has been a bust. We can only hope the next two years bring better returns.

posted by Shawn at 12:47 PM

 

Paul Janish has been called up from Louisville, with Jeff Keppinger being placed on the disabled list with a broken kneecap. Jerry Hairston figures to get the bulk of the starts at shortstop, but Janish should get some starts until either Keppinger or Alex Gonzalez gets back.

posted by Shawn at 12:43 PM

 

Cincinnati beat the Florida Marlins 5-3 with another strong performance by Edinson Volquez, but it may have been very costly as shortstop Jeff Keppinger was hurt. Keppinger fouled a ball off his knee in the second inning, breaking his kneecap. Tests will determine how long he will be out.

Volquez went six innings and gave up one run, showing no ill effects from his long outing last time. This time, he threw 110 pitches. He gave up seven hits and two walks and struck out five. The bullpen was a bit leaky. Jared Burton was removed after getting two outs in the 7th, as he gave up two hits, a walk, and a run. Bill Bray got the last out. David Weathers gave up a solo homer in the 8th. Francisco Cordero pitched a shutout 9th for his seventh save.

Corey Patterston, entering the game late, got two hits, as did Joey Votto and Jerry Hairston. Votto hit a solo homer in the 7th, Hairston had a double. Dave Ross hit a single and walked twice. Ken Griffey had the night off as Hairston started in right field, then moved to shortstop when Keppinger went out and Patterson came in to play center, with Ryan Freel moving from center to right.

What about shortstop now? No official word, though Jerry Hairston probably starts for now. The Reds may call up Paul Janish from Louisville. Hopefully Keppinger will only miss a couple of weeks.

posted by Shawn at 6:23 AM

 

Edinson Volquez is pitching. We'll see if his relatively long outing last time has any effect tonight.

posted by Shawn at 7:12 PM

 

The Reds fell behind 3-0, fought back to a lead, then had to hold off the Marlins to post an 8-7 win in the opener of the homestand. Aaron Harang finally got his second victory of the season, through no fault of his own.

Harang gave up four runs in seven innings, mostly on three home runs. He allowed seven hits and two walks and struck out four. In the 8th, David Weathers gave up a hit and a walk and was charged with two runs, then Jeremy Affeldt gave up a hit (and was charged with a run) before Francisco Cordero was called in to end things. Cordero gave up a walk and an easy fly ball that Ken Griffey Jr. dropped for an error before getting the final four outs for a save.

Corey Patterson broke a slump with four hits, and Jeff Keppinger had two. Keppinger and Brandon Phillips hit home runs, both in the 7th and both for two runs. Patterson and Edwin Encarnacion each had a double. Griffey walked twice.

Hendrickson and Volquez tomorrow.

posted by Shawn at 10:44 PM

 

Ken Griffey Jr trade rumors are the hottest thing going right now. The Interwebs are burning with stories of Seattle scouting Junior, and how much Mariner management wants the veteran. I assume that such a transaction would take place after Griffey hits home run #600. It is also unclear what the Reds might get in return. Jeff Clement could be too much to wish for, but why not? The Mariners seem to be hedging on Clement as a catcher, and if they want him as a DH then Griffey would preclude that possibility.

Johnny Cueto looked again yesterday like someone who needs a return to the minors to make some adjustment. As Hal McCoy wrote in the Dayton Daily News, you could see the frustration in Cueto's face and body language. The tuneup from Mario Soto seems to have failed, so he may need to clear his head in Louisville.

The Reds come home for a week, with three midweek games against the Florida Marlins, then a weekend series against the Cleveland Indians for some interleague play. Monday's game with the Marlins will match ace Aaron Harang against rookie Burke Badenhop, whose 6.31 ERA brings cause for optimism that Harang can get his long-overdue second victory of the season. Tuesday matches NL ERA leader Edinson Volquez with Mark Hendrickson. Wednesday will see Bronson Arroyo and Ricky Nolasco, and Thursday will match Matt Belisle and Andrew Miller.

posted by Shawn at 1:19 PM

 

An 8-3 loss. Johnny Cueto had trouble locating his pitches in the first and again in the fifth, finding himself unable to throw his breaking pitches for strikes. The Mets scored three in each of those innings, and added two in the 6th. Cueto was charged with six runs in 4 2/3 innings, on eight hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Bill Bray was charged with a run in one inning, and Jared Burton with a run in 1/3 inning. Jeremy Affeldt and David Weathers each pitched a shutout inning.

