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Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-27-2011 04:05 PM
![[Image: banner_reds.jpg]](http://news.cincinnati.com/images/BlogImages/banners/banner_reds.jpg)
Reds lineup
2:39 pm, May 27, 2011 | Written by jfay
Stubbs 8,
Phillips 4,
Votto 3,
Rolen 5,
Bruce 9,
Lewis 7,
Hernandez 2,
Janish 6,
Leake RHP
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2011/05/27/reds-lineup-127/
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-27-2011 04:07 PM
Sprained shoulder for Homer Bailey
12:41 pm, May 27, 2011 | Written by jfay
![[Image: homer5-300x194.jpg]](http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/files/2011/05/homer5-300x194.jpg)
Homer Bailey has a sprained right shoulder, trainer Paul Lessard said.
No surgery is required. The MRI was OK.
Lessard gave the report to the front office. They’ll make the call as to whether Bailey goes on the disabled list.
I’m guessing he will.
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2011/05/27/sprained-shoulder-for-bailey/
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-27-2011 04:10 PM
Reds vs Braves
Friday 5/27, 7:35 PM ET at Turner Field
Radio: CIN: WLW 700 ATL: 680 AM/93.7 FM, WNNX 100.5
TV: CIN: FS-O, MLBN ATL: PTV, SPSO, MLBN
Radio: CIN: WLW 700 ATL: 680 AM/93.7 FM, WNNX 100.5
TV: CIN: FS-O, MLBN ATL: PTV, SPSO, MLBN
Braves return home, take on reeling Reds
By Joey Nowak / MLB.com | 5/26/2011 7:04 PM ET
More than happy to return to Atlanta from a grueling three-city, seven-game road trip, the Braves will come up against a team that just as badly needs to put together a winning stretch.
The Reds, who have dropped eight out of nine, will take on the Braves at Turner Field on Friday in the teams' first meeting of the season.
"It's all how you look at things, and I like to look at the glass half full," said Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose club finished a trip 3-4 this week. "We lost two tough games in Arizona. It was good to see the team fight back and get two wins here in Pittsburgh.
"It's a big momentum boost going back home. We're back on the right track."
Both clubs are within striking distance in their respective divisions -- Cincinnati battling St. Louis and Milwaukee in the National League Central and Atlanta working against Florida and Philadelphia in the East.
The Braves will turn to Tommy Hanson, who has not lost since April 17 against the Mets.
The young right-hander had allowed two earned runs or fewer in five consecutive starts before the Angels tagged him for four earned in six frames Saturday. He finished the outing with a no-decision.
Hanson has allowed a homer in three of his past four starts and five total this year.
The Reds have their own starting-pitching issues to sort out. Since the club sent starter Edinson Volquez down to Triple-A earlier this week, his spot in the rotation Friday is up in the air. Pending a roster move, it will be filled by Mike Leake.
Leake, who will likely be called up from Triple-A Louisville, has not pitched well since being optioned (eight runs in 7 1/3 innings over two outings), but manager Dusty Baker didn't harp on that while discussing the plans this week.
"[Johnny] Cueto did not pitch well down there either [on a rehab assignment]," Baker said. "Sometimes, when you go from the big leagues to the Minor Leagues, you have guys who are set up that don't know their setup. I don't know many guys that have been to the big leagues who go to the Minor Leagues to get their act together other than Homer [Bailey]. He pitched well. Other than that, most of them I know didn't.
"There have been guys throwing well down there, came up here, and didn't do nothing either."
Leake is 3-2 with a 5.70 ERA in nine games with Cincinnati this season. He has a 1.50 career ERA in six innings against Atlanta.
Reds: Bruce almighty
• Cincinnati outfielder Jay Bruce has homered in four of his past five games and five of the past eight. He finished the series against the Phillies with 11 RBIs.
Baker said he's never seen Bruce go on a tear quite like this.
"Not this early," Baker said. "Usually, he has good months in the second half and struggles in the first half. He needs at-bats to get [going]."
Bruce, who homered on Thursday, finished the series against Philadelphia with with the National League lead in homers and was second in RBIs. He has hit safely in eight games in a row.
• Reds closer Francisco Cordero has notched 299 saves, leaving him one short of becoming the 22nd pitcher in Major League history to record 300 saves. Of those, 122 have come with Cincinnati.
Braves: Schafer expected back
Outfielder Jordan Schafer, who started in center field on Tuesday and Wednesday for the injured Nate McLouth, is expected to play his first game in Atlanta since 2009 on Friday.
A fan favorite when he came up in '09, Schafer was effectively replaced when Atlanta traded for McLouth on May 31 of that year. He spent most of his time in the Minors battling back from a left wrist injury.
He hit .256 (42-for-164) with one home run and 21 RBIs for Triple-A Gwinnett and is 2-for-9 with two runs this season with Atlanta.
