This Week in Cincinnati Reds Baseball

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Welcome to “This Week In Cincinnati Reds Baseball
It appears that no one was currently doing a dynasty report on the Reds and because it is a team I know very little about, it would be a good match. My plan is to complete an update week by week on the progress of the Reds and Major Baseball starting March 30, 2011.

My settings are as follows:
Trading: Hard
Injuries: High (Realistic Modern Day)
I will be using stats only for promotions, roster evaluation and trading, but will use scout ratings for the draft.
I will be acting as a GM only, and expecting the hired help to do their prescribed jobs.

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A quick overview of the 2011 Reds.

Owner Robert Castellini is not expected to be very patient and will be watching the budget closely. The Reds going into 2011 are expected to be a mid range team in respect to payroll and expenses. He is expecting to be a .500 ball team in 2011.

The opening day roster is as follows including 2010 stats.
SP Bronson Arroyo 34 years old, 17-10 3.88 ERA 33 starts
SP Mike Leake 23 years old, 8-4 4.23 ERA 22 starts
SP Sam Lecure 26 years old, 2-5 4.50 ERA 6 starts
SP Edinson Volquez 27 years old, 4-3 4.31 ERA 12 starts
SP Travis Wood 24 years old, 5-4 3.51 ERA 17 starts

MR Bill Bray 27 years old, 0-2 4.13 ERA in 35 relief appearences
MR Aroldis Chapman 23 years old, 2-2 2.03 ERA in 15 appearances
MR Matt Maloney 27 years old, 2-2 3.05 ERA in 7 games, 2 starts
MR Nick Masset 28 years old, 4-4, 2svs 3.40 ERA in 82 appearances.
MR Logan Ondrusek 26 years old, 5-0 3.68 ERA in 60 appearances.
MR Jordan Smith 3-2, 1 sv, 3.86 ERA in 37 appearances.
CL Francisco Cordero 6-5, 40 svs 3.84 ERA in 75 appearances.

C Ramon Hernandez 34 years old, 97 G .297 7HR 48RBIs
C Ryan Hanigan 30 years old, 70 G .300 5 40
1B Joey Votto, 27 years old, 150 G .324 37 113
2B Brandon Phillips, 29 years old, 155 G .275 18 59
3B Juan Francisco, 23 years old, 36G .273 1 7
3B Scott Rolen, 35 years old, 133 G, .285 20 83
SS Edgar Renteria, 35 years old, 72 G .276 3 22
SS Paul Janish, 28 years old, 82 G .260 5 25

LF Jeremy Hermida, 27 years old, 73 G .216 6 29 (between Boston and Oakland)
LF Chris Heisey, 26 years old, 97 G, .254 8 21
LF Jonny Gomes, 30 years old, 148 G .266 18 86
CF Drew Stubbs, 26 years old, 150 G .255 22 77
RF Jay Bruce, 23 years old, 148 G .281 25 70

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The Reds will be starting the season with 3 players that will be out until the end of April or early May.

SP Johnny Cueto, 25 year old 12-7 3.64 ERA in 31 starts.
SP Homer Bailey, 24 year old 4-3 4.46 ERA in 19 starts.
LF Fred Lewis, 30 year old 110 G .262 8 HR and 36 RBI's in Toronto

Some key players to watch this season from a management decision are:

C Ramon Hernandez, Ramon is 34 and on his last year of a $3,000,000 deal. It apeared last year that C Ryan Hanigan may be ready to be the full time catcher and if Ramon wants to remain a Red, he may have to lower his expectations on contract renewal. The Reds have a 22 year old kid in Louisville (AAA) who could be ready to step and take the back up role by the name of Devin Mesoraco and have veteran Corky Miller in AAA as well although at age 35 will be in a limited role.

SS Edgar Renteria, the aging vet was limited to 72 games in San Franscisco last year and is on his last year of his contract. Paul Janish will be given some opportunity to see this season to see if he can take a larger role and may see more then 200 ABs this season giving the veteran Renteria a fair share of days off. The scouts have high hopes for 25 year old Zack Cozart, he will start in AAA and may make the need to resign Renteria or look for a free agent un-necessary.

