Reds Tidbits (2006 Season)

[Jaxbuck]

I started a separate thread for the trade, but if what you say is true, they gfave up an awful lot to get a couple of average pitchers to pitch the 8th.

No other way to look at it really. I've sat here all night trying to convince myself this was ok, I just can't do it. Kriv overpaid big time.

 

[coastalbuck]

I think tonight's game showed why we needed the pen help and needed it now. I love Kearns, always have. Still, we have to have some arms in the pen sometime, why not now?

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/14/06

Reds rattled by trade, but hold off Rockies

Friday, July 14, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>AL BEHRMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Chris Denorfia of the Reds dives back safely to first on a pickoff throw to the Rockies’ Brad Hawpe. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — The game went on last night in Great American Ball Park because the business of baseball doesn’t give players time to adjust to disruptions in their personal lives.
Three hours before the first pitch, the Reds traded outfielder Austin Kearns and shortstop Felipe Lopez to the Washington Nationals for a package of five players.
The deal distressed Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn enough that both declined to comment about the deal. The two were especially close to Kearns. The game with the Colorado Rockies followed and both did their jobs in the 9-7 victory.
"I think everybody that’s here has had a friend traded away at some point," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "It’s part of the business. But I think they also realize there’s not going to be deal made that doesn’t make the club better."
Griffey homered, , his 19 th of the season and the 555 th of his career. Dunn singled, doubled and drove in two runs. Juan Castro added a three-run homer.
"I know Adam Dunn is as close to Austin Kearns as anybody could possibly be," Narron said. "Edwin Encarnacion and Felipe are real close, but they came out tonight and played real well. They’re not going to let it hinder their seasons."
The Reds made the deal to prop up the sagging bullpen even if relievers Gary Majewski and Bill Bray wouldn’t arrive before tonight’s game against the Rockies.
A demonstration of what forced the trade occurred in the ninth inning. Jason Standridge allowed Colorado to rise from a 9-3 deficit by allowing four hits. Newly acquired closer Eddie Guardado entered and struck out Todd Helton to end the game.
"I’ll tell you what, it’s exciting," Guardado said. "I haven’t felt like that in a while. The big thing is we got the (win). That’s always nice."
Eric Milton (6-4) limited the Rockies to three runs in six innings. David Weathers and Todd Coffey pitched scoreless innings before Standridge ran into trouble. Guardado didn’t mind hurrying to get into the game.
"To win anything, our bullpen has to be strong, no doubt," he said. "We’ve got to continue doing our job in the bullpen and hopefully turn things around."
[email protected]

 

[Dryden]

A demonstration of what forced the trade occurred in the ninth inning. Jason Standridge allowed Colorado to rise from a 9-3 deficit by allowing four hits. Newly acquired closer Eddie Guardado entered and struck out Todd Helton to end the game.

That's an understatement! Standridge's four hits resulted in four runs in what amounted to 0.1 IP. After coasting into the 9th with a 9-3 lead, the Reds had to rush Everyday Eddie out there to get the last two outs. The game ended with Guardado striking out Todd Helton, who represented the tying run, in a great 10-pitch AB.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/15/06

REDS 3 ROCKIES 1

Reds’ new-look bullpen gets job done

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>AL BEHRMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Cincinnati left fielder Adam Dunn catches a fly ball hit by Colorado’s Jamey Carroll. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, the reconfigured Reds bullpen did what it was supposed to do last night in Great American Ball Park.
After Aaron Harang (10-6) pitched seven shutout innings against the Colorado Rockies, three Cincinnati relievers worked the final two innings and put away the 3-1 win with only one heart-in-the-throat moment.
"Pitchers come out throwing strikes and doing what they’re doing on the mound, it makes a huge difference," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "I’m pretty excited about it. I think it really gives us a chance to compete."
Newcomers Gary Majewski and Eddie Guardado, who earned his second save in as many nights, were part of the late-innings relief mix with holdover Kent Mercker.
Acquired in an eight-player trade Thursday with the Washington Nationals, Majewski gave up a run on a double, a bloop single and a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning before Mercker slammed the door on the rally by striking out Brad Hawpe on three pitches with the tying run at first base.
"When you’ve got guys coming in the seventh and eighth innings throwing strikes, that’s the key," Guardado said. "If you throw strikes coming out of the bullpen, you’re going to be successful. If you keep the ball down, stay ahead of hitters, that’s what is going to happen."
Harang turned in another solid performance. He didn’t allow a hit through the first four innings. The Rockies put a runner on second with no outs in the fifth, sixth and seventh only to see Harang escape each jam unscathed.
He did receive a huge assist in the sixth when third baseman Rich Aurilia speared a line drive by Clint Barmes that appeared headed into the leftfield corner.
Following three busy innings, Harang turned the game over to the bullpen.
"I’ve felt confident in those guys before," he said. "They were just going through a little funk. Sometimes a shake-up on occasion will change how things go.
"I know those guys are going to get everything going in the right direction. Mercker knows what he has to do in a pressure situation. He got us out of that eighth inning and Eddie comes in the last two nights and shuts the door. It’s nice to be able to have guys come in and slam the door shut."
Adam Dunn got the Cincinnati offense started with a solo home run off Jason Jennings (6-7) in the first inning. Shortstop Royce Clayton, who was a part of the trade with Washington, had an RBI groundout in the fourth and singled in the middle of another run-scoring rally in the sixth.
He also committed an error with two outs in the eighth behind Majewski that put the tying run on base and led to the call for Mercker.
"The ground was a little hard," Clayton said. "I wanted to make sure I got down on it. I didn’t expect it to hop up. It’s one of those things. Fortunately, Merck came in and got out of it. That’s baseball."
It also served as a good introduction to his new teammates.
"There are going to be times I’m going to do whatever I can to pick those guys up," Clayton said. "It was good to see Mercker come in and throw some quality pitches and get a good hitter like Hawpe out. I was very happy to see him punched out."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/16/06