Worth noting
• Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, who was 1-for-5 with an RBI on Wednesday, said his right knee has been fine since receiving cortisone injections on May 15. He added that most of his discomfort is in his right hamstring.
• Cincinnati won the season series, 3-2, in 2010.
• The Reds are a season-high four games back of the Cardinals in the NL Central. They snapped a streak of 25 consecutive days in first or second place after their loss Wednesday and the Brewers' victory.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_05_27_cinmlb_atlmlb_1&mode=preview&vkey=preview_web_away&c_id=cin&partnerId=rss_cin
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-27-2011 04:13 PM
Fisher no worse for wear after lengthy outing
PHILADELPHIA -- The morning after the longest relief appearance of his career, Reds pitcher Carlos Fisher felt remarkably well.
"A lot better than I thought I would," Fisher said Thursday. "Last night, I went to bed and I felt pretty bad. My back was pretty tight. Today, I woke up feeling pretty good. I was surprised."
Fisher worked 5 2/3 innings and threw 95 pitches but was the losing pitcher when Raul Ibanez hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 19th inning of a 5-4 loss to the Phillies.
A Reds reliever hadn't thrown as many pitches as Fisher since Dan Serafini did it against Pittsburgh on Sept. 17, 2003. Although no one outside of the Reds dugout knew it at the time, Fisher was the last available pitcher. Sam LeCure and Matt Maloney were in the bullpen, but both were sore and unable to pitch.
"I knew it would be at least two innings, if we score a run," Fisher said. "Then two turned into three, three turned into four, and it got to the point where I lost track of how many innings I had. I was trying to throw the best strikes I could throw.
"That last inning, I went to all fastballs. After four innings, the breaking ball got real sloppy. I couldn't throw it for a strike anymore."
The taxing Fisher's arm took was evident in the 19th on Placido Polanco's sacrifice bunt. Fisher fielded the ball and gingerly threw to first base for the out.
"After having a game like that, the last thing I wanted to do was throw the ball away and give it to them like that," Fisher said. "I'm not going to lose throwing the ball into the stands. I probably focused more on that one throw than any other pitch."
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110526&content_id=19598304¬ebook_id=19619392&vkey=notebook_cin&c_id=cin&partnerId=rss_cin
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-27-2011 04:20 PM
![[Image: redreporterscruffy.gif]](http://cdn2.sbnation.com/community_logos/31687/redreporterscruffy.gif)
Braves Series Preview
by JinAZ on May 27, 2011 2:01 PM EDT in Stat-Colored Glasses
The Reds take on the Atlanta Braves this weekend, who are currently in third place, 3.5 games behind the first-place Phillies. If anything, the Braves look to have underperformed to date: all three win estimators (all from BPro) indicate that the Braves have played well enough to rank at the top of their division, above even the Phillies.
Obviously the Braves would like to continue to beat up the struggling Reds, who, after playing above their win estimators for most of the year, seem to have come back down to earth over the last few weeks. It's been tough to watch.
So far this year, the Braves and Reds are pretty much opposite teams. The Reds have been an offensive powerhouse. While some of that is due to their home park, and obviously they have been struggling of late, their offense still rates as above-average. The Braves, on the other hand, have been miserable at the plate, with a .303 wOBA and an 89 wRC+. The Reds are a top-notch team on the bases, while the Braves are merely average.
![[Image: Braves_-_052711_medium.png]](http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/622985/Braves_-_052711_medium.png)
Where the Braves have done well, however, is their pitching. Their rotation has been superb, just as it was last season. And their bullpen has been unreal, posting the best ERA- and second-best xFIP- in baseball. In contrast, the Reds' starting rotation has struggled...although if you believe xFIP, they haven't thrown nearly as badly as they appear. The bullpen has been better, though in truth an 87 ERA- is only an average pen. ... and xFIP isn't as bullish on our pen as I'd like.
Fielding-wise, the numbers right now are split on both teams. The Reds have done better in metrics like UZR (although DRS rates them roughly equivalent). The Braves have measured better in more whole-team metrics like DER or, a personal favorite metric of mine, FIP-BsR. I believe in the Reds' fielding, although they've had enough time Gomes in LF and without Rolen at 3B that it could be that the average-ish numbers are correct. With those situations rectified, the Reds should be an excellent fielding team.
Probable Starters
![[Image: Bravespit_-_052711_medium.png]](http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/623001/Bravespit_-_052711_medium.png)
As the overall team numbers would indicate, it looks like a wash for the Braves in each match-up based on performances to date. All three of the Braves pitchers have posted sub-3.5 xFIP's, and the rest of their numbers all agree with their performances. Tommy Hanson is a beast, and Derek Lowe is tremendously underrated given the crap I hear about him. The biggest disparity between peripherals and ERA is seen with Jair Jurrjens, who looks to have gotten a tad hit lucky, and extremely lucky with runners left on base thus far. But even so, he's had terrific control and kept the ball on the ground, which leads to pretty strong expected numbers (3.39 xFIP).
