Kuzul

It is much easier to write about the Reds when they are winning and things are going swell.

Unfortunately they are not, making the job of Reds sportswriters more tedious and less therapeutic.

In the last two games they have averaged one run, and you don’t win many games 1-0.

Even the best percentage in baseball moving runners from first to third is useless if you leave them stranded at the hot corner.

Mike Leake, 5-1, is the latest starter to have a bad night, as he did last night against the Bums. He was roughed up for nine hits and five ER in six IP with three BB and four K’s.

Leake labored the entire time he was in the game, not recording any “three up and three down” innings. The Dodgers left runners on base all night long.

Clayton Kershaw, who is younger than Mike Leake, pitched a dandy last night at Great American Ball Park, as he allowed only seven hits and one run in seven IP, while walking one and notching seven K’s.

Both teams left nine on, but the Dodgers did a much better job of bringing the runners in.
 
The Reds have officially “lost” this home stand, which certainly makes me uncomfortable with a West Coast sojourn looming past the weekend.

There were two bright spots in the events of the evening. The Seattle Mariners whipped the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing the Reds to hold their share of first place in the NL Central Division.

The second shining moment was Chris Heisey hitting his third pinch-hit home run in nine pinch-hit appearances. Jerry Lynch is the first name that comes to mind when I think of pinch-hit homers. “Lynch in the pinch” is a slogan most fans over 50 will recall.

Rookie Jordan Smith, called up from AA affiliate Carolina the other day, worked the last inning of the game for the second straight night.

I understand that he was basically saving arms and performing mop duties, but who thought his statistics warranted a Louisville bypass and direct route to GABP?

With Carolina this season he was bad, at best. He worked 28 innings and gave up 38 hits and 16 earned runs, walked eight, and struck out 14. His ERA was 5.05, and he was 1-3. Are we to think that the Bats have nobody better than that who can help out?

The Reds are currently mired in the muck of a three-game losing streak, having dropped six of their last 10 games. It is hard to get excited about the chances of avoiding a Dodger sweep since the Reds are only 10-11 in day games this season.

Bronson Arroyo (5-3) will take the hill against rookie John Ely (3-3) today at 12:35.

The Reds leave after today’s game for a weekend set against the Seattle Mariners.

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Hot hitting has been the reason for the Reds’ success to this point. It may astonish you to know that four of the top 11 batters in the National League wear Cincinnati uniforms.

That is correct. Scott Rolen is currently fifth in the league at .309, Brandon Phillips is ninth at .304, while Jonny Gomes and Joey Votto are tied at 10th, both batting .301.

I haven’t researched it but I bet it has been a good while since four Reds have been in the Top 10 in batting this far into the season.

Since June 1, Rolen is batting .425, with 3 HR, and 12 RBI, with an OBP of .455.

Votto is batting .316 since May 15. He also has hit 3 HR with 14 RBI, and an OBP of .419.

Since June 4, Phillips is batting .444 with a .474 OBP.

Going all the way back to May 5, Gomes is batting .364 with  5 HR and 29 RBI. His OBP during that stretch is .434. 

With runners in scoring position, Gomes is batting .435 with 36 RBI. With two outs and runners in scoring position, his average jumps to .500 with 13 RBI in only 16 AB.

Rolen is second in the league with 14 HR, and is fourth in RBI with 44.

Gomes is tied for 10th in RBI with 41. He leads all NL left fielders in average and RBI, including Ryan Braun, Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, Carlos Lee and Alfonso Soriano.

Cincinnati leads the league in batting at a .280 clip, in runs, hits, RBI, in SLG and in OPS. They are second to the Milwaukee Brewers in HR, and second to the Atlanta Braves in OBP.

They were getting quality starts seemingly every outing until this past week. The starters have been getting roughed up, the middle relief corps has been spotty, and the closing department has sucked.

However, as Dusty Baker said, and I paraphrase, Don’t count us out as long as we have a bat in our hand.

It is so true, I have come to expect good things at the plate in the last inning. Last night, I couldn’t believe it when Rolen lined out to end the game.

