Loading ...Another afternoon game today, this one in Wrigley against the Fuzzy Cubbies. Bronson Arroyo takes to the hill for the second time, but more importantly, he gets to step back into the batters box against Glendon Rusch, who struggled last time out.
Womack or Freel at the top of the order? I can’t wait to find out. I also can’t wait to find out what GM Wayne Krivsky is going to do to settle the second base situation.
Here’s a game thread to discuss all these pressing issues. Enjoy!
Please let it be Freel! But I haven’t seen the lineup yet.
Just found the lineup: Freel is leading off!
Reds:
Freel 2B
Lopez SS
Griffey CF
Aurilia 1B
Dunn LF
Encarnacion 3B
Kearns RF
Ross C
Arroyo P
Cubs:
Pierre CF
Walker 2B
Lee 1B
Ramirez 3B
Barrett C
Jones RF
Murton LF
Cedeno SS
Rusch P
Homer for Junior!
This platoon with Freel and Womack is ridiculous (alcohol problems notwithstanding).
L R
Freel 284/401/425 277/363/369
Womack 258/313/309 278/318/371
Freel clearly should start against Lefties AND Righties. Unless you think walks are totally useless (and Narron supposedly does not because he claims OPB is the most important thing to determine the leadoff batter) They are exactly the same EXCEPT that Freel will be on base a whole lot more – leading to more runs scoring opportunities and more sb. Someone do us a favor and strain Womack’s hammie.
Plus, doesn’t Freel have a much better stolen base percentage than Womack? So he’s more efficient on the basepaths.
let’s hope Arroyo keeps the ball down all day. three groundouts on a day when the wind is blowing out at wrigley is a good early sign.
Yes, it is.
Dunner!
SHHHH:!:
I’m listening to the game at work! 2-0!!
Bat Arroyo 4th!!!
He’s got more dingers than Wily Mo! Great trade by Krivsky!:lol:
Oh my goodness, I can’t believe that he homered again!
Bronson Arroyo: two games, two homers
WIly Mo Pena: two games, no homers
Dunn!!!
4-0!
4 Solo HRs
Wow, this team is never boring.
Dunn is locked in. Two homers.
By the way, is anyone missing Wily Mo now?
I predict Griffey will hit another one, just because he doesn’t want to be tied with Arroyo.
Dunn es bueno!
Es muy macho!
Gage,
Not a bold statement. I predict Griffey will hit another one someday, too.
Or do you mean in this game?
If by boring you mean exciting one minute, and can give you a heart attack another, then you hit the nail on the head!
The wind is blowing out at Wrigley!
Nice pitching performance thus far by Arroyo. A little over ten pitches an inning. Could we possibly see a complete game today?
Arroyo is looking pretty good. Amazing how few walks the rotation has give up this year.
If Arroyo goes the distance, he also deserves a save for saving us from having to watch this pen.
The fifth inning may have cost Arroyo the CG unless he can get real efficient over the remaining innings.
There are men on base!! Can Dunner hit one out now!!
Does Dunn understand that he has the green light on a 3-0 count??
EE!! Go for the SLAM!!!
I can’t believe it!!!!!
Holy Crap!! Go Reds!!!
Man!!! This is WILD!!
JIm, how do you know he has the green light at 3-0?
Kinda takes the pressure off Arroyo, don’t it?
Why wouldn’t a guy like Dunn have the green light with a 3-0 count?
Who knows? But you’re thinking he should doesn’t mean he does… I have no problem with him taking a 3-0 pitch he doesn’t like.
Maybe it will help Arroyo get the complete game since he is going to pretty much throw strikes. The trouble is that this wind can work both ways.
I don’t have a problem with him taking a bad pitch either. The fact that it was a strike indicates it must not have been that bad. Yes, it could have been in a zone that is not his favorite, and yes, it may not have been the fastball that one would expect on a 3-0 count. I do know that most power hitters have the green light in that kind of a situation.
Keep it up, Reds! I have to go to a meeting.
About Dunn hitting 3-0.
There was an article in the Enquirer, I think, the other day in which Aurilia talked about hitting a HR on a 3-0 count. He mentioned in that article that Dunn and Griffey have the green light on 3-0 always.
Way to go, Reds!
What a start by Arroyo. Fantastic.
With the Reds hitting, it looks like Bronson is on his way to a 20 win season!
Even if you have the green light, you don’t swing 3-0 unless it’s both the pitch and location you’re looking for.
To answer Joe Bear’s question, Tom Glavine (1991 and 1998) is the only player to win both the Cy Young and Silver Slugger in the same year. Three other guys (Gooden, Fernando, and Hershiser won both awards at different times in their careers).
I hate the Reds’ bullpen. Hitting, as usual takes a back seat to no one in the National League. Defense is middle of the road. Starting pitching has been suprisingly good.
The bullpen, not the middle infield is going to be the downfall of this club. Note to Wayne, keep looking for arms, because about 4-5 of the ones you have are not going to be good enough.
Yeah, it’s going to be the bullpen that will sink this club. We were spoiled; for years, the Reds had an excellent bullpen.
I guess we thought that would last forever. If we had a bullpen like the old Scott Sullivan, Scott Williamson, Gabe White pens, this team would be tough to beat.
Paul Wilson pitched in a spring training game today. Not sure how far away he is from returning, but I’ve always thought he’d be a good option in the bullpen.
Wilson and Shackleford instead of White and Hammond would be a nice upgrade without even making a trade.
Good call, Greg D. Wilson would be a nice option if he didn’t have to pitch six innings.
Those two would be an immediate upgrade…and if Ryan Wagner could get straightened out, this team is a contender.
Didn’t get to see the game today. Sounds like the Reds were mashing and Arroyo was slinging it. Wish I could have been there in Chi-town.
Rock’n Roll Arroyo is 1/10 the way to 20 wins! Keep it up!!
Wilson might be a good setup man. It seems over the past couple of years that he was fine the first couple of times he went through a line-up. It was that third time that usually did him in.
I hope Soto has success getting Wagner’s mental state where it needs to be.
I wonder if Wilson’s shoulder would let him get loose quickly enough, and often enough to work out of the pen. Might be worth a shot.
Not related to anything, but here’s an idea I’ve had for a couple years, free of charge to the Reds:
- Before releasing any position player in the system (unless it’s for attitude reasons or something), offer him a tryout as a pitcher. Why not? Several good pitchers, like Trevor Hoffman, started out as failed position prospects. I bet you could find one or two guys a year who might be worthwhile, and what’s the cost? Twenty minutes of the pitching coach’s time and an extra week’s salary at the class A level?
- Along those same lines, before releasing any pitcher, teach him the knuckleball and give him a shot.
Chris, there’s a guy like this at Dayton now. German Melendez, converted catcher. Thus far, this particular experiment isn’t a raging success, but it’s early.
It would probably fail 95% of the time, but even then, if you’re releasing 20 guys a year, that’s one free pitcher every year. Why not?