Of the Reds' starters, the most interesting is probably Mike Leake. While his season thus far has been marred by poor on-field results and off-field dumbness, his peripherals are all very strong. His strikeout rate, in particular, is way up this year, while the other numbers have been consistent with last year. He's just not been able to strand runners very well this year, and has allowed a few more home runs than expected. If he can keep his strikeout rate up, I tend to think he's going to fare well in the rotation moving forward. Whether he can beat Tommy Hanson tonight, however, is anyone's guess.
Crystal Balling
Overall, the Reds have the better offense, and the Braves have the better pitching. BPro's numbers would seem to favor the Braves in this matchup. However, if there's an equalizer here, it's the current rosters: the Braves are without Jason Heyward, Nate McLouth, Peter Moylan, and (though they don't influence these games) Brandon Beachy and Tim Hudson (day to day). And the Reds, on the other hand, are without Edinson Volquez...and the way he's pitched, that's a favor that favors the Reds! Winning two of three in this series will be tough, but it would be huge for the spiraling Reds.
http://www.redreporter.com/2011/5/27/2193437/braves-series-preview
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-27-2011 04:24 PM
Farmers Only: Suddenly, Aroldis Chapman's successful rehab becomes vitally important
by nycredsfan on May 27, 2011 8:15 AM EDT in Farmers only
When Aroldis Chapman went on the disabled list last Monday, my first thought was that the bullpen was fine without him and I wished they would just let him start for a while in AAA. Baseball is a funny game, because less than 2 weeks later I'm dying for a recovered and retuned Chapman to come bolster the pen. Last night's stat line is weird, but, I think, a good sign.
*Louisville got shut out 5-0. Scott Carroll had a very nice start, lasting 6.2 IP and giving up 2 runs while striking out 8. Chapman pitched the final 2 innings, and his line looked like this: 2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. He threw 40 pitches, 29 of them for strikes. I don't know if he was exclusively throwing the fastball, or if he was told to just get everything over the plate, but I'm not too worried about guys teeing off on him. Devin Mesoraco had 2 hits and a walk, and Todd Frazier had a hit and a walk. No other player reached base more than once, and the team managed no extra base hits. Up Next: Chad Reineke sobs as he makes a start for Louisville instead of the Reds. 6:35 game time.
*Carolina got beat again 8-2. The only thing even remotely worth mentioning in this one is that Nick Christiani pitched another scoreless inning of relief. His ERA on the year is down to 1.90, and he has 21 Ks and just 4 BBs in 23.2 IP. The Mudcats bullpen is pretty much the only redeeming quality of that team. Up Next: Someone will start at 7:15.
*Bakersfield lost 6-4. Brodie Greene was 3-5 with a triple, Alex Buchholz was was 2-5 with a double, and Henry Rodriguez was 2-4. Up Next: JC Sulbaran takes the hill at 10:30.
*Dayton earned the only win in the system yesterday, prevailing 7-1. This one was death by 1,000 papercuts, as the team racked up 11 hits but the only extra base hit was a double by Donald Lutz. Daniel Renken had a tremendous start, going 7 IP and giving up 1 run while striking out 8. Up Next: Josh Smith gets the start at 7:00.
http://www.redreporter.com/2011/5/27/2192969/farmers-only-suddenly-aroldis-chapmans-successful-rehab-becomes
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-27-2011 05:40 PM
List of injured pitchers grows
5:46 pm, May 27, 2011 | Written by jfay
As the pitching turns, Reds’ style:
–Homer Bailey has a sprained posterior capsule. He is going on the disabled list.
“He had an MRI today,” Baker said. “He’ll be back. We’ve got to figure out a way to keep him back. We’re hoping, get him some rest. It’ll affect his endurance because he was just getting his endurance up. We want to get him well. He was throwing great.”
–Matt Maloney doesn’t have a strained oblique. He has cracked rib. He did it sneezing.
–Mike Leake is here in Atlanta. He’s starting tonight.
–Sam LeCure, who is dealing with a sore forearm, is available — he thinks. “It’s been better playing catch,” he said. “It’s progressing. They said it won’t get any worse. But you can’t mimic adrenaline. I’m available. I’ve been available. I might have to grit my teeth.”
–Bronson Arroyo is good to for tomorrow’s start. He had an epidural when he saw Dr. Tim Kremchek. “That was more so I could work out between starts,” Arroyo said. “The back is 95 percent. I’ve gone out and pitched with it like this a 100 times.”
“Other than that, life’s good,” Dusty Baker said.
The Reds now have had 10 players on the DL this season. Four pitchers — Bailey, Maloney, Aroldis Chapman and Jared Burton — are currently on the DL.
As far as pitching, the Reds are tapped out. Philippe Valiquette is the only player on the 40-man not on the 25-man roster. He’s on the disabled list at Louisville.