As long as the guys are hitting, we will have a chance to win, 7-6, 14-13 or whatever. The starters will get back into the groove and hopefully the closer, formerly known as Moon Man, will get his act together on a consistent basis.

As much as I hate to admit it, great hitting trumps great pitching every time. Face it, you have never heard anyone say they got beat 0-0.

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The San Franisco Giants are exploiting the Reds vulnerability, the bullpen.

For the second straight night the Reds were either ahead or behind by one when the starter turned the keys to the car over to the bullpen. Mistake!  Don’t turn a close game over to this bullpen, it will be hazardous to your health.

On Monday it was Bobby Shantz look-alike Danny Ray Herrera getting roughed up and absorbing the loss. Johnny Cueto had not pitched up to his potential, but a rally had just put the Reds on top 5-4.

Last night rookie Sam LeCure was trailing Matt Cain and the Giants only 1-0 when he was lifted after six strong quality innings.

Logan Ondrusek and Sir Arthur Rhodes pitched scoreless ball before T-Pick handed the ball over to Nick Masset, who will soon be graduating from the Coco Cordero Academy of Late Inning Disasters. Now I know why Rolaids is the sponsor of the reliever’s award in MLB.

I know Rhodes can’t pitch every inning of relief for this sorry bullpen. But I am reasonably sure that he has more in his tank than to pitch to one or two batters at a time.

Look at Masset’s record for a moment if you will. He has given up 35 hits and 16 walks in only 25 innings, meaning his WHIP is over 2.  That should raise an eyebrow or two. If anybody is deficient in ciphering statistics, that means that in every inning Masset pitches, he is likely to give up at least one hit and a walk, or two hits, or two walks. That is no good.

In all fairness it would not have mattered if the relievers all pitched 1-2-3 innings, the Reds would have still lost, falling victim to the seven hit, 3-0 shutout performance of Cain. Brandon Phillips had three hits and Scott rolen added a couple, but for all intents and purposes the Reds weren’t on the job offensively.

While on the subject of Phillips let me work him him over for a moment. He is far too aggressive on the bases to suit me. I mean, if you like potential rally killers, then you love him, but i don’t.

He has only been successful on eight of his 14 attempts at swiping bases. That is not good. Does he have a perpetual green light or what?

Phillips is beginning to have a reputation that is less than good, when it comes to his sportsmanship, or lack thereof. In the weekend series with the Washington Nationals he had a couple of mishaps. On a play, running from second to third, he unnecessarily pushed shortstop Ian Desmond out of the way, compelling the umpire to rule obstruction on Desmond and rule Phillips safe at third.

The other instance came on Saturday night while he was on third base. Scott Rolen hit a ball to Desmond who threw to the plate as Phillips had headed home. A collision at the plate ensued and the ball was separated from catcher Will Nieves.

I am certainly not opposed to hard playing and train wrecks at home. What Phillips did after the play was what turned me on him. He stepped on the plate, thumped his chest King Kong style, and then did his best Hulk performance on his way to the dugout. The play was old school, the after-play antics was either New Age or Bush League.

Neives could have received a concussion from that impact. Personally, I was surprised Neives didn’t rise up and chase him down. Retaliation did come in the form of an “errant” pitch by reliever Miguel Batista which hit Phillips and promptly got tossed by Joe West.

Enough on Phillips, now where was I? Cain’s performance last night was fantastic and I don’t even like him. But serious ups to him.

Another round of props goes to the Los Angeles Dodgers for making it two in a row over the Cardinals, keeping the Reds deadlocked in a first place tie. That is a very good place to be, especially considering how badly the team has played.

Tonight the Reds will send Aaron Harang (4-5) against Jonathan Sanchez (4-4). The Giants lead the four game series 2-0.

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Bronson Arroyo was again the victim of bullpen mismanagement.

Arroyo has a knack for being the best pitcher in the Central Division one night and the worst pitcher who ever pitched an inning the next night.

He pitched a very good game Sunday, giving up six hits and two runs in eight strong innings. His day was done, and he left the game trailing 2-1.

Miraculously, the Reds clawed back and roughed up league-leading closer Matt Capps and took the lead at 4-2.

