The wind was blowing out at Wrigley Field and the Cincinnati Reds took full advantage of it as they clubbed the Chicago Cubs 12-7 to avoid the three game sweep.  The bats were swinging well which was a suprise to be honest the way that the players swung the bats that prior two games agains the Cubs.

David Ross had two home runs while five others all had one home run each.  Ken Griffey Jr., Adam Dunn, Brandon Phillips, Edwin Encarnacion, and Joey Votto all went deep.  The offense hit atleast one home run off of every Cubs pitcher that they faced in the game.  Eighteen hits scored 12 runs for the Reds as they had production up and down the lineup.

Bronson Arroyo only lasted five innings as he had some control issues but he pitched well enough to get the win and improve to 7-7.  Arroyo gave up seven hits and five runs including one home run in the game.  Bill Bray, Mike Lincoln, and Jared Burton, Francisco Cordero all pitched one inning each in relief.  Bray gave up two runs but the rest of the guys did a great job.

The Reds will now head up north to Milwaukee and begin a weekend series with the Brewers on Friday.

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Walks to Norris Hopper and Paul Janish, a sacrifice bunt by David Ross, and a sacrifice fly by Jay Bruce manufactured the winning run in the top of the tenth as the Reds bested the Blue Jays 6-5 in extra innings.  Jared Burton picked up his fourth win in relief, and Francisco Cordero notched his 15th save.

Ken Griffey Jr. hit a two-run homer in the top of the first off Jays starter Roy Halliday.  Reds starter Aaron Harang had one bad inning, giving up a pair of two-run shots to Adam Lind and Joe Inglett in the third.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, a better alternative to OPS.

Bronson Arroyo pitched six shutout innings and hit a solo homer, David Ross got Edwin Encarnacion home with a perfectly-executed suicide squeeze, and Brandon Phillips hit a bases-loaded triple to provide the final margin and get reliever Jared Burton his third win of the season.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, an alternative to OPS.

Bronson Arroyo threw batting practice to the Phillies for four and one-third innings, giving up five earned runs on ten hits, suffering his fifth loss of the season.  Kyle Kendrick  wasn’t much better for the Phils, giving up four Reds runs on five hits in five and one-third, but neither bullpen gave up a run the rest of the way, with Brad Lidge closing it out for his 14th save.

Jay Bruce and Edwin Encarnacion hit solo homers for the Reds, and Adam Dunn had a clutch two-out, two-run double to draw the Reds within one, but that was all they would get.  Encarnacion got the Reds out of a bases-loaded jam with a tag-em-out, throw-em-out double play.  Ryan Freel, Brandon Phillips, and David Ross hooked up to nail Chase Utley, who had run through a stop sign, at the plate.  (Freel was in center because Ken Griffey Jr. sat out the game due to soreness.)  It was Utley’s only misstep of the night, however.  He had three hits, including his 21st home run of the year, and made diving catches of two Reds line drives.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, an alternative to OPS.

The Cincinnati Reds knocked out Pittsburgh Pirates starter Tom Gorzelanny in the first inning as they scored six first inning runs and then went on to beat the Pirates by the score of 9-1.

David Ross went 2-4 with a two run home run and four rbi in the game.  Joey Votto had two rbi in the game as well as he continues to swing a good bat.  Jerry Hairston Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., Edwin Encarnacion all had one rbi in the game to help out.

Bronson Arroyo improved to 4-4 on the season as he pitched six innings to pick up the win.  Arroyo was very good as he only gave up three hits and one run in his six innings of action.  Mike Lincoln, David Weathers, and Bill Bray all pitched a scoreless inning of relief behind Arroyo.  Great job by all four pitchers!

We should also mention that Corey Patterson was sent down to Triple A before the game.

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Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Edinson Volquez improved to 6-1 on the season as the Reds beat the Florida Marlins 5-3 on Tuesday night.  Volquez tossed six innings and gave up seven hits and one run in the game.

Jared Burton and David Weathers were the two pitchers out of the bullpen that gave up one run each for the Reds.  It would have been nice to see them pitch as well as Bill Bray and Francisco Cordero did.  Cordero picked up his seventh save of the season in the game.

Joey Votto connected for his eighth home run in the game which was a solo home run in the seventh inning.  Ryan Freel, Jeff Keppinger, Adam Dunn, and David Ross all had one rbi as well in the game.

The Reds will be without Keppinger for quite a while however has he left the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with a fracture left patella.

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The Cincinnati Reds have finalized their 25 man roster for opening day.  Johnny Cueto, Paul Bako,  Mike Lincoln, Kent Mercker, and Corey Patterson all had their contracts purchased by the big league club and made the roster.

David Ross, Alex Gonzalez, and Matt Belisle were all placed on the 15 day disabled list.

Mike Stanton and Jon Coutlangus were designated for assignment.