Finally something to blog about here on the blog! On Tuesday, the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles worked out a four player trade. Ryan Freel and two minor league infieldrs will be going to the Orioles and the Reds will be getting catcher Ramon Hernandez.

The two minor league players are Justin Turner and Brandon Waring.

As part of the deal, Baltimore will give Cincinnati cash to offset part of Hernandez’s contract. He is owed $8.5 million next year.

I personally do not like this deal for the Reds. Freel is a nice player to have in the outfield and he gives it his all on every play. The risk of injury is always there, and I expect that played into the decision a little bit.

What are your thoughts?

Edinson Volquez got his eighth win of the season, giving up only two hits while striking out eight through seven innings.  Joey Votto broke up a Brett Myers no-hit bid in the seventh, and drove in both Reds runs with a pair of run-scoring doubles.  Brandon Phillips stole two bases, one of them standing up after being picked off first, and scored both Reds runs.  Phillips and Votto also made a pair of nice defensive plays.  Francisco Cordero pitched the final inning and a third to record his twelfth save of the year.

Ken Griffey Jr. was out of the lineup for the third consecutive game with a sore knee.  Corey Patterson, who was called up before the game when Ryan Freel was placed on the 15-day DL, was in the lineup instead.

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

Phillies right-hander Adam Eaton frustrated Reds hitters for six and two-thirds innings, Chase Utley drove in yet another run, Pat Burrell hit his 14th homer of the year, and Brad Lidge earned his 15th save as the Phillies beat the Reds for the second night in a row, 3-2.

Aaron Harang pitched credibly for the Reds but was once again the victim of poor run support.  Edwin Encarnacion appeared to have finally hit his way out of his extended slump, hitting a solo homer and a triple, and scoring both Reds runs.  Ryan Freel singled, stole a base, made a run-saving catch, threw a bat into the crowd, and suffered a hamstring injury.  Diminutive screw-balling lefty Danny Herrera made an impressive debut for the Reds, striking out Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell with the bases loaded.  Herrera was called up before the game, when Kent Mercker was moved from the 15-day to the 60-day DL.

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.

Jay Bruce hit his first major-league home run, a solo shot off Manny Acosta in the bottom of the tenth, to give the Reds a thrilling come-from-behind extra-inning victory over the Atlanta Braves, who are now 0 and 20 in their last twenty one-run decisions.  They were almost 1 and 19.  It took a daring play by pinch-runner Ryan Freel, who dashed home from third on a tapper back to the mound in the bottom of the ninth, to send the game to extra innings.  Pitcher Rafael Soriano fielded the ball and looked at Freel, who stopped but then broke for the plate when Soriano turned to throw to first.  Freel slid headfirst across home plate ahead of the first baseman’s throw.

Earlier in the game, Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 599th career home run.  Brandon Phillips also homered for the Reds.  Mark Teixeira and Greg Norton hit home runs for the Braves.  Starting pitchers Jair Jurrjens and Josh Fogg both struggled, each giving up six earned runs in less than five innings.

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

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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Aaron Harang and Kent Mercker did not have good performances today as they gave up five combined runs as the Reds lost to the Cardinals 5-2.   Harang pitched six innings and gave up seven hits and three runs while Mercker pitched .2 innings in relief of Harang and gave up another two runs.   Harang took the loss and is now 1-4 on the season.

The Reds only scored in one inning and that was the second inning when Edwin Encarnacion hit a solo home run and Ryan Freel had a infield single that scored Joey Votto.  The Reds left 18 men on base while striking out six times and only taking two walks in the game.

The Reds were swept by the Cardinals in the short two game series. - Reds Blog

The Cincinnati Reds avoided the sweep as they hammered the Chicago Cubs 9-2 on Thursday afternoon.  The Reds came up with some big hits against Ted Lilly and kept the Cubs bats cooled down which they didn’t do the first two games of the series.

Joey Votto had a huge day for the Reds as he bases loaded triple and then a two-run home run to finish with five RBI.  Ken Griffey Jr. hit a three run home run and finished with three RBI.  Ryan Freel also had one RBI.

Edinson Volquez earned the win as he pitched five innings and only allowed one earned run.  Volquez got in trouble early in the game as some close calls didn’t go his way, but he was able to wiggle his way out of the jams.  Good job by Volquez!

Jared Burton pitched two innings foloowing Volquez and allowed one run on three hits.  David Weathers and Todd Coffey pitched the final two innings and held the Cubs down.

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The Cincinnati Reds scored 10 runs from 6th inning through the 9th inning as they went onto beat the Milwaukee Brewers 12-4.  It was suprising to see the Reds score that many runs and only give up four runs to the might Brewers offense.  Especially when the Reds had a couple of bone headed defensive errors.

Adam Dunn led the offensive charge with a two-run home run and three RBI.  Corey Patterson also belted a two-run home run and finished with two RBI.  Jeff Keppinger also had two RBI’s on the game.  Ryan Freel, Ken Griffey, Jr. , Scott Hatteburg, and Jose Valentine all had one RBI.

Josh Fogg picked up the win for the Reds as he improved his record to 1-1 on the season.  Fogg only pitched five innings as he gave up four hits and a earned run, but it was enough to earn the victory.

Todd Coffey pitching in relief did allow a solo homerun to Bill Hall in the 9th inning.  Other then that, the Reds bullpen pitched pretty good.

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It was another exciting win for the Cincinnati Reds as they score one run in the 8th and 9th innings to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies by the score of 4-3.

The Reds had jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead after two innings but then the Phillies started to hit the ball and and eventually took a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th inning. That is when Corey Patterson tied the game with a two out homerun and then in the 9th inning, Paul Bako hit a infield single that scored Ryan Freel.  Wow what a crazy last couple of innings!

Francisco Cordero picked up the win as he pitched the ninth inning when the game was still 3-3.  Aaron Harang had started for the Reds, and pitched seven innings giving up two earned runs on six hits.  Overall it was a good pitching performance by everyone today.

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