REDS 3 ROCKIES 2

Denorfia delivers in bottom of ninth

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>AL BEHRMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>The Reds’ Scott Hatteberg hammers an RBI double off the Rockies’ Aaron Cook in the sixth inning, scoring Ken Griffey Jr. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — As soon as he reached the Reds dugout in the bottom of the ninth inning last night, Chris Denorfia checked the lineup card and counted.
Cincinnati trailed the Colorado Rockies 2-1 and had the unpleasant task of trying to pry a run off All-Star closer Brian Fuentes. Denorfia saw that if he batted, he would be the sixth hitter of the inning.
"The situation was right there," Denorfia said. "I was like, ‘I’m going to be up with bases loaded if I get up. And it’s going to be a tie game.’ "
Denorfia did his own prediction one better by hitting a bases-loaded infield chopper that Colorado shortstop Clint Barmes charged but couldn’t glove. Two runs scored and the Reds celebrated the unlikely 3-2 victory to the delight of the 35,396 fans in Great American Ball Park.
"For a little luck to be on your side is always a good thing," said Denorfia, who was celebrating his 26 th birthday. "I really didn’t hit that one hard at all. That was probably the soft- est ball I hit all night, and I hit some pretty soft balls tonight. That one I think I would have (beaten out)."
To win on an infield hit was ironic because Colorado starter Aaron Cook dazzled the Reds for seven innings with a worm-burning sinker that nearly reduced the Cincinnati evening to a prolonged game of pepper.
"Aaron Cook was outstanding for them," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "His ball was sinking and he got a ton of ground-ball outs. That’s one of the best performances we’ve seen against us all year."
Reds starter Bronson Arroyo was equally good through seven shutout innings but failed to win his 10 th game for a fifth consecutive start. Arroyo left with a 1-0 lead, but newly acquired reliever Gary Majewski surrendered a two-run, two-out double to Jorge Piedra in the eighth inning.
"Majewski is going to do a good job for us," Narron said. "He got two strikes on Piedra and he ends up giving up a hit right down the line. I think he just didn’t locate like he wanted to."
The Reds broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning on a double by Scott Hatteberg.
"He’d thrown me some first strikes, hittable ones, and I just wasn’t able to jump on them," Hatteberg said. "I just made up my mind that if it’s over the plate, I don’t care what the count is, I’m going to jump on it."
The Rockies appeared to have given Cook a chance to win before the bizarre bottom of the ninth inning. Fuentes (2-3) started his own trouble by walking Brandon Phillips between strikeouts of Rich Aurilia and Royce Clayton. He followed by hitting Jason La-Rue and Edwin Encarnacion with pitches to load the bases.
That rolled the lineup back to Denorfia, who had been hit by a LaRue foul ball while standing in the dugout. He chopped the roller that Barmes couldn’t handle.
"It’s a do-or-die play," Barmes said. "I’ve got to make that play. I’ve made that play all year. I don’t know what to say."
The win was the third straight for the Reds.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