“We might have to now go to one of our non-roster guys,” Baker said.
First up would be Dontrelle Willis, except he’s on the DL, dealing with a groin and ankle issues.
“I only got a few fingers left to put in the dike,” Baker said. “With a groin, you’ve got to be careful. That’s real serious injury if he tears it. We’re hoping he comes back soon. We sure could use him.”
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2011/05/27/list-of-injured-pitchers-grows/
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - Bearhawkeye - 05-27-2011 06:42 PM
Cracking a rib while sneezing? This pitching staff is reminding me of UC's QB situation a few years ago. It's a bit scary to think of where we'd be had we traded some of this apparent pitching depth during the off-season. I gotta admit times are tough right now, but it's a long season and most of the injuries are not necessarily long term.
Odds seem against it, but a nice outing from Leake tonight would help a bunch.
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - BearChatter v2.0 - 05-27-2011 06:47 PM
They just reported that Cueto hurt his shoulder while laughing. Ugh. (sarcasm)
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-27-2011 11:46 PM
(05-27-2011 06:47 PM)Vottomatic Wrote: They just reported that Cueto hurt his shoulder while laughing. Ugh. (sarcasm)This stuff is really getting kinda old. It is a long season and we are basically 1/3 through. It would be kinda nice if we waited a bit before we buried them. Especially you.
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - 50Cent - 05-28-2011 11:29 AM
http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/11618/add-an-ace-to-the-reds-recipe
Add an ace to the Reds' recipe
May, 28, 2011
MAY 28
11:00
By Christina Kahrl
Like more than a few teams, the Reds are nearing the season’s one-third mark mucking around .500, They’re closer to fifth place than first in the NL Central, but in today’s parity party, half the league is within single three-game series of the Reds.
The Reds appear to have the pieces to trade for talented Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano.
But the Reds can’t afford to be sanguine about their lot, not when the roster has been an unsettled mess. What started off on paper as a nicely crowded selection of starting pitching options has been undermined by equal doses of injury and ineffectiveness. Homer Bailey is back on the DL with a shoulder injury, this just a few short days after Edinson Volquez was optioned to Triple-A Louisville. There’s also the problem with what their rotation will actually amount to, even in better-case scenarios. Volquez, Bailey, Mike Leake, Bronson Arroyo and Travis Wood can all be useful starting pitchers in the major leagues, but if everything goes right, aren’t they all just potentially threes and fours in a big-league rotation?
Then there’s Aroldis Chapman, on so many short lists for best candidates for the National League Rookie of the Year in March. He’s also in Louisville at the moment, and is also on the DL for shoulder trouble. Pitching coach Bryan Price is being credited with fixing a flaw in Chapman’s delivery, but a third of the way through the season the most notable thing about Chapman’s season is that he put more than a third of all batters faced on base via walks or hit batsmen.
The lineup has its own issues. Scott Rolen is off to a slow start, and neither of the shortstops is hitting. Starting left fielder Jonny Gomes has been riding pine for the past week and a half, purportedly getting the benefit of plenty of hands-on instruction from his manager. Maybe that’s so, maybe it’s window dressing, but the simple fact is their starting left fielder has been benched for some combination of Fred Lewis and Chris Heisey.
So Walt Jocketty and Dusty Baker haven’t been sitting on their hands, but the Reds should be thinking in terms of what other moves they can make to exploit their depth on the big-league roster as well as within a farm system that provides them with good alternatives. The danger of doing nothing is that they might wind up watching as the Cardinals get out too far ahead, and waiting until July to seriously reconsider their roster could only add to the challenge.
1. Stop messing around with Paul Janish as the starting shortstop. Last year, Janish hit .260/.338/.385 in sporadic playing time. Not shabby for a shortstop, right? Sadly, his minor-league track record suggests that isn’t what he’d do as an everyday player, and both PECOTA and ZiPS expected an OPS around .660. That’s a lot better than his extra-weak .500, but do you really want to wait on a guy who’s expected offensive output is still bad? Happily for the Reds, there’s an in-house upgrade in prospect Zack Cozart, ranked eighth among all Reds prospects before the season by Baseball America. Like Janish, Cozart gets good marks for his fielding, but also happens to bring some power to the plate, having delivered at a .282/.327/.436 clip for Louisville already, while belting 16 doubles and four homers. Power plays well in the Gap, which suggests the payoff of playing the better batter. It beats punting a lineup slot in the DH-less league by playing Janish. Just because Janish had to wait his turn to start doesn’t mean he deserves it indefinitely; these might be the Reds, but this ain’t the Politburo.
2. Stick with Lewis and Heisey in left, but not in a straight platoon -- if Heisey wins the job, let him. Gomes was a nice patch while he lasted and a nifty pickup off the scrap heap, but his comeback from his disappointment with the Rays was overwhelmingly a product of the league’s best home-run park after Coors Field, his defense is ghastly, and last year he hit just .257/.301/.407 vs. right-handers. The Reds don’t need a platoon DH. If they want to swap in some additional lefty power to split time with Heisey, they can always call Juan Francisco back up.