Edwin Encarnacion and Jeff Keppinger each had two hits, with Encarnacion hitting a double and Keppinger a triple. Once again it is necessary to question Dusty Baker's tactical skills. With Oliver Perez, very tough on lefties, starting for the Mets, there were four lefties in the Reds' lineup. The worst mistake was putting Paul Bako behind the plate rather than Dave Ross. Now, this is presumably because it was thought that Cueto would be more comfortable with Bako catching. If so, it didn't work, at all. Also, Jerry Hairston could have been in there somewhere. Interesting note: Joey Votto was hitting second, which in general I would call a good thing. Just not against Perez.

If anything, this really show how badly the Reds' bench is constructed. There simply is not a selection of righty hitters to use to spell the heavily-lefty lineup. One truly egregious example is how Javier Valentin is just rotting on the bench. With Bako having a career year and Ross back off the DL, Valentin has become a rarely-used pinch-hitter. He hasn't started a game since April 16, and has batted just four times since April 27, a span of 12 games. Surely, someone could use a veteran catcher who bats left-handed. Valentin is just an unwieldy piece on the Reds' bench. Ditto for Scott Hatteberg, rendered obsolete by the emergence of Votto. The lefty hitter doesn't make a good backup for another lefty. The moves would make room (assuming a major league player was not received, which seems a safe assumption) for a couple of righty-hitting bench players, Andy Phillips and Jolbert Cabrera, who can play multiple positions, opening up far more possibilities for strategy. They would join Ross, Corey Patterson, and Jerry Hairston on the bench, at least until Norris Hopper returns.

At some point, Jay Bruce will also make his debut. The sooner the better, I say.

posted by Shawn at 5:08 PM

 

The Reds needed a good performance from Bronson Arroyo, and they got it. Even better, they got some hitting as well to win 7-1.

Arroyo pitched eight innings and gave up just one run to the Mets on four hits and two walks, with nine strikeouts. He struck out the side in order in the first, then his control seemed to desert him in the second, but with the bases loaded and one out he retired the 8 and 9 hitters to end the inning. From then on, it was smooth sailing. Francisco Cordero pitched the 9th to finish things off.

The offense produced 14 hits. Jeff Keppinger had five of them, and Scott Hatteberg three. Ken Griffey and Paul Bako had two hits each. Ryan Freel and Hatteberg had the only extra-base hits, a double apiece. Freel got his leading off the game, was bunted to third by Jerry Hairston, then scored on Griffey's single. Except for the second-inning scare, from then on the game seemed to be going well. The 1-1 tie held until the Reds scored in the 6th, then added insurance runs in the 8th and 9th.

Johnny Cueto and Oliver Perez pitch tomorrow in the final game of the series.

posted by Shawn at 10:14 PM

 

When you send out Matt Belisle to start for you, and the other team puts up Johan Santana, you figure you are at a disadvantage. And you'd be oh, so right. Yet the Reds' offense managed to put some runs on the board this afternoon, while the prevent unit struggled to keep the Mets off the board.

The Mets beat the Reds 12-6 in a game that never seemed to be close. Santana wasn't exactly unbeatable, giving up ten hits in six innings, but the Reds never inspired confidence in their ability to win this game. Marty Brennaman expressed surprise on the radio that there was no one warming up in the bullpen in the fifth, while the Mets were in the process of extending a 4-1 lead to 6-1. However, with another game coming up tonight, it seemed that come Gehenna or high water, Belisle would pitch five innings to save that bullpen. Then, when Bill Bray started the 6th, he pitched to only two batters (giving up two hits) and was pulled without getting an out. So much fo saving the bullpen.

In five innings Belisle gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks, with two strikeouts. Bray was charged with two runs, aided by Mike Lincoln, who gave up two homers in two innings, and a total of four runs on three hits and two walks. Jeremy Affeldt pitched a shutout inning.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a solo homer for the team's first run, Brandon Phillips had a triple and a double, Ryan Freel had three hits, and there were two from Ken Griffey, Phillips and Encarnacion. Freel, Griffey, and Joey Votto also had doubles. The biggest quibble of the game has to be in the lineup. Adam Dunn was out of the lineup against the lefty Santana, which is nothing to complain about. However, Corey Patterson WAS in the lineup, and not only that was batting leadoff. Why not Jerry Hairston? And why not Freel and Keppinger at the top of the order, if you wanted Patterson for defense? Dusty Baker needs to realize that Patterson is hurting the team, not helping it, and has no business batting leadoff.

Well, they play again this evening, if the rain holds off in Queens.

posted by Shawn at 4:20 PM

 

With a Friday rainout, now two games are scheduled for Saturday in a "day-night" doubleheader. The first game will be at 1 PM, the second at 7:30. That makes for a long day at Shea Stadium.