dispatch

7/16/06

REDS NOTEBOOK

Reds GM unfazed by trade criticism

Krivsky satisfied with team’s move to bolster bullpen

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI – Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky has heard bits and pieces of the firestorm that followed his Thursday trade of Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez to the Washington Nationals.
Many feel he overpaid to obtain middle relief pitchers Gary Majewski and Bill Bray and shortstop Royce Clayton. Krivsky didn’t back down from the deal yesterday or flinch at the criticism.
"I knew I’d take some shots here," he said. "They’re fans. They’re compassionate. They care. They want the team to win. So I take it as at least they have an opinion. You can’t please everybody with everything you do."
He believed then and now that the bullpen needed a major overhaul for the Reds to contend for the National League Central Division title or the wild card.
"You’re so zeroed in on what makes the team better," Krivsky said. "You talk to a lot of people before you make a decision like this. You don’t take it lightly. It’s not a kneejerk. It’s a lot of conversations with your scouts and playerdevelopment people."
Krivsky didn’t have to say what pushed him to trade two starting position players. The Reds hit the All-Star break by losing eight of nine games. Twice in Milwaukee and once in Atlanta, the offense rallied late to tie or take a lead and the bullpen immediately gave it back.
Roster rotation

Cincinnati optioned starting pitcher Elizardo Ramirez to single-A Dayton after his last start so that he could pitch during the All-Star break. His return to the roster today for the series finale with Colorado will require a roster move.
Reds manager Jerry Narron said yesterday that the move "possibly" would be to place catcher David Ross on the 15-day disabled list because of a lower abdominal strain. Ross was injured July 7 in Atlanta and still has pain when he runs.
"The one thing none of us want is for him to play one game and have a complete setback," Narron said. "Right now we can backdate him and he wouldn’t miss that much time."
Short hops

Baseball America selected Dayton Dragons outfielder Jay Bruce as the low-Class A midseason top player. Bruce, 19, is batting .319 with 13 homers and 60 RBI. … Ryan Freel (right shoulder) hopes to be available Tuesday to play in the field.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/17/06

Sweet sweep for Reds

Fourth victory in row shows Cincinnati still has what it takes to win after big trade

Monday, July 17, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Edwin Encarnacion slides home to score one of Cincinnati’s five runs in the eighth inning as the ball eludes Colorado’s Yorvit Torrealba. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — The home run that Adam Dunn hit to begin the eighth inning probably traveled 425 feet farther than the sacrifice bunt Scott Hatteberg rolled up the first-base line two batters later.
The tape-measure marriage of power and finesse keyed a five-run rally that helped the Reds complete a four-game series sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 6-4 win yesterday in Great American Ball Park.
The need to join those two elements escalated last week when Cincinnati traded Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez to the Washington Nationals in an eight-player deal.
"We lost a lot of offense with those two," Dunn said. "We’re going to have to find it in different places. The last few games we’ve been able to do it. If we’re within a touchdown, we always feel we’re in it."
In the latest rally, everyone seemingly played a part. Ken Griffey Jr. and Edwin Encarnacion followed the home runs with singles. Hatteberg dropped the bunt and the door blew open on Colorado reliever Jose Mesa (0-3).
"Anytime you take a guy out of the middle of the order like (Kearns), you’re going to have to find other ways to score as many runs as we have been," said Rich Aurilia, who delivered a two-run pinch-hit single in the rally.
So even though Aurilia liked the Dunn homer, he appreciated the Hatteberg bunt and its aftermath even more.
"The whole inning was set up by Scott Hatteberg being a smart hitter by getting the guys over with less than two outs," he said. "That sets the whole inning up. The next thing you know the bases are loaded and, with two outs, we score four runs.
"That’s the one thing I’m most proud of this team for. We never give up. With two outs, we can score, pretty much, we feel against anybody."
Colorado starter Josh Fogg might disagree. He checked the Reds on one run in seven innings and left a 3-1 lead for left-handed reliever Tom Martin to face the left-handed hitting Dunn and Griffey to start the eighth.
The strategy backfired when Dunn powered Martin’s first pitch 432 feet into the seats in right for his 30 th home run of the season. Griffey delivered a single and the rally was on.
"He hit the home run, and I knew from that point on I wasn’t going to get anything good to hit," Griffey said. "I ended up getting the flare to left. I was telling (firstbase coach Billy Hatcher) that two wild pitches and a sacrifice fly would work for me.
"Then Eddie gets a hit and Hatty lays down a bunt — just the little things. Richie comes up and gets a key hit. That’s what we’ve got to do. We can’t rely on the home run every night."
Reds manager Jerry Narron liked the pitching from the six strong innings that Elizardo Ramirez worked to the three innings from relievers David Weathers, Todd Coffey (4-4) and Eddie Guardado, who earned his third save of the series.
Narron believes that the additions of Guardado and former Nationals Bill Bray and Gary Majewski to the bullpen give him the power and finesse to contend.
"We’re going to have a chance when we have close games or we’re behind to keep it close and not have tack-on runs," Narron said. "I really love the depth we’ve got in the bullpen now."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/18/06

