Loading ...So long, May. We won’t miss you.
The Reds close out a particularly tough month tonight, and they can end it on a high note if Bronson Arroyo can keep the modest three-game winning streak alive. The Reds will face Woody Williams for the third time this season, and if they can put up 6 runs on him like they did in the first meeting, I’ll be fine with that.
I wanted to toss a couple of links at you before the game starts. I hadn’t had a chance to link these, so I thought I’d throw them in here and give you something to read while waiting for the game…or while waiting for the Reds to score:
–As Bill mentioned in a comment below, our friend Doug from Reds Minor Leagues has a nice rundown on what’s happening with the VSL Reds.
–Shawn Weaver — also a friend of Redleg Nation — looks at the Reds at the one-third mark of the 2007 season. It’s not entirely pretty, I must warn you.
–Ryan Freel’s dad says that Ryan has been wild since he was three years old. Raise your hand if you are surprised at this breaking news. I love this part, though:
Freel’s father recalls when Ryan was 3 years old, “And he heard Hank Aaron was in town (Jacksonville, Fla.), he was so excited he ran into the street and got hit in the head by a car.
“Later that year he climbed atop the workbench in my garage and yelled, ‘Look, Daddy, I can fly.’ He dove and hit his head on the concrete floor and was unconscious when I took him to the hospital,” said Freel’s father.
This guy was born to be a Cincinnati Red.
–Who needs a bullpen?, asks C. Trent.
–One more time: please make arrangements to support the Reds blood drive.
–Sports Illustrated has taken a road trip to my alma mater. I know it has nothing to do with the Reds, but it’s a good read and it’s my blog, so please indulge me. 
–And finally, just because I want to post it, below the fold is our good buddy Mr. Redlegs, making an appearance in the game thread to bring us luck:
I love Photoshop.
that Mr. Redlegs is kinda terrifying
Freel got excited about Hank Aaron….and ran into the street. That’s just awesome. I said yesterday he reminds me of a cartoon character. Today he reminds me of my dog.
Mr. Redlegs does look kinda ominous, doesn’t he?
Freel does sound strangely like a puppy in that story. Awesome.
Woody’s mowing ‘em down…
Junior singles up the middle. BP up now.
3 K’s in the first for the Reds…
Not a good way to start against a 1-7 pitcher.
Woody strikes out the side, with only a Junior single mixed in. All those Ks, and Adam Dunn didn’t even bat in the inning!
1-7? He looked like Randy Johnson that inning.
wow, that’s freaking humiliating. All we ever hear about is how bad the reds are against lefties. well boys, here’s a terrible old righty with a ERA near 6. and he k’s the side, 2 looking.
Okay, Bronson has had two rough starts (one of which I saw in person). Hope he has it together tonight.
One away very quickly.
Welcome to Reds baseball, al!
Quick inning. Nice work, Bronson.
And he didn’t waste a bunch of pitches striking out everyone like Woody did.
Even though our team is (currently) in last in the NL Central…I sure am glad I’m not an Astro fan…I think the ’stros are probably more frustrating than the Reds to watch day in and day out!
Yeah, you’re probably right, Ceeker.
Let it be noted for posterity that Adam Dunn is the only Red to make an out tonight who didn’t strike out.
Ouch that hurts!
On the other hand, in a division this bad, we’re the team who still trails the Astros in the standings despite Houston’s ten game losing streak.
Gonzo takes strike three. Dunn is still the exception.
…and the streak continues…
Double by EE!
Ed E with a hit…
Nice job by Edwin; double down the line.
My three favorite hitters — Dunn, Junior, EE — are the only ones not to strike out.
Can Arroyo help himself now?
Ross walks. Arroyo is up.
5 strikeouts for Williams…after two innings. Sheesh.
Nope. Another K.
Woody is making it look easy.
Arroyo isn’t doing so bad himself.
In the first when Griffey singled, one of the TV broadcasters commented that he lined the “hanging breaking ball” for a single. Question. Has any batter in the history of baseball ever successfully hit a breaking ball that wasn’t hanging? I don’t ever recall and announcer saying otherwise. I think it’s just assumed if you are able to hit a breaking ball it must have hung.
Good call, Tom.
Pence breaks up the no-hitter
Hunter Pence rips one into the gap for a double.
Why hasn’t Superman Norris Hopper already scored about ten runs for us tonight? He’s the best player ever. Much better than Dunn.
Why does it always crack me up when someone says “There goes the no-hitter” in the first or second inning?
Maybe we could trade our left and right fielders to the Nationals for some more relievers…Just let hopper patrol the whole outfield.
Do any catchers still use the old-style mask, with a helmet? Or have they all gone to the hockey goalie style?
well, the no-hitters gotta go sometime right?
Hopper could patrol the outfield, play a reasonable shortstop, and pitch. At the same time.
He’s a latter-day Bill Brasky.
I’ve seen someone using the old mask, but I can’t remember who. Maybe LaRue?
Moeller uses the old school one I think…because he hasn’t been good since the new masks came into voque
Oh no. There’s been a Bill Brasky sighting.
Yes! Hopper is leading off this inning!
Arroyo gets out of the “jam”
Moeller wasn’t good when the old masks were in vogue.