Kent Mercker has gone on the DL with lower back pain, so Bill Bray is back in the bullpen.

Dusty Baker has defended his action of letting Edinson Volquez throw 118 pitches on Wednesday, saying that with Mercker hurt he only had three relievers (Affeldt, Weathers, and Cordero) available, and he didn't want to use Cordero. Weathers and Affeldt each ended up pitching an inning. Hmm. Well, we could understand Mercker not being available because of being hurt, and Mike Lincoln had pitched the two previous days. What about Jared Burton? He had pitched an inning on Tuesday, but had not pitched on Monday. Why not Burton for an inning? And why not Cordero? He had pitched Monday, but not Tuesday, and Thursday was an off day. Josh Fogg, the mop-up man? He had pitched 2 2/3 on Sunday, but had two days rest since.

As is often the case, Baker's remarks seem disingenuous, especially with the Thursday off-day. Either Burton or Cordero should have been good for an inning on Wednesday. Fogg could have pitched if necessary, but perhaps Baker has lost confidence in him.

1 o'clock pitchers are Matt Belisle and Johan Santana, a mismatch on paper. 7:30 pitchers are Bronson Arroyo and Mike Pelfrey.

posted by Shawn at 8:14 AM

 

Edinson Volquez threw 118 pitches yesterday. That's a good many. It's not really red flag territory, but it does raise a few eyebrows. Volquez was visibly tiring in the 7th. Sure, with the shutout you want him to stay in, but it was obvious he wouldn't finish the game. We will continue to keep an eye on this.

posted by Shawn at 10:55 AM

 

The bad news is, the Cincinnati Reds still can't seem to score if they don't hit a home run. The good news is, they hit seven of them today to beat the Cubs 9-0.

Edinson Volquez pitched his now-customary fine game, throwing seven shutout innings to improve his league-leading ERA. Volquez allowed four hits and six walks in seven innings while striking out 10. David Weathers and Jeremy Affeldt each pitched a shutout inning of relief.

The Reds hit four homers in the second inning to start the barrage. Joey Votto and Adam Dunn delievered on consecutive at-bats, then Paul Bako and finally Jerry Hairston (subbing at shortstop) did the same. Brandon Phillips and Votto each homered in the 5th, then Votto again in the 7th for a total of three round-trippers for the young first baseman.

Besides Votto's three very long hits, Hairston, Ken Griffey, Phillips and Bako each had two hits.

The Reds take Thursday off to bask in the win before heading to New York for three games with the Mets, then returning home for a homestand of more normal length.

posted by Shawn at 5:33 PM

 

One of the criticisms I had seen of the Krivsky regime is that minor leaguers were not promoted quickly enough: or, to restate, prospects were playing at too low a level for their age/skill set. Keith Law of espn.com in particular had said that the Reds often had guys playing in spots where they were too old for their levels, and were considering these people prospects. A few moves made today should help correct that problem.

The Reds moved SS Chris Valaika, hitting .362 at Sarasota, up to AA Chattanooga. Todd Frazier, batting .321 at Dayton, moves up to replace Valaika at Chattanooga. Meantime, last year's draft picks Devon Mesoraco and Logan Parker, unassigned to a team as yet, will now go to Dayton.

All of these are good moves, in my opinion. While you can move a guy up too fast, it is a good idea to challenge your good players a bit. Mesoraco, a first-round pick who played rookie ball last year, should at least get a shot in the Midwest League. If it's a bit too much, he can go to Billings when that season starts. Valaika, a college guy who is already 22 and spent half of last season in Sarasota, needs to give the Southern League a go. Frazier, also 22 and a sandwich pick from 2007, is much too old for the Midwest League.

I applaud the Jocketty regime for these moves.

posted by Shawn at 1:33 PM

 

The Hitless Wonders once again possessed the Reds, and the Reds got just four hits and no runs in a 3-0 loss to a Carlos Zambrano who didn't appear to have his best stuff. Didn't matter. Ken Griffey had two singles, Joey Votto and Aaron Harang one each, and that was it. Just three walks to add in wasn't enough.

Harang was solid on the mound, going seven innings and giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks, with six strikeouts. Jared Burton pitched a scoreless 8th, Jeremy Affeldt got two outs and Mike Lincoln one in the 9th.

The Reds will try to get some hits off Jon Leiber tomorrow, while Edinson Volquez gets the start for Cincinnati. It's an afternoon game to end the brief homestand.

Scott Sauerbeck was released from the Louisville roster. He had pitched in just four games.

posted by Shawn at 10:28 PM

 

Just when we were wondering if they would ever win again, the Reds defeated the Cubs 5-3. But it sure wasn't easy. Perhaps breaking a big losing streak never is.