Measuring sticks

The New York Mets roll into Cincinnati with the best record in the National League

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>GREGORY SMITH ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo, right, said the Mets can score in more ways than just waiting for the homer. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Outfielder Carlos Beltran leads the Mets with 26 home runs. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — Lightning and baseball-size hail followed the thunder generated by the New York Mets in the sixth inning Sunday in Chicago.
The Mets blew away the Chicago Cubs by hitting two grand slams and scoring 11 runs during the biggest inning in franchise history. Even with the wind blowing out in Wrigley Field, the sudden outburst still stunned the Cubs and furthered the reputation of the Mets as the most dangerous offensive team in the National League.
"They’re deadly," Reds pitcher Eric Milton said. "If you don’t have your good stuff and you make mistakes, a lineup like that will bury you and that’s what they’re made to do."
And they’re coming to Great American Ball Park tonight to begin a three-game series with the Reds. The challenge that New York presents holds a David-and-Goliath feel for Cincinnati beyond the obvious $40 million difference in team payrolls.
The Mets (55-37) have the best record in the NL and are running away with the East. The Reds are 49-44 after a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies. They trail the St. Louis Cardinals by four games in the Central but entered last night leading the wild-card standings by 2½ games.
When the season started, playing in the postseason didn’t seem to be a possibility in Cincinnati. New York, on the other hand, had upgraded its roster so much in two seasons under general manager Omar Minaya that a World Series berth looked likely.
"You could see that they had plenty of money to spend with the new TV contract coming up and they were spending it," Reds GM Wayne Krivsky said. "And I think they spent it pretty wisely. It’s one thing to spend it. But you have to spend it on the right guys."
The Mets hired Minaya in September 2004 with the idea of strengthening the team to coincide with the launching of its new television network. For ’05, he hired manager Willie Randolph and landed high-profile free agents in pitcher Pedro Martinez and outfielder Carlos Beltran.
Minaya followed those coups in the offseason by taking advantage of the latest Florida Marlins’ fire sale. He traded minor-league prospects for catcher Paul Lo Duca and first baseman Carlos Delgado. He also signed free-agent closer Billy Wagner.
Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo noticed the activity most when Martinez, his friend and former teammate with the Boston Red Sox, signed with the Mets.
"Omar Minaya, I think was like, ‘Here you go, Pedro. Whatever you want, man, I’m getting it for you. We’re going to spend the money. We’re going to try to win,’ " Arroyo said. "You’ve got to tip your hat to a guy that wants to win."
How good were the Mets? Martinez, Beltran, Lo Duca, third baseman David Wright, shortstop Jose Reyes and pitcher Tom Glavine were named to the NL All-Star team. Arroyo was the only Reds player in Pittsburgh for the game. In June, Arroyo faced and beat the Mets 4-2. He could see why so many people view the New York lineup as comparable with the top American League offenses.
"Yeah, but they’re not a traditional American League lineup because they’ve got some guys that can do some other things," Arroyo said. "Guys like LoDuca can put the ball on the ground and bunt and run. They steal a lot of bags. Reyes is a speedster, so they don’t just bash you.
"They’re an all-around team. They’re closer to the Chicago White Sox probably than the Yankees or the Red Sox. The White Sox can do more things. They hit-and-run and put pressure on you in different ways."
The Reds have changed greatly since Arroyo faced the Mets in June in Shea Stadium. Krivsky traded outfielder Austin Kearns and shortstop Felipe Lopez to the Washington Nationals last week in an eight-player deal that added shortstop Royce Clayton and relief pitchers Bill Bray and Gary Majewski to the Reds.
Krivsky also acquired closer Eddie Guardado from the Seattle Mariners in a less controversial deal. Reds manager Jerry Narron knows that every pitcher on the team is going to have his hands full.
"They’ve got the best lineup in the National League," he said. "Carlos Beltran might be the best player in all of baseball. He knows what it’s like to be in a pennant race. But that’s why we’re out here, to compete against the best and the best clubs we’ve seen are the White Sox, Tigers and Mets."
[email protected]

 

[Dryden]

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060716/SPT04/607160405/1071/SPT

It's true: Harang joins elite K artists
BY JOHN ERARDI | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

All of a sudden - to casual fans, anyway, if not to the cognoscenti - Aaron Harang (10-6) has become one of the best pitchers in the National League.

And, surprise, surprise, he is among the league leaders in strikeouts.

Harang, he of the easy pitching motion so reminiscent of former Big Red Machine starter Jack Billingham (two 19-victory seasons with Cincinnati), is near the top of the K'ing of the Hill in the National League. His seven K's Friday night give him 127. Carlos Zambrano added seven K's Saturday in the Cubs' 9-2 win over the Mets to retake the National League lead with 131.

