First off, let me apologize for not posting anything for about a week and a half. My life has been pretty crazy, however, I’ve still manage to catch every reds game. As you know the Reds are looking pretty decent, besides their hitting, oh and Volquez and Lincoln.

Taking 2 out of 3 against Houston was great but man… taking 3 out of 4 from the Cubs was even better! I sure do hate the cubs and watching Votto tear them up was just so sweet to watch. Every Reds fan knows they aren’t hitting right now and every fan knows that Volquez is struggling (walking 5 straight batters in one game… JESUS) but some fans might not know the unfamilar facts and stats that are listed below:

1. Is Chris Dickerson a strike out machine or what?! What happened to the old Dickerson from last year… apparently he went away. 16 SO in 42 AB… GOOD GOD MAN!

2. Does AGon look smooth at short or what?! Man, he sure has been playing really good D lately. I forgot how nasty he once was. Although he is still struggling, he does have a hit in each of his last 5 games.

 3. Ramon Hernandez has played much much better lately… bringing his average up to .255. He has had two hits in each of his last three games.

4. Jay Bruce has brought his average up to .286 with 34 total bases. If he can lower his strike outs, he would be much much more consistent.

5. I made this bold because Mike Lincoln is the most frustrating player on the entire Reds team. The guy has pitched 7.1 innings and given up 12 ER!! That is TERRRRRRRIBLE. He has a 14.73 ERA and has walked 9 batters. He has WALKED more batters than IP! WOW. What is the world is he doing on this team?!? I hate hearing over and over from the announcers that he did great last year and hadn’t pitched in 3 years blah blah blah. I don’t care if he didn’t pitch for 3 years or 10 years.. ending the year with a 4.48 ERA doesn’t mean you “great” and “spectacular”.

You hear it folks, the reds actually one a series on the road against a division oppennant. If you have been a reds fan for more than five years, you can contest that a win on the road against a division oppenenant is normally hard to do for the reds. Of course I would of loved a sweep but I knew, going into the third game, that the chance of us winning were pretty slim. Owings hadn’t pitched in two weeks and Looper always pitches well against the Reds.

Some positives about the series:

1. Bronson Arroyo- Dude looked NOTHING like his previous start as he went 6 1/3 giving up only 1 ER and 4 hits. I know the Brewers have a lineup dominated by right handed hitters but if Bronson can do half as good as he did this series the rest of the season it would really help out the reds.

2. Willy T- He went 3-10 in the series with 2 walks and 0 SO. Also, he scored 3 runs and stole 2 bases.

3. A Gon- ALthough I probably shouldn’t include him in the positive categories, I decided to due to the fact that he FINALLY got a hit! Also, he played some superb defense in the series.

4. Edwin Encarnacion- Is this guy clutch or what?! I know he only got one hit in the series but it was a big one- a grand slam. However, he made a bad throwing error at third… hopefully it won’t continue.

Sone Negatives about the series:

1. Edinson Volquez- He looked AWFUL. He gave up 6ER in only 5 IP and also walked 4. Volquez needs to step it up big time.

2. Jay Bruce- Although he hit a home run in the second game, that was his ONLY hit in the entire series. He struck out 4 times and looks completly lost at the plate. Give the man a day off…. PLEASE.

3. Jaret Burton- I hate to put him on the negatives list cuz I like the guy alot but he he single handly blow the game for us on Wednesday or what?! Giving up 4 ERA in 1 inning.

PS Congrats to Mike Lincon from lowering his ERA from 34.71 to 24.30. It’s a big step.

Yesterday, the reds completed their fifth game of the season. Winning 1 out of 3 against the Mets isnt too bad and was what I expected. The mets have one of the highest payrolls in all of baseball, and competing very well in each game says alot about this ball club. Splitting the game with the Pirates was ok as well, considering we had to face Paul Maholhm. A lefty and a damn good one at that. Below I listed some positives and negatives from these two series:

Positives:

1. Aaron Harang- Good Lord! This guy looks nothing like last year. Pitching that complete game, 0er and only 3 hits was an AWESOME thing to see. His line of 14IP, 10 Hits, 3BB, 11SO, and a 0.64 ERA is impresive.

2. Joey Votto- Hard to put this guy second. He has been hitting the SHIT out of the ball. Hitting .400 with 7 RBI and 2 HR!

3. Brandon Phillips- Hitting .357 with 4RBI’s and 5 BB

4. Edwin Encarnacion- Although his average isn’t up to par, he does have 7 walks- the most on the team. Is this the year he has better plate discipline and turns into the player we have been wanting??

Negatives

1. Jay Bruce- hitting .200 with 5SO and only 1BB

2. Ramon Hernandez/Jerry Hairston/Alex Gonzalez- hitting a combined 2 for 29. They all look lost at the plate and swing and very bad pitches. Alex Gonzalez is still waiting to get his first hit of the year. It’s hard to watch these three.

3. Mike Lincoln- 34.71 ERA– IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE!?? 2.1 IP with 9 ER. That is NOT GOOD.

So whats more important for you.. Celebrating Valentines day with your loved one or Celebrating that the Reds pitchers and catchers reported today?? Following a physical, pitchers and catchers will report on the field at 1:30 today. 29 pitchers are reporting and 8 catchers.

Aaron Harang, Fransico Cordero, Bill Bray, Jay Bruce, and Chris Dickerson came to came early. They got their before the weekend. I appreciate that. Especially from veterans like Aaron Harang and Fransico Cordero.

