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Cincinnati Reds: West Coast May Swing Fortunes of the Team

August 17th, 2010

The true test is here. The time to find out if the Cincinnati Reds are playoff material has arrived in the form of a nine-game West Coast pow-wow.
 
Recent history suggests the Reds are screwed. Over the last five seasons, the Reds have a 16-35 (.314) record on the Left Coast.
 
In 2006 they were tied for first before embarking on a 10-game stretch on the West Coast. A 2-8 trip later, they were six games out and the season was essentially finished.
 
The time change will always screw up anybody flying from the East to the West—whether you're playing a sport or filing TPS reports. But it’s not like every team struggles so mightily in the Pacific Time Zone.
 
The good news is that only three players have endured this embarrassing slide. Brandon Phillips, Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang have been through it all.
 
Maybe the young guys have no idea about the poor West Coast play. There is also a greater veteran presence on this Reds team with players like Scott Rolen, Arthur Rhodes, and Orlando Cabrera who have been there before. This is also a team that hasn't lost more than five straight all season, and that was in April.
 
The trip will start in Arizona to play the lowly Diamondbacks. The Reds swept them at Chase Field last season, so that shouldn’t be an issue. Key word is shouldn’t. I’ll predict a series victory, as the Reds win two of three.
 
Then it’s off to Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine, which has treated the Reds like a punching bag. The Reds are an embarrassing 0-12 in the past four years in L.A.
 
Why is that? Are the Reds distracted by the tasty Dodger Dogs? Does the late-arriving crowd divert their attention?

Sure, the Dodgers have been a superior team over the past four years, but it is absurd to say that Brandon Claussen is the last pitcher from the Reds to beat the Dodgers in L.A. It’s a quirky streak that needs to end in 2010.
 
So I will go out on the limb and predict that the Reds will take a game against the fading Dodgers.
 
The trip finishes with a visit to San Francisco. The final game is a 12:35 local start, which will be the ninth game in nine days for the Redlegs. Needless to say I don’t expect a win on get-away day. So let’s say the Reds take one of the three against the Giants.
 
Add it all up and I see a 4-5 trip. Low expectations, eh? Considering the recent history of this team on the road, most fans would be satisfied with that mark. Tread water on the infamous West Coast swing and go home and continue to beat up on the N.L. Central dregs.
 
It’s a major hump the Reds need to leap over, and getting past this stretch, while keeping up the pace with the Cards, will go a long way in the Reds playoff aspirations.

It’s gut check time in Cincinnati as the dog days of summer roll on.

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Posted in Aaron Harang, Baseball, Brandon Phillips, Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati Reds, MLB, NL Central, Opinion

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Cincinnati Reds: The Return of Aaron Harang and Homer Bailey

July 30th, 2010

Assuming the Reds do not trade away any of their pitchers, the impending return of Aaron Harang and Homer Bailey to the team poses an interesting problem. If they come back healthy, what do the Reds do with them?

A few years ago, this wouldn’t have been an issue. The Reds didn’t really have too many viable options because none of their prospects were really ready. So necessity would have dictated that they immediately return to the rotation. That’s not the case anymore. Now the Reds have a group of young, talented guns who are able to step up, and they have proven, thus far, that that are ready to stay in the rotation.

You also have to take into account that Harang’s numbers have been more indicative of a No. 3 or No. 4 starter than that of an ace for the last two-and-a-half seasons or so.

And even though Bailey had a very nice second half last season, in the 50 innings he pitched this year before going on the disabled list, he was simply awful, giving up 41 walks and posting an ERA of 5.51.

So, what should the Reds do? We already know they want to keep Mike Leake’s innings to a restricted number, and Edinson Volquez, while not sharp at all his last two outings, did flash some brilliance in his first start upon his return. Bronson Arroyo has been steady and dependable, Johnny Cueto is having a fantastic year, and both Travis Wood and Leake have been doing a fine job as well.

I’m hoping Volquez returns to form, and if that happens, perhaps Harang takes a spot start from Leake and we re-evaluate.

But where does that leave Bailey? Maybe the better question should be: Which two Reds starters are best capable of going from starter to bullpen?

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Posted in Aaron Harang, Baseball, Cincinnati Reds, MLB, NL Central, National League, Pitching Rotation, homer bailey

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Cincinnati Reds Turn Series Around To Beat San Francisco Giants, 6-3

June 10th, 2010

The Cincinnati Reds were able to turn around their four-game series against the San Francisco Giants Wednesday night with a 6-3 win.

So, after losing twice to the Giants earlier in the week, what changed in this game that allowed the Reds to win?

For starters, the Reds did a much better job manufacturing runs. That’s the obvious difference shown by the final score. The six runs they scored were the most they've tallied in a game thus far in the series.

The Reds also did a better job of batting, and giving themselves an opportunity to score the runs they did.

This includes Drew Stubbs' home run in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Jonny Gomes' hit that scored two runs for the Reds in the seventh.