Johnny Cueto had his good stuff, and better location. He was striking out lots of batters. At the same time, though, the Cubs were waiting him out, and running up the pitch count. So Cueto lasted six innings, giving up six hits, two walks, and three runs, striking out eight. It was a solid start. Mike Lincoln pitched a shutout 7th, then David Weathers (just back from the DL as Bill Bray was optioned out) pitched a shutout 8th. Good to see Stormy back in form. Francisco Cordero came in for the save situation in the 9th, of course, and did the job in the best tradition of Dan "Full Pack" Stanhouse, who would often load the bases before getting the save. That's what happened here, too. But, get the save Cordero did.

The Reds finally got some breaks on the offensive end of the ball. After Ryan Freel struck out in the 1st, both Ken Griffey and Brandon Phillips reached on little dribblers. Joey Votto hit a sure double-play ball to Ray Fontenot, who had it roll up his glove and through his legs for an error. Edwin Encarnacion drew a walk to force in a run. After Adam Dunn struck out, Jeff Keppinger crashed a two-run single to give the Reds a 3-0 lead. And the chase was on.

Dunn hit a two-run homer in the 3rd with Encarnacion on following an error. That was all the Reds' runs, but on this night five was enough. It took a throw from Bako to Cordero after a pitch that got away to catch the second out, just barely, at the plate. And this, friends, is why we watch sports. Anything can happen, and it usually does.

Tomorrow night, it's the aces, Harang and Zambrano.

posted by Shawn at 9:51 PM

 

Shysterball on Marty Brennamen:
"My first exposure to baseball was over the radio, and I often forget how enjoyable it is to listen to a game on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, I was listening to Marty Brennaman, and that poor bastard has simply lost it. Look, we all hate to listen to homer announcers, and we all find it refreshing when the guys in the booth tell the tough truths. Brennaman, however, is long past that stage and is deep into angry and bitter disgust with the Redlegs. Sure, the seven-run second inning would be tough on anyone, but Brennaman made it sound like he was being forced to watch the commission of war crimes. He sounds like a man who truly hates his job, and truly hates the Reds. As a Braves fan enjoying the pasting I should have been reveling in just how bent out of shape he was, but I was mostly just embarrassed for him. Perhaps the most telling thing was the fact that I was actually happy when Jeff Brantley took over next inning."

I have to say, the guy is not wrong. Marty sounds like he's being tortured during the games. When you get to that point, it's time to retire.

posted by Shawn at 2:43 PM

 

The Reds have lost five in a row and stand 12-20, tied with San Diego for the worst record in baseball.

That's just depressing.

Cincinnati is 13th of the 16 NL teams in runs per game, and 14th in runs allowed. They aren't getting things done at either end. The big hitters are not hitting: no one is on more than a 75-RBI pace. Paul Bako has been the best hitter over the season, and that won't hold up. Career years from 36-year old catchers don't propel you to a pennant. The outfield can't hit .230, the bench is badly designed and doing poorly, and after a good beginning the bullpen has collapsed.

If it wasn't that the manager was just hired, and signed to a three-year contract, there would be a hue and cry for his head. As it is, Dusty Baker is largely being spared the slings and arrows of discontent so far, but that may change. The obvious focus of blame, GM Wayne Krivsky, has already been given the pink slip.

What to do?

Well, giving Bronson Arroyo some time out of the rotation seems to be a good start. He's struggling mightily. Homer Bailey has looked ready, maybe it's time to give him a shot. Ryan Freel should be the regular center fielder for now. Scott Hatteberg and Javier Valentin need to go, for whatever the market will bear. Both have been pushed to the margins. It's time for Baker to see Corey Patterson as the backup outfielder he really is, and not as a leadoff hitter.

It will be Jay Bruce time soon. June is looking likely. Maybe the team will have awakened by then.

posted by Shawn at 11:07 AM

 

Dusty Baker held a team meeting before the game, ripping the players and telling them to care more about the team and less about themselves. It didn't help. The offense got firing, but only after falling behind 7-0. Then, the Reds pulled to within 8-6, but eventually lost 14-7. Obviously, they couldn't keep the Braves off the board.

Bronson Arroyo lasted just 1 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs on seven hits. Josh Fogg came in, and gave up five runs in 2 2/3 innings, mostly in the bottom of the 5th after hitting for himself and singling in the top of the inning. Bill Bray was inexplicably called in for the third straight day, and wasn't charged with any runs but helped some of Fogg's runners score. Then Kent Mercker gave up one run in 1 1/3 innings, and Jared Burton one in 1 2/3 innings. Another rough day for the bullpen, but even worse for the starter.