Who'd a thunk it?

"It is a surprise," Harang admitted. "I try not to think too much about it. You execute your pitches, get ahead of guys, make good pitches on two-strike counts - they're going to add up."

Harang is a lot like Bronson Arroyo in that their strikeouts often come as a result of the way they set up hitters. Not just in that particular at-bat that results in the K, but in the at-bats leading up to it.

Said Harang: "Set up a guy early and show them that you can throw your breaking ball or changeup for a strike, and maybe later in the game you don't have to throw it for a strike - just something close - they recognize and swing at."

If one were to base an analysis of Harang on the two strikeouts he got Friday night with men on second and third with one out in the seventh inning of a 3-0 game, one wouldn't be surprised that Harang is second in the league in K's.

The eyes of Reds closer Eddie Guardado about popped out of his head when he saw those punch-outs.

Said Guardado: "I was watching the game and, because I'm new, I didn't know what he threw, so I asked (David) Weathers, 'Splittie?' (Split-fingered fastball). He said, 'Nope, sliders.' Wow. It dives like crazy. That's a nasty pitch. But, you know what? When you throw a lot of strikes, and you can throw all your pitches for strikes, the (hitters) are defensive and they don't know what's coming. When the hitters know you can throw any pitch at any time for a strike, it's a big advantage to the pitcher."

Harang said his slider has improved. "I've always had a pretty good one, but I'm getting on top of it, driving it down instead of cutting it to the side," he said.

He said he is not trying to strike out hitters.

"I'm just trying to keep the ball down and make a pitch that the hitters can't square up," he said. "Something they are going to get jammed on, or hit off the end of the bat or hopefully hit a groundball in those situations."

Said Reds pitching coach Tom Hume: "When you're trying to get the guys out as early as you can, the strikeouts will come."

"(Harang) can throw 93 or 94 (mph), but he only does it every once in a while," Hume said. "That slider of his is a devastating pitch that goes almost straight down. What coaches of other teams have told me is, 'This guy is one of the best pitchers in the league.' That's not his reputation on the whole, but he probably likes that."

EVERYDAY EDDIE: The other night, after his first save, Guardado said that "anybody can hit me," meaning that he doesn't often throw the ball by people.

"Usually, when you really, really, need that strikeout, it doesn't happen," he said. "When you don't need one, it happens. About all you can do is get ahead and bear down. What I tell myself is, 'I've got to really locate this pitch and make sure he swings at my pitch.'"

As he did Thursday, striking out Todd Helton (potential tying run) in the ninth with a man on second with two outs and a two-run lead to record his first save as a Red.

"I got lucky there, because he's a pretty good hitter," Guardado said. "He fouled off a lot of pretty good pitches, and I thought, 'Maybe I'll come up a little bit.' I didn't want to get quite that high, but I got lucky and he swung at it."

 

[Tipdogusaf]

How much longer till we can get rid of Eric "home run" Milton?

