Reds Tidbits (2006 Season)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

5/20/06

REDS 9 TIGERS 4

Aurilia’s homer helps Reds hammer Tigers

Saturday, May 20, 2006

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DETROIT (AP) — Rich Aurilia returned to the lineup and provided the Cincinnati Reds with some immediate punch.
Aurilia homered in his first at-bat since coming off the disabled list and the Reds went on to end Detroit’s seven-game winning streak with a 9-4 victory last night as two of baseball’s most surprising teams met for the first time in five years.
"It felt good just to get on the field again," said Aurilia, who had been out since May 4 with a groin injury. "It felt better to put some runs on the board."
Cincinnati manager Jerry Narron was pleasantly surprised by Aurilia’s homer.
"There aren’t a lot of guys in baseball who could step right back into the middle of the lineup and do that," he said. "We’ve really missed him in the last two weeks."
Brandon Claussen (3-4) ended a four-start winless streak, giving up four runs and 11 hits in seven innings for Cincinnati. The Reds have won two straight since snapping a five-game losing streak and are second in the National League Central.
"It’s a lot easier when you get that many runs," Claussen said. "All I have to do is throw strikes and let the guys behind me do their job."
Jeremy Bonderman (4-3) lost for the first time since April 15, a span of five starts. The 23-yearold allowed seven runs, six hits and three walks in a season-low three-plus innings.
Detroit, which slipped a game behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central, was on its longest winning streak since 1993.
"To be honest, I’m happier about this game than I have been after others," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We battled our tails off, but they just wouldn’t let us get back into the game."
The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the second on Aurilia’s sixth homer and Javier Valentin’s sacrifice fly, then blew the game open with six runs while sending 10 batters to the plate in the fourth.
Scott Hatteberg started the inning with a single, and Bonderman walked the next two batters before hitting Jason LaRue to force in a run.
Brandon Phillips followed with a line triple to left center. All three runners scored, and Phillips joined them when shortstop Carlos Guillen’s relay throw skipped into the Detroit dugout.
"I’ve been hitting everything right at people lately," said Phillips, who snapped a 2-for-19 slump. "It was good to see one finally get up the gap."
Roman Colon replaced Bonderman and retired the first batter he faced, but Adam Dunn followed with a 422-foot homer to right field, making it 8-0.
"We came back strong, but we couldn’t get all the way back," the Tigers’ Marcus Thames said. "That’s baseball. You have some good games and you have some bad games."
Mays signs minor - league deal
The Reds signed starter Joe Mays to a minor-league contract and assigned him to triple-A Louisville. Mays, who was released by Kansas City on Tuesday, went 0-4 with a 10.27 ERA in six starts.

 

[7 45 33 48]

Anybody watching these games on FSN Pittsburgh? These announcers are worse than the Braves and Cubs homers put together.

Aren't all commentators homers on these FSN or TBS or WGN stations? Greg Brown is terrible, I will give you that. Frattare is the one that is the big time homer, besides that he is still bearable to listen to. Bob Walk is one of the best color commentators in the business. Steve Blass is also a fine color commentator. John Wehner has a studdering problem and it gets on my nerves.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

Aren't all commentators homers on these FSN or TBS or WGN stations? Greg Brown is terrible, I will give you that. Frattare is the one that is the big time homer, besides that he is still bearable to listen to. Bob Walk is one of the best color commentators in the business. Steve Blass is also a fine color commentator. John Wehner has a studdering problem and it gets on my nerves.

I've never gotten pissed off listening to any other homer announcers.

 

[Jaxbuck]

I'd rather have a homer than a guy who is a Cardinals fan calling Reds games.