Of course, everybody out there in Redland knows what happens in the ninth inning of every game with the Reds ahead, by less than four runs that is.

That is right, kiddies—let us now bring out the big bull, El Toro, the save whore himself, Coco Cordero.

If you are a true Reds fan, you know that all bets are off whenever Cordero enters the ring…er…game.

There he was, called on to protect a now 4-2 lead and preserve a win for Arroyo. As has become his M-O, he started off with a walk, then blah…blah…blah, which translates into another (that is the fourth, and yes, I am counting) blown save—but hey, at least he didn’t get a loss.

The top of the 10th inning saw the Reds get the go-ahead run when Jay Bruce scored on a Drew Stubbs single, putting Cincy in front 5-4. Do you know what else it did? It put Cordero in line to get a win even with the lousy inning he pitched in the ninth.

A Cordero protege, Nick Masset, came in for the home half of the 10th to cement the win for Cordero. He pitched terribly, reminding me so much of Coco that I nearly threw the remote at the TV.

To show you the length and girth of my disdain for Cordero, I came within a whisker of hoping the Nationals would win the game so that Coco would know how it feels for a starter to watch him blow the game up for him. My loyalty to the Reds prevailed, and I willed them to yet another win.

The point of this rant is twofold. First, and foremost, I made it a mission to write a scathing article every time Coco blows a save. Second, I wanted to point out the unjust rewards of MLB rules and scoring guidelines.

Should there not be a rule that if a reliever blows a save attempt, he CANNOT get a win regardless of anything else? I mean, come on; a guy pitches his ass off for eight innings and is in line for a win, watches it disappear, and watches his closer wannabe implode yet be the benefactor of the win. Please!

How stupid does that look in a box score? Cordero (W 2-3; BS-4). It is not like he redeemed himself in the next inning. The only thing that happened was his team scored a run the next inning. It is like a contradiction of terms: blown save, won the game.

Everything else aside, it was a good day for the Queen City fans. The Reds’ win, coupled with a Cardinal loss to the Brewers, pulled the Reds back into a tie for first place.

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Pardon my ignorance.

You can still be a “knowledgeable” baseball fan without knowing everything. Just ask me and I will tell you….that I don’t know it all.

Some things are done for a purpose, just like breathing for example. In some other things, their points of origin are not so easily decided.

Like road rage for example. It can turn an otherwise mild-mannered man into a junk yard dog in a heartbeat.

If you don’t believe me, the next time you are out, cut somebody off in a lane, or take their parking spot from them.

Baseball has some funny quirks if you stop and think about it. I will run a few by you and show you what I am talking about.

What are those chalk lines beside first and third base? I was told they are coaches boxes, but they are never occupied. Why is that?

Speaking of the chalk lines, how about the one that goes about half way and parallel to the first base line? C’mon tell me, what is it for?

Why are bases 90-feet apart? Why not 100? Ninety is a pretty strange number to decide upon, don’t you agree? How about 75? That would at least make a 100-yard dash for an inside the park home run, not 120.

Any reason why first base is not third base and vice versa? In other words why run counter-clockwise? This isn’t the Daytona 500 after all.

Why is a foul pole called a foul pole? Wouldn’t fair pole be more like it? I mean, seriously, if the ball hits the pole on a fly it is a home run, right? Just askin’.

What is the difference between a pop-out and a fly-out? You know, “He popped out to the catcher….he hit a fly-out to the third baseman.” How high does it have to go before it flies instead of pops?

What about the strip of dirt from the batting circle to the pitching mound? You know, like in Detroit, and many other old parks from days of yore?

It seems they were a bit wider to me, but what is the deal with them? Shouldn’t the catcher have to walk inside the path to talk to the pitcher?

How come a guy on the Disabled List still wears his uniform in the dugout? Does he not have street clothes packed or what?

What’s the deal? Football players don’t dress, neither do basketball guys (cagers, I like that word).

Why do baseball managers wear uniforms? Football head coaches, and basketball head coaches don’t. Football guys look cool with their “logo” shirts and khaki pants.