This time, there is some good offensive news. Paul Bako hit a solo homer in the third that plated the first Reds run, and Brandon Phillips, Adam Dunn, and Ryan Freel all had doubles. Freel, Phillips, Dunn and Bako all had two hits on the day. It wasn't enough.

The Reds now return to Cincinnati, but just for three games against the Cubs. Then they will head to New York, then come back home for a longer homestand. Weird scheduling. Anyway, Monday night will match up Johnny Cueto and Ryan Dempster, Tuesday night will see Aaron Harang and Carlos Zambrano, and Wednesday's afternoon game will match Edinson Volquez and Jon Lieber.

It's got to get better soon. David Weathers is due to come off the disabled list. Perhaps a roster spot will be cleared by disabling Arroyo with a badly inflamed ERA.

posted by Shawn at 5:06 PM

 

The offense could only manage one run, while the prevent unit gave up nine, and the Reds went down to defeat for the fourth game in a row. This one wasn't any more interesting to watch than the first three.

The Reds only scored their single run because of Ryan Freel. Freel singled in the 6th, stole second and third, and scored on Brandon Phillips' single. That was two of the Reds' four hits: the other two were by Jeff Keppinger. Manager Dusty Baker had shaken up the lineup, batting Ken Griffey second, Joey Votto fourth, and Adam Dunn sixth. It didn't help.

Starter Matt Belisle wasn't great, but he was OK, giving up eight hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Bill Bray came in to get one out, then Mike Lincoln got the last out of the 6th and the first out of the 7th, but then gave up a hit and a walk and yielded to Jeremy Affeldt. Affeldt didn't get any outs, allowing two hits and a walk to guys who all eventually scored. Jared Burton got out of the inning, allowing two hits and a run of his own. Francisco Cordero gave up a run in the final inning. It was not a stellar day for the bullpen.

They will try again this afternoon. Bronson Arroyo and Tom Glavine start.

posted by Shawn at 7:15 AM

 

Indeed, now that Juan Castro has cleared waivers, the Rockies have signed him. He will back up Clint Barmes, who is replacing injured Troy Tulowitski.

posted by Shawn at 8:28 AM

 

Juan Castro passed through waivers and was released. No surprise there. If anyone wants him, they will want him for the minimum, with the Reds picking up the rest of the contract they were dumb enough to give him.

Reds instructor and former ace Mario Soto has come to drop some knowledge on his prize pupil, Johnny Cueto, who has struggled. Soto seems to think things are going well, and that can only be good news. The Reds will need a solid Cueto to contend.

The Reds' farm teams have the fourth-best overall record in the minors. That's good news, too.

One suspects that if Matt Belisle's start doesn't go well tonight, Homer Bailey may get a shot at that rotation slot. Just a feeling, but Belisle needs to deliver.

Against a lefty tonight, Ryan Freel and Dave Ross will be in the lineup. Expect Joey Votto to be back as well.

posted by Shawn at 8:17 AM

 

The Reds were helpless before Atlanta pitcher Tim Hudson, going down in a three-hit shutout. Cincinnati looked completely helpless, scratching out just three singles, one each by Ken Griffey, Edwin Encarnacion, and pitcher Edinson Volquez. Few balls even appeared to be hit hard.

Volquez had another strong start, with only one real mistake, hit for a home run by Braves catcher Brian McCann. On base at the time was Chipper Jones, after reaching on a dropped fly by Corey Patterson. Volquez gave up four hits and two walks in six innings, striking out nine. Jeremy Affeldt and Bill Bray each threw a shutout inning of relief. Volquez still leads the NL in ERA, and has taken, at least temporarily, the lead in strikeouts.

Matt Belisle and Jo-Jo Reyes are scheduled to pitch tonight in what is much less likely to be a pitcher's duel. Belisle has a career ERA of 4.96, Reyes of 6.22 (all last year). Reyes is a lefty, though, and that gives the Reds trouble.

posted by Shawn at 8:06 AM

 

The Cincinnati Reds finished the month of April with a 12-17 record. That puts them in 5th place in the NL Central, six games off the lead and percentage points ahead of Pittsburgh in last place. This is not where the Reds hoped to be when they hired a new big-name manager and invested millions in a new closer.

In 29 games, the Reds have scored 124 runs and allowed 139. The offense, at just over 4 runs per game, has been well below expectations. The run-prevention group has improved, but not enough to be a top-flight unit. This is a team with some holes to fill.