I loathe George Grande.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

5/21/06

TIGERS 7 REDS 6, 10 INNINGS

Error offsets Reds’ rally

Griffey’s slam helps erase 5-1 deficit, but Weathers loses save in 10-inning defeat

Sunday, May 21, 2006


ASSOCIATED PRESS

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>DUANE BURLESON ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>The Tigers’ Craig Monroe, right, celebrates with Placido Polanco, center, after his grounder brought home Carlos Guillen in the 10 th. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>

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DETROIT — Curtis Granderson will remember last night for two reasons.
He got to meet his childhood hero, Ken Griffey Jr.
Then he got to beat him.
Granderson’s tying homer with two outs in the ninth inning helped the Detroit Tigers overcome Griffey’s grand slam and beat Cincinnati 7-6 in 10 innings on a throwing error by Reds shortstop Felipe Lopez.
"I introduced myself to him before the game and we talked for a few minutes, just like two normal people," a star-struck Granderson said. "It’s great to beat his team, but I know he’s still a long way ahead of me. I just hope my career comes close to his."
The Tigers, who have won eight of nine, trailed 6-5 with two outs in the ninth, but Granderson brought the sellout crowd of 43,128 to its feet with his seventh homer.
"I’m learning how loud Tigers fans can be," Granderson said. "They aren’t crazy like Chicago fans or New York fans, but they are loud."
The homer came off Reds closer David Weathers, who has blown three straight save chances.
"It stinks," he said. "I can’t even say it was a mistake. I threw a fastball away and the guy hit it. It irritates you."
After Fernando Rodney (2-1) pitched a perfect 10 th, Weathers (1-2) hit Carlos Guillen with a pitch with one out in the bottom half. Guillen stole second and Chris Shelton walked on the next pitch.
Dmitri Young hit into a force at second, leaving runners on the corners for Craig Monroe, who hit a routine grounder into the hole at shortstop.
Lopez double-pumped before making a hurried throw that skipped past Rich Aurilia at first.
"I was in an awkward position to get the ball out," Lopez said. "It was a tough play."
The Reds rallied for five runs in the seventh to erase a 5-1 deficit. With two outs and Cincinnati down 5-2, Griffey hit rookie Joel Zumaya’s 100 mph fastball deep into the right-field stands for his 15 th career slam.
Griffey has now homered in 42 parks, matching Sammy Sosa for second most — one behind Fred McGriff’s record.
Eric Milton started for the Reds, allowing five runs and 10 hits in five innings.
Tigers starter Mike Maroth gave up three runs in 6 1 /3 innings and struck out five.
Milton in , Williams out

Milton was activated from the 15-day disabled list, nearly three weeks after he had surgery to clean out torn cartilage in his left knee.
To make room on the roster, Cincinnati designated left-hander Dave Williams for assignment. The Reds got Williams from Pittsburgh in December for first baseman Sean Casey.
Milton went 2-1 with a 6.50 ERA in three starts before having knee surgery April 24. In his last start, Williams gave up six runs in three innings against Pittsburgh on Thursday. He was 2-3 with a 7.20 ERA in eight starts.

 

[coastalbuck]

Harang throws a 5 hit one run complete game and gets the loss. Where are the bats when you need them. At least the one run he did give up was on his throwing error.. :(