3. Shop a catcher, either catcher. Between Ramon Hernandez’s impending free agency after 2011 or the marketability of Ryan Hanigan’s cheap three-year, $4 million deal that still leaves him a year shy of free agency, the Reds have receivers who can interest needy shoppers at any price point. Before the year’s out, one of them is going to be in danger of losing his job to top prospect Devin Mesoraco (.296/.383/.480 at Louisville), and if the Giants had the courage to contend with a rookie catcher last year, why not the Reds this year? Admittedly, most buyers understand that Hernandez’s power will probably stay in the Gap’s cozy confines, but this is catcher we’re talking about. The Giants are the obvious match (for Hernandez in particular) in the wake of Buster Posey’s tragedy, of course, but that doesn’t make them Jocketty’s mark. Because the real objective should be …
4. Deal from depth to get what they need: an ace starter. Admittedly, these are few and far between, but face it, if you want to go up against the Phillies or Giants in a short series, do you want to repeat last year's rollover? Bailey is now in his fifth year on or around the big-league team, and he still hasn’t broken through. Volquez? His big year was 2008, and whether you feel he was rushed back from rehab or not, it doesn’t look like he’s about to get back to that form any time soon. Arroyo is just a variation on a theme the team already listened to with Aaron Harang -- a nice mid-rotation guy, but just that.The question is who they might be able to get. Chasing after Chad Billingsley -- and definitely not homer-prone Ted Lilly -- to exploit the Dodgers’ cash crunch might make sense, because the $35 million he’s due from 2012-2014 might look like a bargain relative to market pricing. Waiting on the White Sox to fall out or stay in the AL Central race makes sense if you rate Edwin Jackson's upside as highly as so many of his former employers have in the past. John Danks would be the better target, but he won’t come loose easily. If you want to live dangerously, pick up the phone and ask how badly the Mets would like to take some of Johan Santana’s salary off their overhead.
However, assuming recent news about his shoulder is a passing concern, the Reds’ best available target could be Francisco Liriano of the Twins. Given that the Twins need a little bit of everything, perhaps offering Janish (because they don’t have a shortstop who can play shortstop), Hanigan (because he’s cheap and Joe Mauer has got to come out from behind the plate), one of the kid starters, and something talented from the low minors -- and not on the 40-man -- gets this done. If the Twins don’t bite on that, turn the conversation to Todd Frazier, and make it happen.
Christina Kahrl covers baseball for ESPN.com. You can follow her on Twitter.
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - Bearcat04 - 05-28-2011 11:42 AM
That has to be a joke, right?
Liriano is the LH version of Volquez. He's had major surgery, he doesn't go deep into games, he walks hitters at an alarming rate, and is wildly inconsistent. That's their suggestion to fix the Reds? WOW.
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - BearChatter v2.0 - 05-28-2011 11:43 AM
(05-27-2011 11:46 PM)ctipton Wrote:(05-27-2011 06:47 PM)Vottomatic Wrote: They just reported that Cueto hurt his shoulder while laughing. Ugh. (sarcasm)This stuff is really getting kinda old. It is a long season and we are basically 1/3 through. It would be kinda nice if we waited a bit before we buried them. Especially you.
I made a dumb joke, making fun of the fact Maloney broke a rib sneezing.
I think you overreacted to my post just A LITTLE BIT. No where in that comment did I bury them.
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-28-2011 01:02 PM
Leake comes through under pressure
11:50 pm, May 27, 2011 by jfay
Mike Leake said the time in the minors, his first as a professional, did him wonders.
“It was mainly my head that I needed to clear out,” Leake said. “It was nice that they sent me down so I could do that.”
Leake threw six innings of one-run ball in a pressure start. The bullpen had thrown 31 innings of the last five games. The Reds put two pitchers on the disabled list the last two days.
“I felt a little pressure,” Leake said. “I knew I needed to give some quality innings to give them a rest bcause we had used up so many arms lately.”
This was a 3-1 game going to the ninth but Ramon Hernandez gave the Reds some cushion with a two-run, opposite field home run. It was his seventh of the year, equalling his total from last year. It came off Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel, who had not allowed one in 24 innings.
“That was huge, especially off their closer,” Dusty Baker said. “Those two runs took it from a two-run game to a four-run game with only two outs to go those are huge insurance runs.”
It was only the Reds’ second win in last 10 games.