We will start our look with the rotation, which has been somewhat Jekyll-and-Hyde. Rookie Edinson Volquez has been terrific through five starts. His walks are a bit high, but the kid is 4-0 with a 1.23 ERA. In 29 1/3 innings, he given up just 20 hits, plus 16 walks, no homers, and struck out 33. His pitch counts have been high so he hasn't gone very deep into games, but he's been great for five or six innings. However, Volquez is the only pitcher with more than one win.

For Aaron Harang, that's not his fault. Harang is just 1-4 in spite of a 2.98 ERA. He has averaged seven innings in his seven starts. The Reds' ace has pitched well, but has been a victim of that sluggish offense.

The rest of the rotation has been more a victim of their own shortcomings. Rookie Johnny Cueto has been up-and-down, and his only really poor outing was his most recent one. He is 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA. Cueto should be all right, though the team may elect to send him to AAA for awhile. Bronson Arroyo is 1-3 with a 6.97 ERA, mainly due to the 7 home runs he has allowed. However, four of those were in one game. He was better last time out, so there are signs of improvement. Josh Fogg was sent to the bullpen after three starts, and is 1-2 with an 8.24 ERA. His replacement, Matt Belisle, is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two starts. The Reds need someone to pick it up in this department, because while Harang's luck should improve, Volquez won't stay this good.

The bullpen has been much better than last year, but hasn't had many leads to protect. The bad performers, David Weathers and Todd Coffey, went on the DL and to the minors respectively. The other relievers have ranged from great (Francisco Cordero and Jeremy Affeldt) to good.

The offense must bear the brunt of criticism for the disappointing April. No one had a great month, and the best hitter so far has been Edwin Encarnacion, who got off to a slow start. Encarnacion is at .287 with 7 HR and 15 RBI, and leads the team with a 141 OPS+. All of the Reds starters are doing all right to good, with Paul Bako a pleasant surprise at .310 with 2 HR and 10 RBI. We can't expect that to last. Joey Votto has taken over at first base with a .308-4-13 line, Brandon Phillips is back on track after a brief slump and at .282-5-14, Jeff Keppinger is .301-2-13, Adam Dunn is starting to fight his way back from his deep slump at .224-4-11, with 24 walks. The worst hitters in the lineup have actually been the other two outfielders, Corey Patterson and Ken Griffey, Jr. Patterson is batting just .214, with 4 HR and 11 RBI, and Griffey is off to a slow start at .248 with 4 HR and 15 RBI.

The bench has been a vast wasteland. Ryan Freel has rebounded from a slow start to get his average to .321 (and should be starting in center about four days a week now), and Jerry Hairston Jr. got off to a quick start and has a .348 average. The rest of the bench, however, has given nothing. Scott Hatteberg is hitting .147, Javier Valentin .222, and Dave Ross is 2-for-10. Juan Castro was released after going 0-for-10. Norris Hopper went on the DL with a .240 average.

The team needs more production from the outfield, specifically for Griffey to get going and Patterson to get replaced. The bench needs an overhaul as well. The hoped-for boost from hiring Dusty Baker has not materialized. Will new GM Walt Jocketty have the gumption to cut his losses with Patterson and Hatteberg, as well as some others? We shall see.

posted by Shawn at 7:23 AM

 

The Reds have followed their three-game win streak with two losses, dropping this afternoon's game 5-2 to the Cardinals. Once again the offense failed to summon much of a threat.

Aaron Harang dropped to 1-4 in spite of his solid 2.98 ERA. He had another quality start today, going six innings and giving up three runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Kent Mercker started the 7th but gave up three hits and a walk while getting two outs, and was charged with two runs. Mike Lincoln got the next three outs, but gave up three hits at the same time. Jeremy Affeldt got the last out.

The Reds got both their runs in the second. Edwin Encarnacion led off the inning with a home run, then Joey Votto hit a book-rule double. Dave Ross struck out, then Votto moved to third on Harang's groundout. Votto then scored on Ryan Freel's infield single. And that was it for the Reds' scoring.

Freel had three hits, and Adam Dunn two, including a double. At least Dunn seems to be shaking his slump. The Reds have a day off before heading to Atlanta for three games.

posted by Shawn at 4:25 PM

 

Thus endeth the winning streak.

The Reds took it on the chin as Johnny Cueto did not have his usually excellent control Tuesday night. Cueto gave up eight hits, though only one walk, in 1 2/3 innings of work, but the hits were because he was missing his spots. The Cards got all seven of their runs off of him. He struck out two. It was a rough outing for the rookie, but hopefully he will learn something from it, if only how to handle adversity.

Bill Bray went 1 2/3 innings in relief, and was shaky, allowing three hits and two walks, but no runs. Josh Fogg then came in for the mop-up work, tossing 4 2/3 shutout innings.