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

5/22/06

Reds seek home remedy

BY JOHN FAY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->DETROIT - No matter what happened Sunday, the Reds' road trip was going to be one that they looked back on and said: It could have been better.
That's always going to be the case when you come out on the wrong end of a dramatic rollercoaster of a game like Saturday's.
But Sunday's 1-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers hurt, and hurt badly.
"I might feel worse than I did last night to be honest with you," Reds manager Jerry Narron said.
Sunday's game was the difference between a 2-4 and 3-3 trip. It was the difference between winning and losing the series against the team with the best record in baseball.
The Reds have lost seven of nine. They come home for six games, beginning today with a game against Milwaukee.
"We've got to get back on a roll," said starter Aaron Harang. "We played them tough here. We just didn't come up with a victory the last two days."
The Reds lost Sunday's game in the eighth but it could have been won in the fourth and seventh when they failed to cash in on big chances.
"For us to win, we've got to play the game fundamentally right," Narron said. "We've got do the little things. We cannot play stupid baseball. Today we did."
That's about as strong as Narron will ever go to criticize his club, so that tells you how badly the loss stung.
Harang pitched brilliantly all day.
Harang's day: eight innings, five hits, one run, one walk and nine strikeouts. He retired 15 in a row in one stretch. He pitched out of his only real jam of the day in the seventh with three strikeouts.
But he walked Brandon Inge to start the eighth. Vance Wilson tried to bunt Inge over. It was a good one. Harang fielded it and tried to flip to Brandon Phillips covering first.
The flip was a flop. It was nowhere near Phillips, and Inge went to third, with Wilson safe at first.
"I knew it was going to be a really close play," Harang said. "I tried to backhand it. But it caught my glove. I rushed it. The throw got away."
Harang struck out Curtis Granderson, but pinch-hitter Placido Polanco grounded a single into right field against the drawn-in infield, and Inge scored to make it 1-0.
Had Inge been at second - as he would have been if Harang simply held the ball - Austin Kearns would have had a great chance to throw him out at the plate.
But because of Harang's error, Inge trotted home with the only run of the game.
"That throw cost me the game," Harang said.
But that wasn't what Narron was seething about. The game, in his mind, should have never gone to the eighth 0-0.
This isn't a game that got away like Saturday's, when David Weathers blew a save with two outs in the ninth and the Tigers won in 10. It was a game the Reds clearly believed they should have won.
They blew huge scoring chances in the fourth and seventh.
"We had our chances," utlilityman Ryan Freel said. "We just didn't get the big hit. Second and third, no outs and we don't score ..."
Freel led off the fourth with a walk. He was the Reds' first baserunner against left-handed starter Nate Robertson.
After Felipe Lopez struck out, Ken Griffey Jr. followed with a shot into the right-field corner.
The ball hit the warning track and bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double. That meant Freel had to stop at third.
Rich Aurilia lined one to third that Inge picked off for the second out, then Austin Kearns walked to load the bases.
But Adam Dunn, hitting .159 (7-for-44) with runners in scoring position, struck out, leaving them loaded.
The chance in the seventh was even fatter. Dunn led off with a single and Edwin Encarnacion followed with a double.
But Jason LaRue grounded out to Inge at third base, holding the runners.
Phillips followed with another chopper to Inge, who snagged it and threw home to get Dunn.
Freel grounded to third to end the threat.
"We had a chance to get guys in and we didn't do it," Narron said. "Three straight groundballs to third ... It's disappointing."
The Reds are 7-11 over the last 18 games.
"We've had our ups and downs lately," Harang said. "We have to go home and change it up when we get home."
E-mail [email protected]

On deck: Reds vs. Brewers<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=storytext bgColor=#eeeeee>Today: Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 7:10 p.m., Great American Ball Park

TV: FSN

Radio: WLW-AM (700)

Who's on the mound: Reds RH Bronson Arroyo (5-2, 2.40 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Dave Bush (3-4, 4.35 ERA)

Arroyo vs. the Brewers: This will be his fourth start against them. He is 3-0 with a 2.74 ERA.

Bush vs. the Reds: He shut out the Reds on four hits April 22 in Milwaukee.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