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/19/06

One swing KO’s Reds

Beltran’s grand slam off Milton makes close game blowout win for Mets

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>AL BEHRMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado dives for a base hit by the Reds’ Royce Clayton in the second inning. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>TONY TRIBBLE ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>The Reds’ Brandon Phillips, right, almost collides with Royce Clayton as he catches a ball hit by the Mets’ Jose Valentin. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — The New York Mets came to Great American Ball Park last night advertised as the best offensive show this side of the American League and didn’t do anything to tarnish that image while pounding out an 8-3 victory over the Reds.
Along the way, the Mets demonstrated how a first-place team takes a mile for every fraction of an inch anyone gives them. The Reds couldn’t accomplish the same while seeing their four-game winning streak swirl down the drain on the strength of a seventh-inning Carlos Beltran grand slam.
Cincinnati starter Eric Milton (6-5) was the victim of the slam that ultimately turned a 3-2 New York lead into a laugher.
"It came down to the one at-bat," Milton said. "If I get that guy (Beltran) out, it ends up I pitched pretty good and maybe we win the game. But it didn’t happen that way. It came down to that one pitch and it was (bleep)."
Even though the Mets didn’t exactly light up Milton through the first six innings, they made the most of the three hits he issued to that point.
Xavier Nady and Jose Valentin each homered, and Paul Lo Duca followed a walk to Jose Reyes in the sixth inning with a run-scoring double.
"The one at-bat I didn’t like was early in the game where Valentin hit the home run off (Milton) with two outs and the pitcher on deck," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "But I know for us to really contend the rest of the way and make the postseason, Eric Milton has to pitch well for us. There’s no question about it."
Down 3-0 in the sixth, the Reds finally dented the scoreboard against New York rookie starter Mike Pelfrey (2-0) with a run-scoring groundout by Brandon Phillips and an RBI single from Royce Clayton.
The Mets wasted no time answering in the seventh. Nady opened the inning with a single and Valentin reached on a bunt hit that catcher Jason LaRue nearly caught in the air but couldn’t handle.
Eli Marrero bunted to move the runners up. Milton, however, looked like he might escape when he retired Reyes on a tapper in front of the plate that LaRue pounced on and threw to first. What followed settled the game.
Lo Duca drew a four-pitch walk before Beltran drove an 0-and-1 pitch into the upper deck in left for his second grand slam in two games.
"(Milton) has had some success against Lo Duca," Narron said. "Beltran can hit anybody, shoot. It was going to be a left-hander to face him there. It was going to be (Bill) Bray or Miltie.
"I went with my heart. It’s a 3-2 game and I guess I can say I got burned with it. But we have a lot of guys that show a lot of heart and I tried to repay it. I thought he deserved a shot at it."
The Reds offense struggled all night. Pelfrey escaped trouble in the first three innings by inducing double-plays on onehop hot shots. Two came off the bat of Ken Griffey Jr. Pelfrey also struck out Adam Dunn with two on and two outs in the seventh.
After the Beltran slam, the Reds tried to fight back. Dunn delivered a two-out RBI single in the seventh. Rich Aurilia led off the eighth with a double, his third hit of the night, but the New York bullpen stranded him at second.
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Dispatch

7/19/06

REDS NOTEBOOK

Freel might return to lineup after resting sore shoulder

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI — A sore right shoulder kept Reds utility man Ryan Freel out of the lineup for the first four games of this homestand and he was feeling antsy before the game last night against the New York Mets.
"It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve played," Freel said. "We’re winning. It’s a lot easier sitting on the bench when we’re winning."
Manager Jerry Narron has indicated that Freel could start in right field tonight and definitely would play Thursday.
With the trade last week of Austin Kearns to the Washington Nationals, Freel and Chris Denorfia figure to split time in right.
"Jerry mentioned that (the trade) was going to open the door as far as more playing time for me," Freel said. "There’s not a label of a right fielder now that has to play every day. We’ll see what happens. But I hope they don’t forget that I can play infield, too."
High number

New Reds closer Eddie Guardado said that his son, Niko, 9, came up with the idea for him to wear No. 81. Guardado wore No. 18 throughout his career but discovered that the Reds had retired the number in honor of Ted Kluszewski.
"I was figuring out on the plane what number I wanted to be," Guardado said. "Actually, my little son, Niko, said ‘Why don’t you be 81?’ I’m like, ‘81? Why not?’ I was going to come in backwards, but they wouldn’t let me."
Case closed

The Milwaukee County, Wis., district attorney’s office informed pitcher Brian Shackelford yesterday that it will not pursue a third-degree sexual assault charge filed against him by a woman this month. Shackelford, who was arrested after a game against the Brewers on July 5, since has been optioned to triple-A Louisville.
M * A * S * H notes

Brandon Claussen (left shoulder) missed his scheduled medical rehabilitation start Monday with Louisville because of back spasms.
"He bent over to pick a bag up and felt a twinge in his back," trainer Mark Mann said. "He woke up Monday and he had a significant degree of soreness in his low back. We’re trying to do everything we can to alleviate that. Once he can, he will throw a bullpen with (pitching coach) Tom Hume."
Pitcher Paul Wilson (right shoulder) will start for the Bats on Thursday. Mann said that Wilson is scheduled to throw 90 to 100 pitches. Wilson reached 84 to 87 mph in his rehabilitation start for Class-A Sarasota last week. "It’s the best that it’s been so far coming off surgery," Mann said. "It’s the hardest he’s thrown to date."
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Dispatch