And the basketball coaches, they wear suits. Look at Rick Patino, the man is most
dapper. You couldn’t tell him from a Fortune 500 CEO in a lineup (as long as they were wearing their suits).

Where do the broken, splintered bats go to?  Just askin’.

How about all those balls that the pitcher didn’t like or the umpire thought was missing a stitch? Do they go to one of the farm teams of the home squad or what? Don’t tell me they throw them away.

Speaking of the balls, does the umpire academy have a course called Ball Inspection 101? What the hell are they looking for in a new ball? Don’t they know they were quality-control-inspected by an underpaid, overworked widow in Taiwan?

Why does Jay Bruce walk out of the batting circle after every pitch? Just askin’.

Where is the line that represents “too far out” to be considered for the infield fly rule? Ever wonder about that? I have seen it called at least 10 yards into the outfield grass, I know it has been further.

I have also seen it called on a ball that ended foul. If he dropped it would it still be an out or just a high strike?

How do they get the grass to look so cool on the new diamonds? Almost looks like they brought in the old guys that makes crop circles. The different patterns with light and darker grass, so cool, tell me so I can do it on my little yard.

Would you be able to switch your shortstop and pitcher to face a particular batter, without pulling your pitcher from the game?

Allow me to clarify. Mike Leake played SS as well as pitched in college. Let’s say Ronny Cedeno owns him. When he comes up could Leake play shortstop and Paul Janish pitch to him then return? Think about it?

Umpires are not really blind, people just say that. But did an umpire really say to a catcher about a Nolan Ryan fastball, “It sounded high to me”?

That’s all for now, answer any of these if you can, and I will submit for your perusal at another time.

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We have all been so impressed with the Reds starting pitchers and depressed about the ass-end of the bullpen, that we have not given notice to the rebirth of Jonny Gomes.

If you haven’t looked at the National League stats lately, he is currently the fifth best hitter in the league, sporting a .316 average, which makes him currently the best hitter on the team. He is also fifth in slugging percentage and 10th in the league in OPS.

Not bad for a man who was non-tendered by the team during the offseason. Just prior to spring training he was offered a deal and gladly accepted.

Gomes has really stepped on the gas this month. Since May 5, he is batting .429 with a .481 OBP, a slugging percentage of .771 and an unbelievable OPS of 1.253. He has also got 30 hits, belted 5 HR, and knocked in 20 during that sizzling stretch, spanning 20 games.

As a fan and a viewer of most Reds games, I can see the vast difference in Gomes from last season to this. He is much more selective on his swings. He doesn’t just go up an hit a homer or strikeout as he used to.

Last night (Friday) against the Houston Astros he went 4-4 with everything but a double. He scored two, knocked in four and drew one base on balls.

In a recent series with the St. Louis Cardinals, manager Tony LaRussa said Gomes was a very dangerous hitter and seemed to play every game as though it were his last. That is high praise indeed from arguably the best manager in the game.

During the Civil Rights Game at Great American Ball Park, Mr. Cub himself, Ernie Banks said that he didn’t know much about Gomes, but was very impressed with his intensity and by the way he played.

The Reds are certainly getting some serious return on their investment in the left-field position. According to ESPN, Gomes is making $800,000 (down from $1,275,000 last year) this season while Laynce Nix is playing for free (that is what it says on ESPN).

You can feel the excitement when Gomes comes to bat with ducks on the pond. You just feel that something good is going to happen, and it usually does. One of the Reds TV announcers, Jeff Brantley or Paul Keels, said that Gomes is leading the league in batting average (.455) with runners in scoring position. That number inflates to .583 when there are two outs thrown in the mix.

So, sure the Reds had yet another quality start, another by a rookie, this time Sam LeCure. It was very impressive indeed. But sometimes the moon is so bright you can’t see the stars around it. I am sure Gomes doesn’t mind being called the star in this instance.

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There is an old saying that goes something like this: “Some days you get the bear, some days the bear gets you, and some days it doesn’t pay to go into the woods.”

Those words could be used to describe all of the pitchers in this article. Most of these guys are not bums or “tomato cans”. Most are decent pitchers while some are even very good.