5/22/06

Narron explains not using Coffey

BY JOHN FAY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->DETROIT - Reds manager Jerry Narron knows that Todd Coffey versus David Weathers for closer is the hot-button topic among fans.
Narron did not issue an unsolicited defense of his decision to use Weathers over Coffey Saturday. Weathers blew the save and took the loss as the Reds fell to Detroit 7-6 in 10 innings.
But he did explain his decision in response to questions.
We were doing everything we could to not use Todd Coffey," Narron said. "We were fortunate that Chris Hammond got through the seventh."
The Reds had Coffey warm up the night before during a Tigers rally in the seventh. He ended up pitching the eighth of a 9-4 win.
"When we got Todd Coffey (warmed up) the night before, he was really done for (Saturday night)," Narron said.
Still, had the Reds gotten through the 10th, Coffey might have pitched.
"If we would have scored in the 11th, he might have pitched the bottom of the 11th," Narron said. "I don't know. I might have made a call to the bullpen myself."
Coffey pitched five of the seven days before Saturday.
Narron had no quarrel with the way Weathers pitched.
"David Weathers pitched better than everyone gives him credit for," Narron said. "If you're going to let them tie it up on a home run, you want it to be to the opposite field, make him earn it."
Curtis Granderson's game-tying homer in the ninth went over the 345-mark in the left-field corner.
The defense let down in the 10th.
Weathers hit Carlos Guillen with one out. Javier Valentin's throw easily beat Guillen to second on a steal attempt but second baseman Brandon Phillips dropped the ball as Guillen slid in.
Weathers walked Chris Shelton. Dmitri Young then hit a 4-6-3 double-play ball, but Phillips slipped fielding it. The Reds got only the force at second. The winning run scored on shortstop Felipe Lopez's throwing error to first.
"We had a chance for a caught stealing, we had a chance for a double play, and we had a chance to get out of the inning," Narron said.
But if Weathers gets the call to close on the homestand that starts tonight, it won't stop fans from revisiting the closer debate.
E-mail [email protected]
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

5/22/06

Ramirez assumes spot in rotation

Reds notebook

BY JOHN FAY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->The Reds officially are listing right-hander Elizardo Ramirez as Tuesday's starter.
Ramirez, a 23-year-old Dominican, steps into the spot in the rotation vacated by left-hander Dave Williams.
Is he a long-term answer?
"We sure hope so," Narron said.
Ramirez does not having overpowering stuff, but the Reds like that he challenges hitters.
He's 1-3 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts and one relief appearance. He has allowed 25 hits in 24 innings, and has struck out 18 and walked eight. At Triple-A Louisville, Ramirez did not walk a batter in 16 innings.
"You want guys out on the mound who don't beat themselves by walking guys and miss one side of the plate or the other," Narron said. "He doesn't do that. As far as so-called stuff, he doesn't have above-average stuff."
Narron has no reluctance about giving Ramirez the ball.
"I trust him," Narron said. "I think everybody here does. But stuff-wise, he's got to be on."
PHILLIPS OK: Brandon Phillips twisted his right ankle venturing into shallow right field to try to make a play Friday.
"It scared me," the second baseman said.
He remained in the game and was in the starting lineup Sunday.
Phillips, who had been struggling, was 4-for-7 with a home run and five RBI in the first two games of the series. He was 0-for-2 with a walk Sunday.
"Now that I'm getting the results I'm trying my best to stay in there and help the team win," Phillips said.
MILTON'S RETURN: Eric Milton was OK with his return to the mound, despite the five runs and 10 hits over five innings.
"I can't complain," he said. "I made a couple of mistakes against a good lineup."
Milton was pitching for the first time since April 18. He had surgery on his left knee April 24.
"I took a while to get back into it," he said. "I was a little rusty."
FARM REPORT: Left-hander Phil Dumatrait threw four innings of one-hit shutout ball in Double-A Chattanooga's 7-1, rain-shortened win over Huntsville Saturday.
He is 3-2 with a 2.77 ERA. He has allowed 27 hits in 39 innings. General manager Wayne Krivsky was in attendance.
E-mail [email protected]
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