7/20/06

REDS 7 METS 4

Bullpen strong as Reds rally for victory

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI — The baseball forecast didn’t look particularly bright for the Reds last night even before the first of two strong thunderstorm cells struck Great American Ball Park in the bottom of the second inning.
The New York Mets already held a 4-0 lead over Cincinnati when the umpires ordered the tarp onto the field. A second downpour would come and go before play resumed two hours and 23 minutes later.
The break rejuvenated the Reds, who rallied to a 7-4 victory in front of the remnants of a crowd of 26,300 that included actor Tom Hanks, comedian Dennis Miller and director Ron Howard.
Jason LaRue delivered the winning hit with a two-run double off Duaner Sanchez in the bottom of the eighth inning. Javy Valentin, whose brother Jose is the New York second baseman, added a pinch-RBI single.
The Cincinnati bullpen entered the game after the rain delay and pitched seven shutout innings. Todd Coffey (5-4), the sixth of seven pitchers, gained the victory. Eddie Guardado notched his fourth save.
The ending didn’t resemble the beginning. Cincinnati starter Aaron Harang suffered through a rare bad outing because of spotty control.
Paul Lo Duca touched him for a single in the first inning and went to third on a Carlos Beltran double. Harang struck out Carlos Delgado before David Wright hit a two-run single.
The second inning brought more trouble. Harang started the inning by walking Jose Valentin and hitting Xavier Nady with a pitch. Pitcher Steve Trachsel sacrificed the runners up and Jose Reyes increased the lead to 4-0 with a two-run single.
In the bottom of the second, a lightning flash signaled the approach of the rain and it hit full force moments after Scott Hatteberg lined a oneout single. After the delay, Harang didn’t return. Trachsel did but wasn’t nearly as effective.
The Reds began their comeback in the fourth when Hatteberg doubled. Brandon Phillips followed with an RBI single. After Royce Clayton singled, he and Phillips pulled off a double steal on a strike three pitch to LaRue.
Edwin Encarnacion then came through with a pinchsingle to drive in both runs and cut the New York lead to 4-3. Trachsel left after a walk to Ryan Freel, but Darren Oliver retired Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. to end the threat.
In the fifth, Rich Aurilia tied the score with a home run off Oliver. By that time the Cincinnati bullpen had settled into a rhythm.
Jason Standridge and David Weathers each pitched two scoreless innings. Kent Mercker also worked a perfect seventh with the help of a diving stop by Aurilia at third base to rob Beltran of a hit.
Newcomer Bill Bray ran into trouble in the eighth by surrendering a leadoff double to Delgado. He walked Cliff Floyd between strikeouts of Wright and Valentin. Coffey entered and retired Nady on a fly to Griffey in center.
During the delay, the Reds talked Hanks, Miller and Howard into entertaining the media. The three and a few other friends stopped in Cincinnati on a baseball-bus tour arranged by Hanks to celebrate his recent 50 th birthday.
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Dispatch

7/20/06

REDS NOTEBOOK
Dunn getting clutch hits
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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CINCINNATI — Adam Dunn doesn’t mind crunching baseballs. Crunching numbers, however, isn’t something that interests the big Reds left fielder. So don’t bother telling him that his batting average lately is .529 when hitting with runners in scoring position.
"I don’t pay attention to any of that stuff," Dunn said.
Yet he realizes that hits finally have started coming his way. Heading into the game last night against the New York Mets, he had raised his batting from .221 to .251. He also had nine hits in his last 17 at-bats with runners in scoring position and had driven in 16 runs.
"It’s just how this game works," Dunn said. "I haven’t gotten hot all year. This is the perfect time to get hot. But I’ve been feeling too good all year to be stinking like I have. I was hoping that it would just be a matter of time."
Dunn nodded when reminded that while "stinking" he had a team-leading 30 home runs and 65 RBI.
"I know, and that’s what stinks," he said. "I wish one time I could put it all together and see what happens. It would be fun."
Aurilia at third base

An 11-game hitting streak gained Rich Aurilia another start at third base for the Reds last night and kept Edwin Encarnacion on the bench next to manager Jerry Narron.
"(Aurilia) hit the ball well last night," Narron said. "It’s tough to get him out of there."
Narron said he isn’t worried about the 23-year-old Encarnacion getting stale.
"Eddie’s coming out early and working hard," Narron said. "He’s taking ground balls. Eddie’s going to be fine. It will work out over the next couple of months."
Encarnacion will start the series finale today against left-hander Tom Glavine.
Short hops

Paul Wilson (right shoulder) will start tonight for triple-A Louisville. He is expected to throw between 90 and 100 pitches. "I’m excited to be throwing," Wilson said. "We’ve gone up (in velocity) to the mid-80s. It’s not mid-90s where I’d like it. But it’s the same thing. You sink it, change speeds and figure out a guy’s weaknesses and pitch." … Brandon Claussen (left shoulder) hopes to throw a bullpen as soon as Friday. Claussen was scratched from a rehab start Monday because of a stiff lower back.
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Dispatch