“It just feels good to win,” Baker said. “Hopefully, we’ll do the same thing tomorrow. You get a quality-pitched game, then every run you accumulate really makes a difference
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2011/05/27/leake-comes-through-under-pressure/
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-28-2011 01:05 PM
Saturday 5/28, 7:10 PM ET at Turner Field
Radio: CIN: WLW 700 ATL: 680 AM/93.7 FM, WNNX 100.5
TV: CIN: FOX ATL: FOX
Radio: CIN: WLW 700 ATL: 680 AM/93.7 FM, WNNX 100.5
TV: CIN: FOX ATL: FOX
Former teammates Arroyo, Lowe set to duel
By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | 5/28/2011 12:59 AM ET
Reds starter Bronson Arroyo isn't going to let a stiff back keep him off the mound Saturday.
He has to pitch.
Following Friday's 5-1 victory against the Braves, Arroyo's club is back in the win column, and he's scheduled to square off against one of his best friends, Atlanta starter Derek Lowe.
Call it a sibling rivalry between baseball brothers. The two were teammates with the Red Sox.
"He's my boy," Arroyo said. "We worked out every single day together in Boston. He's one of my favorite guys that I've ever played the game with by far. It's always fun to go up against him."
Don't expect Lowe to shy away from a little friendly competition.
Lowe has just one loss in his last six starts and part of the reason for the success is his ability to keep the ball in the ballpark. The veteran right-hander has allowed eight homers in his past 17 starts.
On Monday, Arroyo was pounded for nine runs and 10 hits in a 10-3 loss to the Phillies. On Tuesday, he had an MRI in Cincinnati because of a stiff back. Arroyo said his back will not be a problem Saturday.
"It wasn't a problem in my last start either," Arroyo said. "It's just been a problem as far as working out in between starts. I got an epidural shot the other day, so I think I'm going to be fine."
The Braves could use a fine start from Lowe. They won four straight against the Phillies and Astros before losing four of five to the D-backs and Angels. They beat the Pirates in both games of a two-game set before falling to the Reds on Friday.
"Things aren't going our way right now," Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said. "We'll keep fighting and get through this."
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez agreed.
"We just have to regroup and come out [strong Saturday]," he said.
Reds: Bailey heads to DL with shoulder injury
Right-hander Homer Bailey was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained posterior capsule in his right shoulder and there is no timetable for his return. Bailey flew back to Cincinnati on Thursday after exiting the game against the Phillies with a shoulder spasm, and he received an MRI on Friday morning.
Braves: Hudson will start Monday against Padres
• Tim Hudson, who felt back stiffness in his May 20 start against the Angels, will start Monday against the Padres. Hudson, 35, began playing catch Tuesday and threw a bullpen session Friday afternoon.
• Eric Hinske went 1-for-4 Friday and is hitting .355 this month. He is hitting .330 for the season.
Worth noting
• The Braves lead the Major Leagues with 14 pinch-hit home runs since the beginning of 2010. The Reds are second with 13.
• The Reds are 2-6 on the current season-long 10-game road trip. Prior to that, they had produced at least a .500 record on each of the previous three road trips.
• Braves closer Craig Kimbrel, who leads Major League rookies with 14 saves, turns 23 Saturday.
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RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-28-2011 01:09 PM
![[Image: webclipcin_114x114.png]](http://wapc.mlb.com/images/logos/iphone/webclipcin_114x114.png)
Leake returns from Minors, leads Reds to win
By Chris Cox / MLB.com | 5/28/2011 12:19 AM ET
ATLANTA -- Welcome back, Mike Leake.
Leake, in his first start since being optioned to the Minors for the first time in his career, held the Braves in check with six solid innings as the Reds took the opener of a three-game set with a 5-1 win at Turner Field on Friday.
The right-hander was sent down to the Minors on May 14 after struggling through the early portion of the season, going 3-2 with a 5.70 ERA in nine appearances. But Leake was recalled Friday afternoon to fill the rotation spot of Edinson Volquez, who was optioned to the Minors on Monday.
"It was mainly my head that I needed to clear out," Leake said. "It was nice that they sent me down just so I could do that."
Leake had struggled in his only two starts with Triple-A Louisville, allowing eight runs in just 7 1/3 total innings. But that all changed Friday against Atlanta, as he surrendered just one run on seven hits with two strikeouts, sending him to his first victory since April 21.
"His whole life he hasn't had any trouble throwing strikes," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "All of a sudden, he was not as aggressive in the strike zone. That's the one thing [I told him to work on]. I said, 'Hey man, throw strikes and put the ball in play. We have one of the best defenses around. These guys will help you out, you don't have to do it all by yourself.'"
His offense gave him support early on, as the Reds -- who had lost eight of their previous nine games -- scored a run in the second, fourth and fifth frames.
"You can either dwell on it and cry about it, or keep going and keep stepping and try to do something about it," Baker said of snapping the losing skid.
Fred Lewis got the Reds on the board in the second on his RBI double to left, plating Scott Rolen, before Paul Janish pushed the lead to 2-0 on a safety squeeze bunt in the fourth.
The play came after Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson sailed a throw over second baseman Dan Uggla's head with Lewis on first, turning a potential double play into runners on the corners with just one out. That set the stage for Janish, who dropped down the perfect bunt to score Lewis from third.