5/23/06

The bats are back

And Arroyo rebounds in solid form

BY JOHN FAY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->The Reds thoroughly beat up on the Milwaukee Brewers Monday night, to the tune of 15-5.
The runs were a season-high. But the way Bronson Arroyo pitched, the offense became a little redundant.
Arroyo, after ripping himself after his last start, a 7-2 loss to Pittsburgh, pitched well enough to back up his words.
"I was anxious to get back out there and have a good one," Arroyo said.
He went seven innings, allowing one run on six hits. Except for the three hits he gave up in the second inning, he was lights out. The Reds' 5-0 first-inning lead was more than enough for Arroyo.
"You give Bronson Arroyo a lead and he's going to be tough," Reds manager Jerry Narron said.
Arroyo (6-2) lowered his National League-best ERA to 2.29.
The easy win did a lot to chase away the hangover from two straight painful losses in Detroit.
"We needed this big time," Arroyo said. "We feel like we let those two games go in Detroit."
The Reds seized this one quickly. Felipe Lopez walked and Brandon Phillips singled. Ken Griffey Jr. followed with a shot directly at the smokestacks in right-center. The home run was Griffey's fifth of the year and 541st of his career.
Adam Dunn continued the inning with a walk. Austin Kearns followed his ninth homer for a 5-0 lead.
The Reds kept piling on later in the game. David Ross had a pair of two-run doubles. Dunn hit a three-run homer. Phillips had four hits and scored three runs.
But Arroyo was the key.
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On deck<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=storytext bgColor=#eeeeee>TODAY: Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 7:10 p.m., Great American Ball Park, Game 2 of a three-game series

TV: Fox Sports Net

Radio: WLW-AM (700)

Who's on the mound: Reds RH Elizardo Ramirez (1-3, 3.38 ERA) vs. Brewers LH Dana Eveland (0-0, 8.44)

Ramirez vs. the Brewers: This is his first appearance against them.

Eveland vs. the Reds: This will be his sixth career appearance against the Reds. He is 0-0 with a 12.71 ERA.

WEDNESDAY: Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 7:10 p.m., Great American Ball Park

TV: Fox Sports Net

Radio: WLW-AM (700)

Who's on the mound: Reds LH Brandon Claussen (3-4, 4.99) vs. Brewers LH Doug Davis (2-3, 5.14).
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

5/23/06

Notebook: Phillips enjoys hitting up top

BY JOHN FAY AND KEVIN KELLY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITERS

<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->Monday night, Brandon Phillips hit second in the order against the Milwaukee Brewers.
"I like to hit first or second," he said. "It feels good to be up there."
Phillips was supposed to hit second Wednesday in Pittsburgh. But Scott Hatteberg was a late scratch with flu-like symptoms, and Reds manager Jerry Narron reshuffled the order.
"He got all excited," Narron said. "Then we had to jerk him out of there. He was on top of the world for about an hour. He loves to hit up there."
It looked like it Monday. Phillips was 4-for-5 with three runs scored.
Phillips is hitting .308 overall with four home runs, 30 RBI and nine steals.
He's gone 8-for-14 over his last four games.
"He's swinging the ball well," Narron said. "We're putting him up where he'll see some good pitches."
While Phillips prefers to hit up top, he has no problem with any spot in the order. He hit ninth two of the three days in Detroit.
"As long as I'm in the lineup, I'm straight," he said.
Phillips hit second once before this year - April 19 against Dontrelle Willis and the Florida Marlins. He went 2-for-5 with three RBI that day.
MERCKER READY: Left-hander Kent Mercker isn't eligible to come off the disabled list until Friday.
But he felt good enough to pitch Monday.
"I don't know about my control," he said. "But I'm healthy enough to pitch right now."
Mercker went on the DL May 14 with a sore elbow. He said a cortisone shot did the trick.
He long-tossed and threw 38 pitches off the mound Monday.
"That's two-thirds of an inning for me," he kidded.
Mercker says being able to play long toss pain-free is key.
"I couldn't do that before," he said. "That's big for me. When I can't long toss, I tend to overthrow."
DUNN LESSON: Narron said Adam Dunn was talked to about his decision to sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning of Sunday's 1-0 loss to Detroit.
"A lot of people talked to him about it," Narron said.
Dunn was successful on the bunt and nearly beat it out for a hit.
"But if he puts the ball in play (swinging away), it might go out of the ballpark," Narron said.
Narron wasn't happy with Dunn's bunt nor was he happy with the two grounders to third by Jason LaRue and Phillips in the seventh, which led to the Reds blowing a runners-on-second-and-third, no-out opportunity. A groundout by either to second would have likely scored the run.
"In that situation, you look for pitches you can hit to certain parts of the field," Narron said. "With runners at second and third, (a right-hander hitter) goes the opposite way."
TICKET OFFER: The Reds will provide complimentary View Level tickets to active military personnel with proper identification for Monday through Thursday games.
Tickets are subject to availability and acquisitions must be made on the day of the game at the advance ticket windows at Great American.
The Reds request that groups of 20 or more call the community relations office at (513) 765-7022 at least 21 business days in advance of the desired game.
MINOR MATTERS: Pitcher Joe Mays, who last week signed a minor-league contract with the Reds after being released by the Royals, is scheduled to make his first start for Triple-A Louisville today at Pawtucket. The right-hander went 0-4 with a 10.27 ERA in six starts with the Royals this season.
Double-A Chattanooga won its fourth consecutive game Sunday as pitcher Travis Chick allowed one run on five hits over six innings.
The right-hander, who struck out three and walked two, is 2-1 with a 4.34 ERA in eight starts this season.
Single-A Dayton pitcher Carlos Fisher allowed four hits and one unearned run as the Dragons beat Southwest Michigan 3-1 in 11 innings Monday. He struck out six and didn't walk a batter.