When things go badly, they tend to bundle up on you. Ask any of these men and I am sure they will concur.

Not all of them completed the inning. They do have much in common however. They all surrendered at least eight hits, at least six earned runs, and they all faced at least 10 batters.

In some instances the “inning” consists of three outs, not necessarily in the same frame. However, that is what history reflects, one inning (or less).

With that as a background let us look at the 10 worst innings by active pitchers.

Begin Slideshow

Dramatization: A game between the Phillies and the Reds at the Great American Ball Park, as told by Bleacher Report broadcasters Cliff Eastham and Illya Harrell.

Cliff: Host

Hello everyone, and welcome to Great American Ball Park for tonight’s game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds.

I am Cliff Eastham, alongside Illya Harrell , for tonight’s broadcast brought to you by Bleacher Report. “Bleacher Report, your stop on the Internet for everything sports related, www.BleacherReport.com.”

The flags in center field are blowing out towards the Ohio River, as we are trying to keep dry tonight.

The forecast for tonight’s game is sponsored by Gold Star Chili, “home of the Cheese Coney and the traditional Chili 3-Way.” There is a 60 percent chance of rain before the contest ends, and the temperature will be around 80.

Here is Illya with the starting lineup for the Phillies brought to you by Geico. “So easy, a caveman can do it.”

Illya: Co-Host

Good evening Cliff, and good evening Reds fans everywhere.

The Phillies lineup card filled-out by Charlie Manuel on paper stock produced by the 3M company of St. Paul, Minnesota. “3M—Innovative technology for a changing world.”

Shane Victorino will lead off and play CF.  Third baseman Placido Polanco will bat second. Chase Utley will hit in the three-hole and will play second base. The big guy, Ryan Howard will bat clean-up and play first base.

Jason Werth will bat fifth and play right field. Left-fielder Raul Ibanez will bat sixth, followed by shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Paul Hoover will catch tonight and bat eighth. Southpaw Cole Hamels will pitch and bat ninth.

And now for the rundown on pitcher Cole Hamels, brought to you by Skyline Chili—”It’s Skyline time”—here is my sidekick Cliff Eastham.

Cliff: Host

Ok pal, tonight we will see one of the premier pitchers in baseball. He has been knocked around a little bit this year, but still has a good record of 4-2 with an ERA of 4.29.  He will need to keep the ball down tonight and out of the wheelhouse of sluggers Scott Rolen and Jonny Gomes.

His statistics, brought to you by Levitra. “Levitra—Because, men, you don’t know when the mood will strike.”

This will be Hamels’ ninth start of the season. He has pitched 50 innings, given up 57 hits, 24 earned runs, has surrendered nine homers, walked 19, and fanned 62.

Before Victorino steps in, let’s look at the defense for Cincinnati, brought to you by Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe, “lawyers who put the law on your side.”

The outfield tonight will consist of Gomes and Jay Bruce in the corners with rookie Drew Stubbs in center. Scott Rolen will be at the hot corner, with The OC, Orlando Cabrera at shortstop. Brandon Phillips will play second and Joey Votto will be at first base.

Ryan Hanigan will do the catching, and the pitcher for tonight—brought to you by Dreamworks’ latest movie, ‘Shrek, The Final Chapter,’ playing in a theater in your town”—is Bronson Arroyo.

We will be right back with the first pitch after this word from our sponsor.

Enough Is Enough

This is, of course, a dramatization.

But I believe it does depict the flagrant use of commercialism on baseball telecasts today.

Every analysis, every matchup, and every statistic seems to be brought to you by a brewery, eatery, law firm, or insurance company.

What did we do to deserve this deluge of product-hocking?

There was a time when the only commercials were the 30-second or 60-second versions you got between innings. I am not sure when the crossover came, but I wish I did, so that I could rue that day.

We are now so commercialized that logos are even flashed on the screen when we see statistics or breakdowns of virtually anything. Players have Adidas logos (or Nike or whatever) on their uniforms, shoes, gloves, armor, etc.

I am watching the Reds-Indians game as I write this. Ryan Hanigan did a 30-second spot about Arroyo, and I was told by Thom Brenneman that it was the Geico Quote of The Day.