Hopper’s tears can cure cancer. Too bad he’s never cried.
And he just got a thirty-foot single.
Hopper can do it all.
I’ve been critical of Krivsky and Narron, but I have to give them credit on Hatteberg. He’s been much better than I expected, and Narron has used him well — hiding his weaknesses.
True, but he hit for the cycle once!
As for Hopper, between him and Hamilton “the Natural”…we don’t need any other players!
Hopper gunned down.
…and another K. Ugh
Boy, we’re looking bad offensively tonight. Close games scare me with this bullpen.
And Arroyo has had some bad luck with the bullpen this year.
Triple for Ausmus? Really?
Hopper almost got him… Triple to start the inning isn’t good though.
Hopper’s tears can only cure cancer when he’s batting lead off.
Stupid Biggio and his almost 3000 hits.
Arroyo’s falling apart again.
Arroyo just doesn’t have it lately.
It’s official, just heard, Carlos got a hanger too.
Don’t make the first or third out at third base, Hunter.
Pence tries to pick on Dunn’s lack of hustle… Doesn’t pay off for him (luckily)
Another K!
7 total
Game’s over. We were due to lose one.
8 k’s. This team (the Reds) is pathetic.
8 K’s!
Woody Williams = Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Kerry Wood
Where do they get the questions/answers for the Aflac question on FSN?
They need to do some more research! Jr. was also on Fresh Prince and Johnny Bench was on Yes, Dear!
Does Bronson have an injury we don’t know about? He just has not been sharp as of late.
He hasn’t been sharp since the lost to San Diego when he tried to go the distance.
and we are on the board
Good AB Phillips despite that swing on the 0-1 pitch.
C’mon Dunn!
Rick White warming up!
And suddenly I feel like we can win this game!
Time to bash Dunn.. there goes Marty
4-2! Dunn RBI double
halllllllllelujah.
Williams has 112 pitches in 4 2/3 innings
I just want to mention that Chris is scaring me with his sitcom knowledge.
I like Biggio, a lot, but I’m getting tired of him.
Narron is gonna let Bronson go for a complete game
He just isnt going to get out of this
Ya know, if I’m the Reds, and I see Lance Berkman or Bill Hall coming to the plate, I walk him, no questions.
I mean, 39 career homers? Haven’t they gotten the point yet? Haven’t they gotten the scouting report yet?
Berkman has 39 against the Reds, 27 against the Cards, and 23 against the Cubs. No other team is even close.
Haven’t Reds pitchers seen enough?
Seems like Hopper gets down 0-2 in every at-bat.
But Hopper is 2-4 tonight
Bases are loaded for Jr.
Yeah – that’s what’s crazy. The last several games Hopper has been consistently down in the count, but inevitably singles on 0-2 or 1-2 pitches. The infield hits help.
Convenient injury for White? Which would enable Miller to get a lot more warm-up time.
“I diagnose this man with an inability to get outs.”
Wow. 3-0 on Griffey with the sacks full.
Loaded with no runs
Reds specialize in leaving the bases loaded. How many times is that over the past week?
…and the Pillsbury Doughboy gets the All-Century guy to fly out harmlessly with the bases loaded…
Poor jump by the RF.
Just tuning in after some horrific attempts at home improvement.
It’s time to be worried about Arroyo, right?
well, I’m out all. This sucks. Arroyo must be hurting or something… He can’t be that bad without some reason I hope.
Arroyo’s three straight disastrous starts have followed three straight starts where his pitchcount was quite elevated, including that one game where he threw something like 45 pitches in his final inning of work.
Brantley says that he thinks his breaking stuff isn’t quite as sharp, indicated by the recent paucity of strikeouts.
Arroyo started the bottom of the 9th in SD having thrown 109 pitches. He threw 20 more (and a wild throw to Freel) in the 9th.
Dewayne Wise up there hacking away…
Marty was busy dumping on Salmon and Burton a minute ago (“You’ve got two kids down there that you can only bring in if you’re 6 runs up or 6 runs down”) and yet…Stanton Stanton Stanton. Asked to get one out, instead gives up RBI hits to Luke Scott (.226) and Adam Everett (.213) . . . how much longer can this go on? And if you said “two years,” wrong answer.
Arroyo’s first six starts he tossed between 95 and 108 pitches. In starts 7-9 he threw 120, 117, and 129 pitches respectively. Starts 10-12 he’s given up 6, 6, and 8 runs in start where he lasted 2, 4, and 5 innings. He says his arm is fine. Guess we’ll see how he fares in the next one.
Encarnación 4-4. That’s a positive.
That Arroyo start I was thinking of was #7 against Colorado, with 44 pitches in the sixth inning before Saarloos got called on to get the third out.
Stanton’s a pretty simple explanation: Krivsky gave him that contract, so cutting him loose is admitting he screwed up. Burton’s his pickup too, and there’s no way Krivsky will cut him loose because he has a “live arm” or some such. Salmon…well, who knows anymore.
DA, if that’s what Marty was saying – he’s full of it. The only reason those guys “can’t” be used in closer situations is b/c Jerry Narron says so. But since Jerry Narron is the guy who says that Mike Stanton can be used in close games, I’m not going to take his word for it.