Outfield power<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=storytext bgColor=#eeeeee>The Reds got home runs from each of their starting outfielders Monday.

It's the fourth time left fielder Adam Dunn, center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. and right fielder Austin Kearns have homered in the same game.

Griffey hit a three-run home run in the first inning. Kearns hit a two-run homer later in the same inning. Dunn completed the trifecta with a three-run home run, his 16th this season, in the sixth.

When Griffey, Dunn and Kearns have homered in the same game:

5-22-06 vs. Brewers

4-11-06 at Cubs

8-15-05 vs. Giants

8-8-05 at Cubs

Also:

Griffey and Dunn homered in the same game for the 26th time.

Dunn and Kearns homered in the same game for the 22nd time.

Griffey and Kearns homered in the same game for the seventh time.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

5/23/06

Griffey puts on a highlights clinic

BY KEVIN KELLY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->An MLB Productions crew began filming the Reds Monday for an upcoming "This Week in Baseball" segment.
If the crew sought Ken Griffey Jr. highlights, it got some in a 15-5 Reds win at Great American Ball Park.
The Reds center fielder hit a three-run home run in the first inning and later made a pair of dazzling catches in the outfield.
The home run extended Griffey's hitting streak to six games. He is batting .286 with two home runs and 10 RBI during the streak, and .234 with three homers and 14 RBI since coming off the disabled list May 11.
Aside from handing the Reds a 3-0 lead Monday, Griffey helped protect it.
His sprinting catch on a fourth-inning fly ball by Brewers shortstop Bill Hall likely prevented a run from scoring. Griffey caught the ball three steps before running into the fence near the Reds bullpen.
The second catch, on a shallow fly to center by the Brewers' Carlos Lee, ended the sixth inning.
Griffey slid on both knees and caught the ball backhanded.
"By him going into the wall and then making a diving catch, it just kills their rallies," Reds starter Bronson Arroyo said. "Obviously they were already down a few runs . . . and if you get a couple plays like that it's just like a dagger in the heart."
E-mail [email protected]
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

5/23/06

REDS NOTEBOOK

Dunn regrets urge to lay down bunt

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI — Adam Dunn knew immediately Sunday that his ninth-inning sacrifice bunt wasn’t the best idea he ever had.
The Reds were trailing Detroit 1-0 when the power-hitting Dunn dropped the second sacrifice bunt of his career. Austin Kearns wound up on second base with one out but moved no farther.
"I don’t know why I did that," Dunn said. "As soon as I was running down to first base I was cussing myself. I was in the batter’s box when the pitcher was on the mound. I looked at the third baseman and I thought, ‘Man, if I lay down a bunt here.’ And it just happened."
Reds manager Jerry Narron didn’t care for the play at all.
"If he bunts it just a tad harder, he gets a base hit on it," Narron said. "If he puts the ball in play, it might have gone out of the ballpark, too."
Narron and others on the team spoke to Dunn after the game. Even though he is playing against pronounced defensive shifts, he needs to swing away.
"It was still stupid even if I bunt for a base hit," Dunn said. "Dumb, dumb, dumb. I don’t know what else to say."
Old arm

