The Edinson and Adam Show.....With Cordero Dropping The Curtain

On a night when the Reds needed a win in the worse sort of way to end this sorry home stand, Edinson Volquez, Adam Rosales and Fransico Cordero all answered the bell.

Edinson went a career high eight innings and just totally dominated the Astros, only allowing only 'ONE' hit. Not sure about you but I can still remember when we shipped fan favorite Josh Hamilton to Texas for: Volquez....raise your hand if you asked, "who the hell is that guy." His performance tonight kept the Reds from being swept by Houston, yes Houston, before heading on the road again to PNC park to face the Pirates this weekend.

Adam Rosales called up to replace Edwin Encarnacion, who went on the DL, drove in two runs with a hit and a walk to give Edinson all the offense he would need this night.

Franciso Cordero notched his seventh save in seven tries to close out the Houston ninth.

Nothing New Here.....Another Loss To Houston

Somethings never change......Sunshine while you are at work and rain when you are off work.....Houston coming to Great American Ballpark and kicking the living shit out of my Reds. The Astros are 16-1 against my Reds at Great American Ballpark sense 2007.....home field advantage, really!!!!!!!!!! The Reds win 3 of 4 in Houston and then 'they' come to Cincinnati looking for the three game sweep on Wednesday night. The one loss the Reds had at Minute Maid Park was against Wandy Rodriquez who beat them again on Tuesday night. Wandy is now 2-2 and I guess he is marking his calendar for the next Houston/Reds series. Shut up Lance Berkman...the way you swing the stick in the Queen City speaks volumes for you. Lance killls the ball here.

Reds ace Aarong Harang took the loss to go 2-3 on the season. Aaron went five innings giving up six, five earned while just striking out two. The Reds are still just not hitting the ball with any consistency. After a very great opening road trip this team has fallen on hard times needing a win on Wednesday to go 2-4 on this home stand.

Reds drop 3 of 4

Not a good home stand after a great road trip for the Red Legs. Cueto matched Reds killer Roy Oswalt for 7 and then Cordero got rocked in the 9th. Dusty: DON'T BRING YOUR CLOSER IN FOR A TIE GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT'S NOT IN THEIR MENTALITY!

Here's a couple of ugly Reds stats:

Left 10 on tonight.

Edwin Encarnacion- .127 I've saaid it many times.....this dude sucks.

Brandon Phillips- .174

Alex Gonzalez is a really good defender but just CAN'T hit the baseball -.180

Reds Riding Three Game Winning Streak

After winning two of three in Milwaukee, the Reds followed that up by taking three of four from the Houston Astros. It seems like every night the Reds are in a close game and tonight was no exception. The Reds held on to beat the Astros 4-3 tonight. The offense hasn't been exactly setting the world on fire, but tonight they banged out ten hits for the first time this season. Joey Votto was one of four hitters to bang out two hits apiece for the Reds tonight. Votto is still hitting .354 on the year and seems to be dialed in real good right. If the rest of this team ever starts hitting and the pitching holds up like it has so far, they could turn the NL Central into a very exciting race this season.

Bronson Arroyo is now 3-0, scattering nine hits and three runs over seven innings of work. Arthur Rhodes pitched a scoreless 8th to record his fourth hold. Rhodes is still unscored upon this season, sporting a 0.00 ERA. Fransico Cordero threw a scoreless 9th inning to record his fifth save.

The Reds are heading to Chicago for a three game series to finish up their first and the seasons longest road trip of the year. Right now the Reds are 5-2 on this ten game swing.

Ramon Hernandez First Red HomeRun

In a game where Roy 'The Red Killer' Oswalt pitched more than good enough to win, the Reds Ramon Hernandez came through in the clutch to win it for the good guys. Roy Oswalt threw six scoreless innings, giving up only five hits and striking out four. Oswalt left the game in line for the win and running his record against the Reds to 24-1. Ramon Hernandez would have something to say about that. In the Reds half of the ninth inning Hernandez slammed his first home run in a Cincinnati Reds uniform and it turned out that would be all the scoring the Reds would need. The Reds did hold on for a 2-1 win and spoil Oswalts night.

In the bottom of the ninth Reds closer Fransico Cordero gave up two hits to make it interesting, but left both stranded and finally shut the door to collect his third save of the season.

Joey Votto stayed hot as he was the only Red to collect more than one hit. Joey had a single and a double to keep his average at .400 through the first nine games.

