Dontrelle Willis is a low-risk reclamation project that the Reds took a chance on this year. He is also a guy who simply cannot catch a break. He’s done good work with the team so far, but maybe pushed it a little too hard last time out. Understandable: his six-inning outings kept being given away in innings seven through nine. Little wonder he’d want to stick around himself.

But today he had some forearm soreness even before the game, and he couldn’t keep the ball under control by the third inning. He gave up a quick four runs before they pulled him for Sam LeCure, who stopped the bleeding there.

Jay Bruce did knock a three run homer to put the Reds on the board, but it wasn’t enough at the time nor for the rest of the game, since it was never followed up by any more scoring. Speaking of Jay Bruce, the CTS and I have been talking about how he’s been with the team forever but he’s only 24. Same thing for Homer Bailey, who is only 25 but has been in the Reds’ collective consciousness since, roughly, 1994. These two, and other guys like them, keep developing and hit their awesomeness in a couple years, and this team could really be something to watch.

Tonight the Reds had some catharsis for their crappy season’s worth of pent up frustration. The box score of their 13-1 win over the San Diego Padres featured a lengthy list in the home runs:

• Votto (19, 1st inning off Stauffer, 0 on, 2 out),
• Cairo 2 (7, 1st inning off Stauffer, 1 on, 2 out; 5th inning off Bass, 1 on, 0 out),
• Frazier (4, 2nd inning off Stauffer, 0 on, 0 out),
• Bruce (25, 3rd inning off Stauffer, 1 on, 1 out),
• Hanigan 2 (5, 3rd inning off Stauffer, 2 on, 2 out; 8th inning off Thatcher, 1 on, 1 out)

Amazingly, tonight’s win brings the Reds’ winning streak to four, which is the longest winning streak since May 17. Can they make it five? We find out tomorrow when they wrap up the series against the Padres at 1:10 p.m.

Boxscore

The Cincinnati Reds split the 4-game series with the Colorado Rockies Thursday, thanks to another amazing start from Johnny Cueto.

Remember back in the playoffs last year when Baker picked Edinson Volquez to start the series against the Philadelphia Phillies? And then when he chose Volquez again to start the 2011 season? Yeah, he was wrong about Volquez being an ace. It was the other guy with dreadlocks.

Cueto has been amazing this year. This latest start is no exception. Over 7 innings, he allowed 3 hits, walked 2, struck out 9, and allowed no runs. That got his ERA back under 2.00 at 1.94. He leads the league in ERA and has clearly been about the best starter in the majors this year. And his record is only 8-5. The poor guy has had more blown saves than I care to look up.

But not this time. This time, the bullpen was there for him. Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless 8th, and Francisco Cordero picked up his 22nd save. Although he did allow one run. I think he was just doing his part to improve the Reds’ horrible record in games decided by one run.

The offense was the only thing that wasn’t strong for Cueto. It scored 2 runs in the first, thanks to an RBI from Jay Bruce and an error by the Rockies. In the end, it sure was nice to see the Reds not lose a series to a below-average team for a change.

Lately, the Reds have had some bad luck on the injury front, in addition to the other varieties of bad luck they were already experiencing:

• Brandon Phillips, who just came back from that ankle sprain, now apparently has an elbow like a balloon thanks to a pitch to it last night. I don’t know if he’ll be pinch-hit-homering right off an injury like that.
• Logan Ondrusek went on the 15-day DL yesterday with a strained right forearm. If only he’d been the problem.
• Zack Cozart still isn’t back from that hyperextended elbow, and may be considering surgery. I don’t know what surgery you do for a hyperextended elbow, but hopefully it’s more successful than the surgery countless kids have tried to give to their hyperextended Slinkies.

Here’s hoping for a change in the team’s luck, injury related and otherwise. In the post-game tonight, Joey Votto said that he still thinks the team can turn the season around. if he can avoid being the next one hurt, maybe so.

Reds lose again, and now even people who have liked what Dusty Baker has done in his time with the team (me included) are starting to rumble that maybe it’s time to make a change.

So I’ve been inspired to finally put together the photoshop that I’ve had in mind for a couple years now, before I lose the chance.

That’s right: notorious blogger-hating Director of Media Relations Rob Butcher, notorious Alonso-hating manager Dusty Baker, and notorious electricity-hating candle-making guy. Put them out, naves all three!