Reliever Kent Mercker, on the disabled list because of a sore left elbow, threw off the mound yesterday and said afterward that he should be able to rejoin the bullpen as soon as he is eligible Friday.
"I think I threw like 38 (pitches), which is about two-thirds of an inning for me," Mercker joked. "So I’ve got to build it up to 50 and I’ll be ready to go."
A cortisone shot cleared up the soreness, Mercker said. A magnetic resonance imaging conducted by Dr. Timothy Kremchek showed nothing earth-shaking.
"Doc told me I had an old elbow," Mercker said. "I was like, ‘I could have saved $700 bucks and 45 minutes and told you that when I got here. I got an old knee. I got old feet. I got an old wife.’ It’s probably no different if I had gone in there feeling like Superman. It’s just wear and tear."
Short hops

Brewers ace Ben Sheets underwent an MRI in Milwaukee yesterday that showed no structural damage to his ailing right shoulder. Sheets will rejoin the team today and continue to rehab. … Chattanooga closer David Shafer picked up his Southern League-leading 13 th save yesterday in a 4-1 win over Huntsville (Brewers). Third baseman Aaron Herr leads the Southern League with 33 RBI.
[email protected]

 

[coastalbuck]

Two wins in a row, Griffey's lighting it up. Pitching has been pretty good too.

Link

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

5/24/06

Lefty Hammond takes a right turn

BY KEVIN KELLY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->Chris Hammond admits the numbers were ugly.
Three appearances into the season, the Reds' veteran relief pitcher carried a ghastly 189.00 ERA. He didn't retire a batter in allowing four runs over his first two appearances.
"I think those first three outings were just a fluke," Hammond said Tuesday. "It's not like I was getting hit around the ballpark. I don't remember one hard-hit ball. It's just all the runners I put out there scored."
The left-hander's ERA has declined steadily since.
With fellow left-handed relief pitcher Kent Mercker on the 15-day disabled list since May 14 - Mercker is eligible to come off Friday - Hammond has received more work in more important situations. Two scoreless innings Tuesday lowered his ERA to 5.87 in 15 appearances spanning 15 1/3 innings this season.
"I hope Hammond gets a little more pitching in than he has," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "He's pitched really well. After he got rid of the infinity ERA, if you throw that out, I don't know what his ERA would be. But it wouldn't be too bad."
Subtract the first three appearances, and Hammond's ERA over his past 12 outings is 1.80.
In eight appearances this month, Hammond has allowed just one earned run on seven hits over 10 1/3 innings. He retired all seven Tigers batters he faced in two appearances last weekend.
So what's behind the turnaround?
"It's just getting out there and pitching," Hammond said. "That's it."
Narron does not see an extreme difference but believes Hammond's success can be traced to control.
"He's throwing more strikes," Narron said.
Hammond did not make a relief appearance from April 23 to May 2.
In seven appearances before the layoff, he threw 65 percent of his pitches for strikes. In seven appearances after the layoff, entering Tuesday, he threw 71 percent of his pitches for strikes.
"When he's throwing his changeup for strikes, and he's locating his other pitches, he's pretty effective against left-handers or right-handers," Narron said.
Around the time center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. was about to come off the DL, the Reds approached Hammond with an idea that would free up a spot for Griffey on the 25-man roster and get him consistent work.
Would Hammond be willing to spend some time with Triple-A Louisville?
The 40-year-old, who in December signed a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2007, elected to stay in Cincinnati. The Reds reinstated Griffey from the DL on May 11 and optioned outfielder Chris Denorfia.
"I throw a bullpen (session) every other day if I'm not pitching," Hammond said. "So I stayed sharp.
"When you can get in there in a tough game, your concentration gets there. Then if you do well, your confidence starts getting better. That's really the only big (difference)."
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