ByThat without Mark McGwire, and then Albert Pujols, no one would think he was all that? Dave Duncan is the real managing might on this team. I’d like to see what he could do with the Reds pitching staff.
ByLast Game
The Reds finished their sweep of the Astros, winning the final game 4-2. Bronson Arroyo got the win, Roy Oswalt got the loss, and the Reds are back at .500. No word on how long Dusty Baker will wait before reportedly asking again for an extension.
Next Game
Johnny Cueto takes on Brad Penny, the latest in a long line of miracles performed by Dave “Pitcher-Whisperer” Duncan, when the Reds play the St. Louis Cardinals tonight at 8:15pm EDT.
Dickerson Sprained Right Wrist Playing Baseball
Chris Dickerson has had a bum right wrist for a little while, and he injured it even more during a swing yesterday. I’d expect him to be sent to the DL and someone from Louisville called up. John Fay says outfielder Chris Heisey is a likely option, “He started slowly, but he’s hitting .295 over his last 10 games.”
What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
Mike Leake is a candidate for National League Rookie of the Month, which is apparently an award, after going 2-0 with a 3.25 ERA in 4 starts.
By| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reds (11-11) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0 |
| Astros (8-13) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
The Cincinnati Reds finished their sweep of the Astros last night, behind a solid effort from Bronson Arroyo.
Arroyo pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs, both earned. He picked up his first win of the year, joining fellow starters Mike Leake and Aaron Harang with victories. At this rate, the entire starting rotation will have victories in a week’s time!
The scoring came from home runs from Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. Bruce has been on a nice little tear lately, and Joey Votto is Joey Votto. Vottomatic, I believe, is the term we’re looking for.
This win gets the Reds to .500. Plus, it marks the second time in history that the Reds have tagged Roy Oswalt with a loss. The only other Reds pitcher to do that? How could you forget the Pickle, Brandon Claussen?
The team is 3-0 since manager Dusty Baker reorganized the lineup into a form much closer to the ideal. It’s probably not just the lineup changes, though, as much as I may want moving shortstop Orlando Cabrera out of the 2-hole to be the sole reason for their success. No, this streak coincided with finally getting good starting pitching and playing the terrible, terrible Houston Astros.
Still, this should give the team confidence as they head to Missouri to face the St. Louis Cardinals. A sweep of them, and the Reds would not only be over .500, but 1 game behind the Cardinals in the standings!
