Archive for September, 2010

Here’s a look at the pitching match-up for tonight’s Houston Astros v. Cincinnati Reds game. I know. Anti-climatic since the Reds wrapped up the NL Central title last evening. But the Reds are most likely going to have to snag that #2 overall record in the National League in order to avoid the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. Houston: Nelson Figueroa (3-3, 3.98; career v. Reds: 1-1, 4.44) Figueroa has performed both starting and relieving duties for Houston this season. For September, he’s 2-2 with a 6.12 ERA and the Astros are 3-2 in games he has started this month. [...]

I just felt like something was going to happen, like a home run. When that was going to happen, I was unsure. I felt like it was going to happening in either the first or the sixth. Was I ever fooled. In the bottom of the first, the Reds put their first two batters on (Drew Stubbs and Orlando Cabrera), but Joey Votto grounded into a double play. Scott Rolen drove in the first run of the game with an infield single followed by a throwing error allowing Rolen to go to second. Reds 1, Astros 0 after one inning. Reds [...]

Game one of the final homestand and the Houston Astros visit GABP for three. Could be the clincher to boot. And the Reds will see a tough opponent this evening. Houston: Wandy Rodriguez (season: 11-12, 3.67; career v Reds: 7-7, 4.22) The last time the Reds saw the lefty, Rodriguez threw six innings, allowed three runs, struckout 10 and got the win. Rodriguez is 1-1 with a 6.06 ERA against Cincinnati this season. For September, Rodriguez is 0-0, sporting a 3.42 ERA. The Astros are 1-3 in those September games in which Wandy has gotten the start. That win was [...]

On Sundays later in the year, I find my remote comes in really handy. Usually, I’m flipping around watching the NFL. Not today. Today was a day in which the Reds had the potential to clinch the NL Central. The Reds were on Fox Sports Ohio and the Cardinals-Cubs affair was on WGN. Excellent. It looked grim for the Cubbies at first. The Cards jumped all over the Cubs early to the tune of an 8-0 lead. Then, the Cubs began to chip away at the lead and pulled to within 8-7 after the 7th. At Petco Park in San Diego, [...]

Even with the guys struggling on this, the final road trip of 2010, the Cincinnati Reds can wrap up the NL Central title today. With the magic number resting at 2, a Reds win (which, let’s be honest, haven’t come frequently as of late) and a Cubs win over the Cardinals would seal the deal. And look forward to what could be… Cincinnati will send Homer Bailey (3-3, 4.73) to the mound while the San Diego Padres will counter with Clayton Richard (13-8, 3.53). Game time is 4:05 PM ET. It will be intriguing how the Reds will play today as [...]

Thanks to the Chicago Cubs and their 7-3 win today, the Reds magic number is now down to 2. However…the Reds managed to drop another 4-3 decision at the hands of the Padres. This time, Aroldis Chapman was the victim of another Padres late inning win…in the bottom of the 9th no less. A two-out double to former Red Chris Denorfia plated Chase Headley to account for the game’s final score. Again, a base on balls proved to be the beginning of the downfall for Cincy. Of Chapman’s 17 pitches, only 9 were strikes. In the “good news” department, Joey Votto returned [...]

Still not in a panicky state. With almost any game, you can take good and bad within a game. The bad: Nick Masset – He could hardly find the strike zone last night. Of course, he wasn’t the only pitcher throwing stares at home plate umpire Kerwin Danley. Both teams did that. And when San Diego’s Miguel Tejada came to the plate with bases loaded, they flashed a graphic that in Masset’s career hitters are .364 against him with the bases loaded. You could look at it this way, hitters make an out the other .636 of the time against [...]

So the St. Louis Cardinals have managed to string a couple of wins together while the Reds have been struggling. With the magic number down to 3 with nine games left in the Reds season, no worries. The Cardinals have 10 games remaining in their season. In order for the Cards to come back and win the NL Central, they would have to win at least 8 of their last ten and for the Reds to lose all of their last 9. An extremely tall order for any club to overcome.  If the Reds go 3-6 for the last part of [...]

No, last night’s 13-1 pounding at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers wasn’t pretty, but the magic number dwindled to 3 thanks to the Pittsburgh Pirates beating the St. Louis Cardinals. Off to San Diego. maybe that’s why the Reds seemed a bit disinterested last night. Well, Johnny Cueto did as he pitched his worst outing of the season. The numbers are too horrendous to post. The Reds have an opportunity to clinch with a sweep at Petco Park. That should perk up the guys ears a bit. Some of the guys have been on the opposite end of that [...]

A 4-1 lead entering the bottom of the 9th. Surely a three run lead wouldn’t slip away. Even if the much maligned Francisco Cordero was going for the save. They’re never easy anymore. Not when you’re on the cusp of clinching the division. Teams want to keep you from celebrating on their home turf. A hit batsman, a couple of hits, a couple of errors left the Reds scurrying for a 4-3 win at Miller Park. For his third straight outing since returning from a stint in Dayton to work on mechanical issues, Edinson Volquezwas as sharp as he’s been since [...]

Just like my last post where I examined the Reds potential starters for the playoffs, I thought a peek at their perspective opponents and the ballparks is in order as well. With the magic number now resting at 6 (maybe even lower by the time you’re reading this), it can’t do any harm, can it? Here’s how the Reds have fared against their probable playoff opponents in 2010: Atlanta: 2-3 Colorado: 2-5 Philadelphia: 2-5 San Diego: 1-2 San Francisco: 3-4 Not pretty even though the Reds do have a three game set against the Padres in San Diego this coming [...]

Say that three times in a row…really fast. Despite the Reds being in a funk these days, Cincy still holds a six game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. Is it too early too look ahead at playoff pitchers? Nah. Got to plan ahead. There are four tiers in which I group the pitchers: Definite, Probable, Possible and Doubtful Definite: Bronson Arroyo – Sure his ERA may be a bit gaudy (4.05), but Arroyo also leads the Reds in wins (15). Arroyo does have a bit of postseason experience from his days in Boston. One aspect that Arroyo brings to [...]