Micah Owings First Reds Start

Micah Owings took the hill tonight in his first start as a Cincinnati Red. Although he didn't pitch a bad game he wasn't good enough tonight to help the Reds sweep the Brewers. It had been 10 days sense Owings had pitched and maybe he was a little rusty. Micah went five innings and gave up four runs on five hits to take the loss. Again after a very sharp spring Owings just needs some work. He had a 1.52 ERA this spring so we know the guy can pitch. Does anyone else wonder if Dusty should have hit Owings in the eight hole instead of the typical ninth pitching slot, he has been one of the best pitch hitters the Reds have had in his short time here.

As far as hitting goes, the Reds managed only seven hits off four different Brewer pitchers. Chris Dickerson got the big hit of the game for Cincinnati, his first home run of the season. The offense is really starting to worry me as the Reds are yet to have a ten hit game. I know it's early and typical springs belongs to the pitcher and summer the hitters, but this team needs to show a little more punch at the plate. Joey Votto is still at .387 and playing large, but he can't carry this load by himself.

After a day off tomorrow the Reds will face Reds killer Roy Oswalt in Houston on Friday night. Odds are in their favor to beat this guy.

Notes From A 2-0 Road Trip

For the first time this season the Cincinnati Reds are sporting a winning record. The Reds won for the third straight game on Tuesday night to go 4-3.

Bronson Arroyo wins to go 2-0 after a holding the Brewers to one run on four hits in his 6 1/3 innings pitched. So much for his carpal tunnel symptoms. Bronson did walk four but also had three strikeouts.

Jerry Hairston Jr. hit his first home run of the year to give the Reds a lead they would hold for the rest of the game. Jerry also walked twice and scored three runs to go with his two RBI's.

David Weathers, the Reds setup man out of the bullpen, made his 900th career appearance and recorded his second hold of this young season. Weathers has been lights out so far, and is sporting a 0.00 ERA. That's as low as it gets my friends.

Maybe the most over looked stat of this game was Daniel Herrera's double play ball he threw to Rickie Weeks to end the seventh inning and keep the 3-1 score in tack.

Joey Votto had two more hits tonight and added two more RBI's to give him ten on the season.

Down on the farm......Homer Bailey who has had two horrible starts so far this season for the AAA Louisville Bats was ejected for throwing at a batter after giving up a home run. It's clear Bailey has issues to work out before he can expect to get the call to come back up to the Reds squad. Let's hope he turns things around fast.

Season's First Road Trip Off To Good Start

The Reds traveled to Milwaukee for the season opening road trip and came away with a hard earned 7-6 win. Edinson Volquez went five not so good innings but came away with a win after giving up 6 runs, 7 hits, and walking 4. Not a good line at all and then you add two balls that left the building and Edinson has to be counting his lucky stars tonight. Does anyone else wonder what Aaron Harang was thinking after this outing by Volquez where the Reds score seven runs in the first three innings and hold on for the win. Burton, Rhodes, and yes David Weathers all threw a scoreless inning and each was credited with a hold. Fransico Cordero walked the tying run in the bottom of the ninth but kept him from scoring to record his second save of the season.

Jay Bruce off to a somewhat slow start slammed his first home run of the season. Not to be out done Edwin Encarnacion, who also was off to a rather slow start got the biggest hit of the game, a grand slam to finish off the Reds scoring and set the table for some pretty good pitching by the Reds bullpen. This was the third granny of Edwin's career. Maybe these HR's get these two guys going and the Reds can get above .500 on Tuesday night, at the very least they got this road trip off to a nice start.

Reds start series with Brew Crew

The Reds roll into a 3 game set with the Brew Crew tonight.

Here are the probable match ups:

Tonight: Volquez vs. Gallardo
Tuesday: Arroyo vs. Parra
Wed: Owings vs. Looper

Thursday, the Reds travel to Houston to deal with Mr. Reds Killer Roy Oswalt who is 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA on the year. He's something like 21-1 all time versus the Reds.

Dickerson needs to avoid doors....................

http://larrybrownsports.com/darwin-nominations/chris-dickerson-injures-head-bumping-revolving-door-hotel/6519

Aaron Harang......The ACE

Make no mistake about it, Aaron Harang was and still is the ace of this pitching staff. Aaron threw a complete game three hit shutout over the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon to get the Reds a split in this rain shortened two game series. Not sure when the rain out will be made up, they were saying on FSN that the next trip the Pirates makes to GABP will probably be the make up date. Aaron DID NOT walk a batter and fanned nine as he had total control over his fast ball today. Harang actually only allowed one runner to get past first base today......That's spells dominance.