Jay Bruce pushed the lead to 3-0 an inning later on an RBI infield single that scored Brandon Phillips.
That was all Leake needed, as the second-year pro evaded disaster nearly every time trouble began to stir. He walked consecutive batters with two outs in the first but induced Eric Hinske into a flyout to end the inning.
"He struggled a little bit early with the command, but then he found the strike zone," Baker said. "He got a couple of real key double plays. We had enough offense and got some fine defensive plays out there. It just feels good to win."
Two innings later, Leake gave up a two-out single to Martin Prado, but the Braves outfielder was gunned down by Lewis while attempting to stretch the base hit into a double.
"I think it was more just trying to be a little too picky," Leake said. "I wasn't going after them, just trying to be too cute."
The very next frame, Leake put the first two runners on via a walk and a single. But after Hinske flew out, Uggla lined out to Rolen at third and Chipper Jones was doubled off second base.
"That was wonderful. That line drive, I don't know how Brandon saw the ball," Baker said. "He was shielded by a runner, and Scott gave him a quick snap throw outside the line. That was a key double play to get out of that inning."
The Braves' lone run proved to be a break for Leake. After Brian McCann and Hinske laced consecutive one-out base hits, Uggla blasted a ball deep to left-center field, but the ball was caught on the edge of the track, narrowly missing a game-tying homer. Instead, the Braves were forced to settle for a harmless sacrifice fly, which cut the deficit to two runs.
Reds catcher Ramon Hernandez added a two-run homer in the ninth to stretch the lead to 5-1.
Leake departed after the sixth, and the Reds' bullpen -- the most worked relief corps in the National League -- held the Braves scoreless over the final three innings to preserve the win.
"That's about as well as you can scatter nine hits," Jones said. "It seems like both teams had opportunity after opportunity, but nobody delivered the big hit until Hernandez hit the homer in the ninth."
The victory marked Leake's first career win against the Braves, despite the right-hander throwing six innings of one-run ball in his only other start against them last season. That was the game in which the Braves rallied for seven runs in the ninth to defeat the Reds.
Chris Cox is an associate reporter for MLB.com. Follow @ChrisCoxMLB on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-28-2011 01:13 PM
Bailey lands on 15-day DL with shoulder injury
By Chris Cox / MLB.com | 05/27/11 7:37 PM ET
ATLANTA -- The Reds announced Friday that right-hander Homer Bailey was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained posterior capsule in his right shoulder, and Mike Leake was called up to start Friday's series opener against the Braves.
Reds manager Dusty Baker said there is no timetable for Bailey's return.
Placing Bailey on the DL gave the Reds room to call up Leake, who they were already planning to recall in order to fill Edinson Volquez's spot in the rotation. Volquez was demoted to Triple-A on Monday after going 3-2 with a 6.35 ERA in 10 starts.
Bailey flew back to Cincinnati on Thursday after exiting the game against the Phillies with a shoulder spasm, and he received an MRI on Friday morning, which revealed the injury.
He said he felt it on his fourth-inning groundout, and Baker noticed a drop in his velocity in the following inning. Baker said he doesn't normally use the radar gun, but he did in Bailey's final frame because he felt something was wrong. Bailey was consistently in the 90s over the first four innings but didn't hit that mark in the fifth.
Leake, meanwhile, hasn't pitched well since he was optioned to Triple-A Louisville nearly two weeks ago, allowing eight runs in 7 1/3 innings spanning two outings. He is 3-2 with a 5.70 ERA in nine games with the Reds this season.
LeCure feels forearm tightness is improving
ATLANTA -- Reds reliever Sam LeCure said the tightness in his forearm continues to improve, and he believes he could throw if called upon.
"If I've got to pitch, I'm probably going to have to grit my teeth a little bit," LeCure said. "But if they don't think it's going to get any worse, then I have no problem doing that."
LeCure hasn't pitched in the last four games -- including a 19-inning loss to the Phillies on Wednesday -- but believes he could have thrown in either of the Reds' last two contests.
"It's nothing serious, I don't think. I'm gradually testing it every day more and more with the intensity of my throwing program," LeCure said. "I've let them know I've been available over the past couple of days. I know they've been trying to stay away from me, because they understand that I'm a little tight."
LeCure is under the impression that the tightness isn't something serious, because if it was, the Reds would have placed him on the disabled list.
"I feel like it's getting better," LeCure said. "From the reaction from the training staff and stuff, I know they're trying to stay away from me if they can. But I figure if they thought it was going to get worse, then they would have DL'ed me.
"Since they haven't, I feel like they think it's going to calm down sooner rather than later. I'm really not going to know until I test it."
Arroyo not concerned about back stiffness
ATLANTA -- Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo doesn't foresee the back problems he experienced in his last start against the Phillies to be a factor in Saturday's game against the Braves.