7/21/06

Reds drop ball with chance to take series

Missed opportunities in field, at bat mark loss

Friday, July 21, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI — A good deal more than the tip of Chris Denorfia’s baseball glove separated the Reds from the New York Mets yesterday afternoon in Great American Ball Park.
But since a last impression often is the first thing most people remember, the failed attempt by Denorfia to snag a 10 th-inning popup in right field became the focal point of the 4-2 loss to the Mets.
The play saw Denorfia and second baseman Brandon Phillips break toward a ball that pinchhitter Xavier Nady floated toward the foul line. Phillips looked as if he would make the catch but stopped short when Denorfia called for the ball on the dead run.
He dived, the ball fell for a double and the Mets took advantage of their first break of the game when Endy Chavez and Carlos Beltran produced two-out, run-scoring doubles.
"Brandon had it and (Denorfia) called him off," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "That’s just a young, aggressive mistake. But Dino really thought he had it, took charge and thought he was going to catch it."
Afterward, Denorfia still couldn’t believe that he didn’t.
"I’m probably calling that ball almost 10 times out of 10," Denorfia said. "I really thought I could get to that one. I know it’s a tough play for (Phillips) and a tough play for me, and I made a call. It hit right off the tip of my web."
Much of what happened on the muggy afternoon had the disquieting feel of something that hit right off the tip of everyone’s web in the Cincinnati clubhouse. The Reds wasted multiple opportunities to get Bronson Arroyo his 10 th win of the season in his sixth try. They loaded the bases with fewer than two outs without scoring in the sixth and seventh innings and were 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.
"It was pretty frustrating," first baseman Scott Hatteberg said. "We had opportunities but just couldn’t capitalize. It was our game to lose and we lost it."
Hatteberg was in the middle of the seventh-inning fizzle. He pinch-hit for Edwin Encarnacion against former Oakland teammate Chad Bradford with the bases loaded and one out. The second-hardest player in the National League to strike out fanned for only the 19 th time this season. He also went down swinging in the eighth..
"I had an opportunity," Hatteberg said. "One out, the bases loaded, I’ve got to get that guy in and didn’t do it. I had never faced him. It surprised me how slow his slider was. It was kind of an optical illusion it was so slow. I pride myself for putting the ball in play and he made a good pitch."
The Reds did have their moments in the game and in the series. Ryan Freel tied the score at 2 in the fifth with a two-run double against Tom Glavine. Despite surrendering home runs to Cliff Floyd and Carlos Delgado, Arroyo dominated the powerful New York lineup. He retired 14 of the final 15 hitters he faced and finished the afternoon with eight strikeouts.
"In my opinion, and it’s my opinion, (New York) is by heads and shoulders the best team in the league," Hatteberg said. "We stood right there with them and could have taken two out of three. It could give us some confidence. It was a good series other than that."
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Dispatch

7/21/06

REDS NOTEBOOK
Arroyo likes Reds’ chances to come from behind, win
Friday, July 21, 2006
Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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CINCINNATI — Bronson Arroyo took a sixth shot at winning his 10 th game for the Reds yesterday but couldn’t do it despite limiting the New York Mets to two runs in eight innings.
Despite the disappointment, he likes what he is seeing from the team since it returned from the All-Star break.
"At certain points of the year when you’re down two runs like we were today and you’ve got a guy like (Tom) Glavine who’s throwing a good game, you feel like maybe you’re out of the game," Arroyo said.
"It hasn’t felt like that since the All-Star break. We feel like we’ve got a chance every night, even if it’s deep in the game and we’re down by two or three. Right now, the way we’re playing is definitely a positive."
With two outs and runners on second and third in the sixth inning, Glavine walked Jason LaRue to get to Arroyo. Arroyo bunted, but Glavine fielded the ball and forced Edwin Encarnacion at home.
"I figured if (third baseman) David Wright was back, all I had to do was get it somewhat deep toward his vicinity and I knew I was going to be able to beat it out," Arroyo said. "I didn’t quite hit it as hard as I wanted to."
Late night

The Reds waited out a 2-hour, 23-minute rain delay Wednesday night before coming back to beat the Mets 7-4. The game featured seven shutout innings by the maligned Cincinnati bullpen.
LaRue hit a two-run double in the decisive eighth inning. He seemed happier about the job the bullpen did against the powerful offense of the Mets.
"That lineup’s got everything," LaRue said. "They’ve got power … speed. They hit and run. They bunt. It was outstanding to see the bullpen … shut their offense down."
LaRue had a green light to swing at a 3-and-0 pitch in the eighth and lined it into the left-field corner.
"I was looking for a fastball out over the plate, trying to get a sacrifice fly," he said. "I was just trying to get the ball out of the infield and it ended up being a double."
Short bench

The rain delay Wednesday meant that Reds manager Jerry Narron used his first pinchhitter in the second inning. After reserve catcher Javy Valentin batted in the eighth, Ryan Freel and Chris Denorfia became the injury backups.
Denorfia said he hadn’t caught since Little League.
"But I’ll strap it on if I have to," he said.
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