Brandon Phillips provided all the offense Harang would need today with his first HR of the season, a two run shot off hard luck starter Ian Snell. Willy Tarveras also got his first of many steals this season as well.

The only thing I didn't like about today's game was the fact they are still not scoring runs for Harang. The younger players are still swinging at the first pitch way to often. Is this what you want them doing when you are telling the world that we are now playing small ball. The Reds did manage five walks today, but they also were impatient at the plate most of the time. The Pirates also turned in a triple play against our Reds, maybe the easiest triple play I have ever seen.

Reds Avoid The Sweep

On a beautiful sunny afternoon at Great American Ballpark with their backs against the wall and down 3-0 the Reds avoid being sweep by the New York Mets this afternoon. It was a long hard fought battle but the Reds prevail 8-6. Bronson Arroyo not having his best stuff still picked up a win in his first outing of this young season, also giving the Reds their first win. Arroyo went six innings giving up five earned on eight hits while fanning four.

Joey Votto went yard for the second game in a row and added two more hits to go with his four RBI's and two runs scored on the day. Votto is off to a scorching start hitting .538 and already has seven RBI's to go with his two HR's.

Fransico Cordero Struck out the side in the Met's ninth to record his first of many many saves this year.

The home stand continues tomorrow night as the Pittsburgh Pirates come to town for a three game series.

Reds Rally Comes Up Short

After putting Met's starter Mike Pelphrey on the ropes in the bottom of the first inning the Reds just couldn't deliver that knock out punch. Joey Votto's three run HR, one of his three hits in the game, was the big shot in the inning. Edinson Volquez took the loss as he couldn't get out of the fifth, giving up five runs on six hits to take the loss for Cincinnati.

The Reds again just can't seem to find that two out hit with runners in scoring position. They left eleven on base tonight, including the bases being left loaded in the bottom of the ninth. Laynce Nix just missed a game winning grand slam as they found Francisco Rodriquez on a night where he couldn't throw strikes. Rodriquez seemed to give the Reds every chance a team could want as he walked two and went full on two other batters, but again that elusive two out hit with RISP bit the Reds in the ass.

Tomorrow the Reds will try to avoid the season opening series sweep by the Mets sending Bronson Arroyo against Oliver Perez in a Thursday afternoon game at Great American Ballpark

Reds bats as cold as the weather!

That pretty much sums up the opening day loss to the Mets 2-1.

Reds Want Sheffield???

Not sure I understand why, but Dusty Baker said today that the Reds are interested in signed Gary Sheffield. Sheffield has been on a injury/down hill slide since dropping off the juice. He's sitting on 499 lifetime homers. Interesting and confusing....................

Mr Perfect ??????

Mr. Perfect, Tom Browning has been charged with non payment of child support according to jail records. Let's hope he gets this cleared up very fast, news like this does no one any good. Mr. Perfect has now put a scar on that image. Come on Tom your better than this.......hell you WERE perfect.

I have many memories of Mr. Browning in a Reds uniform. Always the perfect game comes to mind first and foremost. Another cool memory was him joining fans DURING a game in Chicago against the Cubs. He actually left the ballpark and crossed the street and climbed up onto the roof top seats for a unique view, one much better than the cell block view.

Reds Trimming The Roster

As hard as it is, it's something the brass has to do every Spring and this is no exception. The Reds have reassigned several players to minor league teams. RHP Daryl Thompson, one we though had a slim shot at the fifth starter spot is now out of the running. Other big names to get the red flag in their locker was Jacque Jones and Norris Hopper. Granted you could see all three of these guys back in a Reds uniform before the season is over but they don't head north when camp breaks.

Bronson Arroyo.....

Bronson Arroyo has been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel syndrome. The guitar man has been told to refrain from strumming the strings and also no autographs until this gets better. I bet Griffey Jr. wish he could have used this excuse for not signing autographs, hell he didn't need an excuse he just didn't do it. No word on how this effects him or if this might keep Homer Bailey in camp instead of being sent back to AAA Louisville once again as rumored.

Jeff Keppinger Traded

Just announced that the Reds have traded a very good player that had no where to play on this team. The Reds have traded Jeff Keppinger to the Houston Astros for the "player to be named later"
No idea who this is going to be. I do wish Kepp well and if he gets a starting gig in an Astros uniform, well you could do a lot worse for your MI spot on your fantasy team. This is a blue collar player who won't hurt your fantasy team, watch how this plays out. Good Luck Jeff