I’m really hoping for Micah Owings for that 5th starting spot. Hopefully he will be healthy and pitch well enough to earn the 5th spot. Besides Owings, we don’t really have a dependable 5th starter.. Malony is a couple years away and who knows with Homer!

Wow what an exciting ending to the game on Monday night! The Cincinnati Reds scored three runs off of Saloman Torres of the Milwaukee Brewers to come back and win by the score of 5-4. Talk about not quitting in the game when the Brewers are scratching for every victory they can come up with. The Reds stole one on Monday night that is for sure!

In the ninth inning with the bases loaded, Corey Patterson reached on an infield single and Jay Bruce scored to make the score 4-2. With the bases still loaded, Jeff Keppinger then doubled to deep left field to score Wilkin Castillo and Chris Dickerson. The Reds also picked up a huge win in the eighth inning when Joey Votto hit a solo home run. That hit gave the Reds a little energy and I feel it really helped them out in the ninth inning. Castillo had the first Reds rbi in the second inning on a single that scored Bruce.

Reds starting pitcher Edinson Volquez lasted just 5 2/3 innings. He gave up five hits and four runs while getting the no decision. Jared Burton earned the victory as he pitched the bottom of the eight inning. Francisco Cordero grabbed his 28th save of the year by closing out the game in the ninth inning.

Great come from behind win for the Reds! Let’s see if the momentum carries over into the game on Tuesday night as they look to take another game from the slumping Brewers.

Reds Baseball Blog

The Cincinnati Reds scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as they came from behind to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-6. The Reds avoided a three game sweep by winning on Thursday afternoon. It was awesome to see the team come from behind and pick up the victory.

Jeff Keppinger and Joey Votto both had big days for the Reds at the plate as they both finished with two rbi. Votto had a solo home run to count for one of his rbi’s. Jay Bruce also had a solo home run in the game as he finished with one rbi. Edwin Encarnacion and Brandon Phillips both finished the game with one rbi as well. Votto and Encarnacion both had hugh hits in the bottom of the eighth inning to score two runs.

Nick Masset ended up with the victory after throwing two innings in relief. Reds starting pitcher Josh Fogg pitched the first three games of the game before leaving with a groin injury. Fogg had been roughed up for four hits and five runs as he put the Reds in a big hole. He was lucky not to be charged with the loss. Francisco Cordero picked up his 27th save of the season in the ninth inning.

Reds Baseball Blog

The Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros finished up a three game series on Thursday afternoon and it was the Astros coming out on top by the score of 3-2. With the one run loss, the Reds dropped two out of three games down in Houston and dropped their season record to 58-76 but not like it matters at this point in the season.

Aaron Harang tool the loss and is now 4-14 on the year. He didn’t throw the ball that badly as he did pitch seven innings. Harang gave up seven hits and three runs and the Reds offense wasn’t there to back him up.

At the plate, Jay Bruce had a rbi triple in the seventh inning and then Corey Patterson knocked him in with a rbi single. Those were the only two runs the Reds would get on the day as they struggled at the plate and struckout ten times.

Reds Baseball Blog

The Cincinnati Reds hit two solo home runs but ran into Carlos Zambrano and they lose by the score of 3-2. The Reds just couldn’t get much going against Zambrano even though they out hit the Cubs 7-6 at the plate. Six strikouts and 19 runners on base didn’t help the cause.

Jay Bruce and Joey Votto were the players to hit the solo home runs. Bruce hit his off Zambrano while Votto went deep off of Cubs reliver Carlos Marmol.

On the mound it was Josh Fogg who gave up four hits and three runs in only four inning. Fogg took the loss and is now 2-6 on the year. Nick Masset and Mike Lincoln both pitched two innings of relief after Fogg left the game and both did a very good job.

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The Cincinnati Reds were ahead 4-3 heading into the 9th inning however Reds closer Francisco Cordero gave up three runs in the top of the inning and the Reds lost 6-4 against the San Diego Padres.  It sucked to see the Reds lose the game like the did.  Especially because the Padres came into the game with a six game losing streak.

Cordero first allowed a run on a groundout to Brain Giles.  Kevin Kouzmanoff then hit a two run double that scored the final two runs of the game off Cordero.  Cordero is now 4-3 on the season after taking the loss on Monday night.  Homer Bailey was going for his first win of the season but instead went home with a no decision.  Bailey tossed 6 1/3 innings while giving up eight hits and three runs. He allowed one home run in the 7th inning but really settled down between the 2nd-6th innings.

Ken Griffey Jr. led the Reds with a two run home run and two runs batted in.  Edwin Encarnacion was right behind Griffey with a solo home run and one rbi.  Jay Bruce had a rbi double as well to help out.  It should have been enough but it wasn’t with the Cordero blown save.

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The Cincinnati Reds hit three home runs and score five runs but they still lost to the hot hitting Pittsburgh Pirates by the score of 9-5 on Wednesday night.  Jay Bruce hit two home runs and finished the game with four rbi while Adam Dunn connected on a solo home run to chip in with one rbi, but it wasn’t close to be enough to win the game for the Reds.

The Pirates jumped all over starting pitcher Daryl Thompson for eight hits and seven runs in only 4 1/3 innings.  Thompson gave up two home runs and took the loss to fall to 0-2.  Jeremy Affeldt and Bill Bray both gave up one run in their relief appearances.  Not a good day to be a Reds pitcher…

Hopefully the Reds will have better luck on Thursday as they begin a series with the Washington Nationals.

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