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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.

The Braves slowed their roll on Wednesday night with a walk-off win in the ninth inning, 5-4.  The Reds had tied it in the ninth inning on a solo HR by rookie Chris Heisey off Braves closer Billy Wagner. It looked like another come-from-behind victory was imminent.

With two men on and one out, Wagner settled down and struck out Scott Rolen and Jay Bruce to end the rally.

Today, the Reds were ahead 8-0 thanks in part to a grand-slam home run by Joey Votto and a two run double by outfielder Laynce Nix.

They held a 9-3 lead from the fifth inning and into the bottom of the ninth. Arthur Rhodes relieved Nick Masset with the bases loaded, three already in and nobody out.

He struck out rookie phenom Jason Heyward swinging, and was promptly replaced by the save-whore himself, Coco Cordero. The game wasn’t televised and I was getting updates on my Palm Pixi.

I knew it was going to end badly when the change was made. Cordero is the most unreliable closer, to make so much money, I have ever witnessed.

There was no reason to call him in with a 9-3 lead so T-Pick waited until the Braves got within “save range” and brought Coco in to face pinch-hitter Brooks Conrad.

Let the record show that Masset got nobody out in the ninth and Rhodes struck out the only batter he faced.

After five pitches, Conrad put Cordero’s offering into the left field seats with an assist from the glove of Nix. Not only did Cordero blow his third save attempt, he was saddled with the loss.

Cordero cannot just save a game and let everybody go home happy. He has to set a stage, walk two or three, give up a hit or two and possibly a run or two before being handed a save.

Only five times in his 22 games this season has he managed to work a perfect inning. Keep in mind, when he comes in the game is on the line 99 percent of the time.

I never will understand the love everyone has for the closer. Pitch the man with the hot hand. The man who has already worked up a sweat, had the butterflies chased from his stomach and pitched admirably.

I can see relieving another if he has pitched poorly or if a situation actually called for it, but not just to let a blowfish come in and ruin the momentum of the entire squad.

I may be alone on this ship, but if I am, I am. Coco Cordero is the most overpaid person in baseball, with apologies to Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez.

If Cincinnati expects to seriously contend for the Central Division crown, they must either get rid of Coco or at least use him in a different role and make Arthur Rhodes the closer.

 NOTE TO EDITOR:  I have seen lately that most article titles are being changed, many times to a negative effect. Please do not alter the title. If it sucks the way it is, let’s ride it out. Thanks

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The three-game series that the Cincinnati Reds just swept from the Pittsburgh Pirates has shown some wicked good starting pitching.

Bronson Arroyo was one-hitting the Bucs through six innings on Monday, and received the win with a save (albeit scary) from Coco Cordero.

Last night Johnny Cueto pitched a complete, one-hit shutout as the Reds won big, 9-0. You have to go back to September 22, 1996 to see the last one-hit shutout pitched by a Reds starter.

John Smiley twirled a one-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals at Cinergy Field.

Today, in the finale of the series, Homer Bailey pitched his first complete game and boy was it a dandy. He was very effective, throwing only 90 pitches, an amazing 73 of them for strikes. He struck out six and issued no bases on balls, as the Reds won 5-0.

The Pirates were limited to one run and 10 hits during the series.

Joey Votto launched a two-run homer in the first, his eighth of the year. Drew Stubbs added a solo blast in the fourth, his third of the year, to end the scoring.

The last time Cincinnati starters pitched back to back, complete game shutouts was in 1989. Jose Rijo and Tom Browning pitched matching five-hit shutouts against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 9-10.

Bailey’s performance today was a record breaker of sorts. It was the most strikes thrown in a complete game shutout with 90 or fewer pitches in MLB history.

It was the 17th quality start (fifth consecutive) compared to 34 games played. It was also the ninth quality start in the last 11 starts.

The Reds have now won five straight and are just a game and a half back of the Cardinals in the NL Central Division. They begin a three game series in Cincinnati on Friday.

Jamie Garcia (3-2) will take the mound against Aaron Harang (2-4) Friday night.

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