In addition to batting well, the Reds also received an amazing pitching performance out of starter Aaron Harang.

Harang tossed seven strong innings and fanned three. His solid pitching helped the Reds prevent the Giants from scoring more than their three runs.

On top of batting and pitching well, the Reds also did a decent job on defense. This stellar teamwork contributed to the Reds' success.

One of the stronger infielders for the Reds was shortstop Orlando Cabrera. He played error-free ball, and had several song throws to the bases.

The Reds have had a rough start to the four-game series against the Giants.

If they play today's final game against the Giants they way they played Wednesday night, they have a good shot at coming away with the series split.

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Posted in Aaron Harang, Cincinnati Reds, MLB, MLB History, Opinion, jonny gomes, orlando cabrera

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Five Roster Moves the Reds Should Consider to Stay in First Place

May 19th, 2010
With the Reds in first place of the NL Central near the end of May, hope is back in Cincy. The only problem is that the Reds may be playing the best baseball they've played in years, but they are not the most complete team in the division. These 5 roster moves, in my opinion, are needed to make the Redlegs a better team. By trading away, trading for, or moving certain players into different spots, it would make the team better defensively, offensively, and chemistry wise. Otherwise known as....a complete team. Enjoy!

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Posted in Aaron Harang, Brandon Phillips, Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati Reds, MLB, Opinion

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Cincinnati Reds Starting Pitchers: Getting It Done—Really Done

May 19th, 2010

Entering the 2010 baseball season, the Cincinnati Reds and their fans had lofty expectation for the starting staff. Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, Aaron Harang, and Mike Leake have gone way above and beyond those expectations since, on April 24, manager Dusty Baker went "Bull Durham" on the entire team.

Yesterday Craig Simpson wrote an article titled, "Dusty Baker Goes Bull Durham, Cincinnati Reds Respond."  Simpson explained that Baker chastised his team for it's lackadaisical play.

The old curiosity peaked and an investigation was in order.  

Knowing that the starters were pitching better than they were at the beginning of their dismal excuse for a season, a team of experts was sent to delve deeper.

The findings are mind blowing.

Collectively, over the last 21 games, the starters are 12-3, with an ERA of 3.11, and a 1.11 WHIP.

The "quality start" stat used to be looked at as a joke. In recent years, it has become a pretty decent indicator of a staff's success, or lack thereof. In their last 21 games Reds' starters have amassed 15 quality starts. Boys and girls, that's a 71 percent clip.

From April 25 until yesterday, May 18, their ERA has dropped almost two full points—from 6.49 to a 4.55 spot.

Before the meeting only one starter, Leake, had an ERA under four.

Small sample sizes, yes. Bailey is the only guy with five starts—all others have four. 

However, since the meeting Arroyo's ERA has dropped 2.65 points, Bailey's 2.26 points, Cueto is down from 5.33 to 3.67 (a difference of 1.66 points), Harang has seen his dip 2.29 points, and even Leake now sports a 3.09 ERA, 0.83 points better than before. 

WHIPs since Dusty went Durham: Cueto 0.88, Leake 0.92, Arroyo 1.14, Bailey 1.16, with his 1.37 WHIP, Harang is looking like the chump of the bunch. But his ERA during the run is 4.01—very respectable. 

The Reds have played 12 home games and nine away. 

Great American Ball Park is a notorious home run stadium—that's putting it kindly.

During the three-plus week stretch the staff is letting only 1.03 balls leave the yard per nine innings.

The numbers go on-and-on: a 7.6 K/9 ratio, while allowing only 2.27 batters to reach via walk per nine. 

How are they doing it?

Throw strikes, baby...Throw strikes! Getting ahead in counts while making hitters work down in the count allows the starter to work deeper into the ballgames.

In 19 of the last 21 games, the starting pitcher has thrown at least six full. Just once during the span has a starter been removed before completing five innings, and only once more before the pitching six full.  

So Dusty must be abusing his starters again, right? Nope. Well, maybe.

Twice Baker has allowed a starter to throw more than 120 pitches. Both Bailey and Harang threw 121 in a start.

Cueto has thrown 113 and 118—that may be a bit distressing. He also needed 102 in his complete game, one-hit shutout. 

Rubber-armed Arroyo has pitched 100-plus (never hitting 110) in three of his four starts. 

Rookie sensation, Mike Leake, has been allowed over the 100-mark in just one of his last four starts.

Besides Dusty's Durham speech, much of the credit must be given to first-year pitching coach, Bryan Price. 

Price has twice been named the Major League's Pitching Coach of the Year—once with Seattle by USA Today Baseball Weekly, and again in Arizona by Baseball America.

No doubt, it has been a promising three-week run for the Cincy starters. 

One that has The Queen City and it's surrounding regions all ready buzzing with a long forgotten playoff vibe. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati Reds, Johnny Cueto, MLB, Mike Leake, NL Central, Opinion, homer bailey

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