The offense didn't show up again, getting only three hits, and only one in seven innings off starter Joel Piniero. Two hits and the two runs came in the 9th off reliever Anthony Reyes. The runs were scored on Adam Dunn's homer. Corey Patterson and Brandon Phillips had the other hits.

The same teams play at 1:15 eastern time today.

posted by Shawn at 7:23 AM

 

The Reds won the first game of a series for the first time all year, and their third consecutive game, by beating the Cardinals Monday night by a 4-3 score. This followed the optioning of Todd Coffey to Louisville, accompanied by recalling Bill Bray.

Bronson Arroyo got his first win of the year by regaining command of his pitches, a feat apparently made possible by finding his balance point for his pitching delivery once again. Broadcaster Jeff Brantley made a point of pointing out Arroyo's "lean" backwards to begin his pitching motion, and showing his he was doing it right in this game. It seems to have worked. In spite of a brief lapse in the third, where he recorded all three of his walks, Arroyo pitched six innings and gave up three runs, his first "quality start" of the season. He gave up six hits and struck out six. Jared Burton, Jeremy Affeldt, and Francisco Cordero each pitched a shutout inning of relief.

The Reds got two hits each from Junior Griffey, Brandon Phillips, Adam Dunn, and Edwin Encarnacion. Encarnacion had two RBI doubles. Griffey and Phillips also doubled.

The win boosted the Reds into a tie for fourth with the Astros, and a bit closer to .500. Johnny Cueto will try to extend the win streak tonight, as he faces Joel Piniero.

posted by Shawn at 7:07 AM

 

The Reds now play three with the Cardinals in St. Louis. The Redbirds are off to an unexpectedly hot start this year, as their team looked quite ragtag coming into the year. Currently, the Cardinals are in second place, just a half-game back of the Cubs, while the Reds are fifth and 5.5 games back. Perhaps that can be reversed.

Tonight's game will feature starters Bronson Arroyo and Todd Wellemeyer. Arroyo is off to a bad start, and needs to get things turned around quickly. Tuesday night will have rookie Johnny Cueto against Joel Piniero, and Wednesday afternoon will see ace Aaron Harang versus Braden Looper.

It's a big series, or at least as big as these things get in April.

posted by Shawn at 11:02 AM

 

The Reds got six runs in the top of the first, then coasted to a 10-1 victory. Edinson Volquez was good, and Barry Zito was not, even against a weird Reds lineup.

Junior Griffey and Adam Dunn both hit the bench against the curveballing lefty, as Corey Patterson played CF, with Ryan Freel in left and Jerry Hairston in right. In the first, a Hairston walk was followed by a single, another walk, another single, then a popout, then two more singles, and finally a triple by Paul Bako. There was no looking back after that.

Volquez, beginning with a six-run lead, went seven innings and gave up one run. He gave up five hits and three walks, striking out 10. It was another fine performance. Todd Coffey and Kent Mercker each pitched a shutout inning.

Brandon Phillips hit two late add-on homers. Phillips had three hits, Edwin Encarnacion and Freel each had two. Besides Bako's triple, Freel and Hairston each had doubles. Patterson stole two bases.

The Reds, up to 11-15, wing their way to St. Louis for three with the Cardinals. They sit tied for fifth with the Pirates.

posted by Shawn at 6:56 PM

 

The bad news is, the Reds allowed the punchless Giants to score 9 runs on Saturday night. The good news is, they scored 10 runs themselves.

Matt Belisle made the start and, well, it wasn't pretty. Of course, very little about this game was. Belisle went five innings and gave up four runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out two. Mike Lincoln gave up one run in the next two innings, and Jeremy Affeldt threw a shutout inning. Todd Coffey was given a 10-5 lead for the 9th, but recorded no outs while allowing two hits and a walk. Francisco Cordero gave up another hit, but did stop the bleeding before the Giants could tie the game. Coffey was charged with three runs, Cordero one.

The offense has a much happier story. Jeff Keppinger and Joey Votto each had three hits, Brandon Phillips, Edwin Encarnacion and Paul Bako each had two. Phillips drove in three runs. Bako had a solo homer, and doubles were hit by Corey Patterson, Phillips, Votto, Encarnacion, Ryan Freel, and Ken Griffey.

The final game of the series is this afternoon at 4 o'clock eastern time.

posted by Shawn at 7:19 AM

 

Losing to the Giants, of all teams, is depressing. Only getting one run is even more so, a 3-1 loss. And with just four hits? This is a team in desperate need of something, and something fast. The run was scored when Brandon Phillips homered as a pinch-hitter in the 9th. The other hits were a double by starting pitcher Aaron Harang, and two singles by Ryan Freel, who was thrown out on the basepaths after one of those. It was a sad state of affairs. Roughly the whole team looked bad.