Arroyo allowed nine earned runs on 10 hits over 2 2/3 innings on Monday, and team medical director Tim Kremcheck gave him an MRI exam the following day, but the results came back negative for a serious issue.
Arroyo had kept the back stiffness to himself for some time before having the MRI, and he said the issue hasn't necessarily affected him during starts as much as it has after them.
"It wasn't a problem in my last start either," Arroyo said. "It's just been a problem as far as working out in between starts. I got an epidural shot the other day, so I think I'm going to be fine."
Arroyo has struggled of late, and he is 3-5 with a 5.28 ERA in 10 starts this season. He's scheduled to pitch opposite former Red Sox teammate Derek Lowe on Saturday in Atlanta.
Worth noting
• Left-hander Aroldis Chapman made his second rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Thursday, allowing three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks in two innings of work. Chapman hasn't walked a batter in either of his rehab outings. He is scheduled to pitch again on Sunday. He's been on the disabled list since May 16 with left shoulder inflammation.
• Reds relievers led the National League in innings pitched (178 1/3) entering Friday. Their starters on Sunday and Monday (Edinson Volquez and Bronson Arroyo) combined to throw just 5 1/3 innings, while the bullpen pitched 12 2/3 innings in Wednesday's 19-inning loss to the Phillies.
• The Reds are 1-6 on this season-long 10-game road trip. Prior to that, they had produced at least a .500 record on each of the previous three road swings.
Chris Cox is an associate reporter for MLB.com. Follow @ChrisCoxMLB on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - 50Cent - 05-28-2011 05:50 PM
(05-28-2011 11:42 AM)Bearcat04 Wrote: That has to be a joke, right?
Liriano is the LH version of Volquez. He's had major surgery, he doesn't go deep into games, he walks hitters at an alarming rate, and is wildly inconsistent. That's their suggestion to fix the Reds? WOW.
Yeah but I'd take billingsley.
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - ctipton - 05-28-2011 06:10 PM
(05-28-2011 05:50 PM)50Cent Wrote:(05-28-2011 11:42 AM)Bearcat04 Wrote: That has to be a joke, right?
Liriano is the LH version of Volquez. He's had major surgery, he doesn't go deep into games, he walks hitters at an alarming rate, and is wildly inconsistent. That's their suggestion to fix the Reds? WOW.
Yeah but I'd take billingsley.
Quote:Chasing after Chad Billingsley to exploit the Dodgers’ cash crunch might make sense, because the $35 million he’s due from 2012-2014 might look like a bargain relative to market pricing.
I know that we need a number 1, but first I'm not sure Billingsley is a number one and second I really don't think the Reds want to take on that salary. Perhaps, but that would just about be the most they would.
RE: Reds/Braves - Friday/Saturday/Sunday - Bearhawkeye - 05-28-2011 08:57 PM
(05-28-2011 06:10 PM)ctipton Wrote:(05-28-2011 05:50 PM)50Cent Wrote:(05-28-2011 11:42 AM)Bearcat04 Wrote: That has to be a joke, right?
Liriano is the LH version of Volquez. He's had major surgery, he doesn't go deep into games, he walks hitters at an alarming rate, and is wildly inconsistent. That's their suggestion to fix the Reds? WOW.
Yeah but I'd take billingsley.
Quote:Chasing after Chad Billingsley to exploit the Dodgers’ cash crunch might make sense, because the $35 million he’s due from 2012-2014 might look like a bargain relative to market pricing.
I know that we need a number 1, but first I'm not sure Billingsley is a number one and second I really don't think the Reds want to take on that salary. Perhaps, but that would just about be the most they would.
Over the last 2+ years he's 27-26. And don't forget w/r/t to his other stats, he's pitching his home games in a notorious pitcher's park. His ERA+ (which accounts for this) was 99 in '09; 107 in '00; and 97 so far this year. (FYI for the non-sabermatricians: "Average ERA+ is set to be 100; a score above 100 indicates that the pitcher performed better than average, below 100 indicates worse than average.")
Bronson Arroyo over the last 2+ years (not counting today) is 35-28. His ERA+ is 110 in '09; 105 in '10 and 72 so far this year and we know isn't 100%.
Billingsly's contract:
Year Age
2011 26 $6,275,000
2012 27 $9,000,000
2013 28 $11,000,000
2014 29 $12,000,000
2015 30 $14,000,000 $14M Team Option, $3M Buyout
Is he a good young pitcher who I'd like to have? Yeah. Is he a surefire #1 worth both his guaranteed future salary (given our other young talent) and the young talent it would take to trade for him? I'd be VERY leery....
Between injuries and fluky "career years", there are not many pitchers we can all agree are surefire #1's. And those that are are very expensive both to pay ($ and years of commitment) and trade for (talent) . Meanwhile, pretty much every pitcher is a legitimate injury risk.
Teams like the Reds may be able to rent a guy for the stretch run, but it's very difficult to acquire a true #1 for the reasons above.