Harang was fine, going 7 1/3 innings and giving up three runs, two earned, on eight hits and a walk, with eight strikeouts. Most days, with a functioning offense, that's enough. Jared Burton pitched the final 1 2/3 innings. He didn't give up anything and struck out one. It was the kind of performance you are supposed to have against a horrible offense. Not unlike the Reds'.

posted by Shawn at 10:11 AM

 

Hal McCoy, in his blog a couple days ago, with a telling story on Wayne Krivsky (hat tip to Baseball Minutia)

"Krivsky and I were friends long before he was named Reds GM. When he worked for the Minnesota Twins, he traveled the country scouting other teams and I encountered him often. We had many lunches together and talked often.

His ambition, of course, was to be a GM and he would say, “If I’d get the Reds job, there are a lot of things I would do and we’d have a lot of fun.”

It wasn’t fun. Krivsky remained my friend, but he changed. He was not forthcoming with information to the media, not even on the most menial things. He was guarded, overly guarded.

Two years ago during the winter meetings in Orlando, I took him aside in his suite after another unproductive media meeting in which he divulged nothing about what the team was doing or trying to do.

I said, “Wayne, remember when we had lunches and chatted about your future and how much fun we’d have together with the Reds?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Well, I’m not having fun,” I said. “Remember when I told you how difficult it was sometimes getting information from your predecessor, Dan O’Brien? Well, you’re worse.”

Krivsky seemed to think about it, but nothing changed. And nothing changed with the Reds."

I think that is a telling story about Krivsky. He was a good baseball man, but he got the big chair, and then he changed. These things happen. You may have seen it before. Someone gets put in charge, and their whole character changes, and not for the better.

posted by Shawn at 11:01 PM

 

Well, that was pretty stupid.

In case you didn't watch it on TV, Ryan Freel leads off by dunking a single into center. Jerry Hairston up next, and he's 7-for-15 since arriving from Louisville. So he tries to bunt. In the first inning. If that isn't bad enough, he gets it down, and it's a decent enough bunt, but of course he gets thrown out. So Freel rounds second wide, and since the third baseman had fielded the bunt and third wasn't being guarded, Freel has thoughts of going on. But he changes his mind, goes back to second, and gets tagged out. Your regular 5-3-6 double play.

I hate first inning bunts. And I also had stupid baserunning errors. Phooey.

posted by Shawn at 10:21 PM

 

Interesting lineup for today, against LHP Jonathan Sanchez (via John Fay):
Freel cf
Hairston 2b
Griffey rf
Encarnacion 3b
Dunn of
Keppinger ss
Votto 1b
Ross c
Harang p

Hairston gives Phillips a rest. OK. Encarnacion batting cleanup. Bravo! Votto still 7th....there's time. Ross back in, which makes sense against a lefty. We'll see how this goes.

posted by Shawn at 7:54 PM

 

I was planning to write a piece on Walt Jocketty, but "Slyde" at Red Reporter has already done it. So go read this.

posted by Shawn at 7:48 PM

 

The Reds visit the offensively-challenged Giants, with hopes of using the struggling team to right their own ship. Friday night's game will match starting pitchers Aaron Harang and Jesus Sanchez. Saturday night Matt Belisle and Kevin Corrieia will start. Sunday afternoon, Edinson Volquez and Barry Zito are scheduled. This could not be a more favorable matchup, as the Reds miss the Giants' two best pitchers, Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum.

After the three games in San Fran, the Reds head back to the midwest for three in St. Louis, then after a Thursday off play three in Atlanta.

posted by Shawn at 2:32 PM

 

Information gleaned from The Hardball Times' team page, a veritable gold mine of information:

The Reds are only 13th of the 16 NL teams in runs scored this year, and 12th in preventing runs. Given the hitters' park they call home, that means poor offense and mediocre pitching.

While it seems like the Reds can't buy a hit when it counts, they are batting .262 with runners in scoring position, above the league average. Probably more important is that they have a .272 average on balls in play, next to last in the league and 21 points below the league average. That is tied to a low line-drive rate, and bad luck. That will improve.

The Defensive Efficiency rating is above average this year, a nice change. The outfield has been about average, the infield above average, and the catchers (mostly Paul Bako) have caught 50% of basestealers. I didn't think Bako was doing that well.

posted by Shawn at 10:24 AM

 

The Reds dropped an afternoon g