LF Jonny Gomes is in his final year of his contract as well. Gomes was the regular everyday OF for the Reds in 2010 but will have competition this season with Fred Lewis expected to be back in late April and a 25 year old in AAA Todd Frazier could have some say in his future as well.

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Thursday, March 31st, 2011- Owner Robert Castellini has upgraded his expectations to the Reds being a playoff team. The Reds prepare to host the Milwaukee Brewers in a 3 game series starting tomorrow, so the chase will begin.

Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects were published today, The Reds were empty handed in respect to the Top 10 with Bryce Harper of Washington, Mike Trout for the Angels and SP Jameson Taillon of the Pirates rounding out the top 3. The Reds organization was ranked 10th overall with SP Ismael Guillon (Rookie) ranked 26th, SP Kyle Lotzkar (A) ranked 44th ( a personal note, Kyle is a friend of my sons) and SS Billy Hamilton (A) ranked 46th rounding out Reds prospects in the Top 50.

Friday, April 1st- The Reds open the season with a 7-6 win over the Brewers. Cincinnati scored 3 in the 6th and made reliever Nick Massett (1-0) a winner before a opening day crowd of 41661. Fransisco Cordero obtained the save while Brandon Phillips provided most of the offense with a 2-5 afternoon which included the 3 run shot in the 6th to secure the win. Starter Edinson Volquez only lasted into the 4th and was tagged for 6 runs and 8 hits including a 3 run bomb from Prince Fielder, and solo shots from Richie Weeks and Casey McGehee. Joey Votto replied with a 3 run HR as well and Jay Bruce had a solo shot off Yovanni Gallardo (0-1) in the 3rd.

Around the Majors:

Dodgers Rod Barajas goes 3 for 5 with 2 HRs and 5 RBI's in a 10-5 loss to the Giants.

Mark DeRosa of the Giants has a 4 for 5 day with a HR and 4 RBI's against the Dodgers.

Jeff Francis of the Royals goes 8 strong innings holding the Angels to 5 hits in a 2-0 win.

Saturday, April 2nd - The Reds open 2-0 on the season with a 4-3 win against the Brewers. Edgar Renteria facing John Axford with Ryan Hanigan on 2nd hits a walk off single between 3B and SS to score Hanigan as he beat out the throw from LF Ryan Braun. Bronson Arroyo went 8 innings giving up 2 hits and 1 run but helped his own cause with a 2 run HR in the 2nd off Shaun Marcum. For Arroyo, that was his 6th career dinger. Fransisco Cordero (1-0) came on in the top of the 9th and gave up 2 runs to the Brewers and blew the save, but eventually was given credit for the win. Scott Rolen added a solo shot in the 6th as well for the Reds.

Around the Majors:

Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers gets the win with a 8 IP, 2 hit, 0 ER effort against the Yankees and a 3-2 win.

Oaklands Trevor Cahill went into overtime to secure a 3-1 win over the Mariners. Cahill pitched 9.1 innings of 5 hit baseball including 9 Ks.

Dan Johnson of the Tampa Bay Rays went 2 for 3 with 2 HRs and 3 RBI's in a 3-2 win over the Orioles.

Sunday April 3rd, the Brewers got 7 runs in the 6th inning to pound the Reds 11-2. Milwaukee hitters had 12 hits including Richie Weeks 2nd and 3rd home runs of the season and tagged Travis Wood (0-1) for the loss. Wood threw 92 pitches and left in the 6th after an 1B Joey Votto error on a ground ball that allowed the Brewers to score Prince Fielder from third and George Kottras from second. Brewers starter Randy Wolf (1-0) went 7 innings and allowed only 6 hits while striking out 6. Rickie Weeks finished the 3 game series hitting .357 with 3 HRs and 7 RBI's.

Around the Majors:

Atlanta's Jason Heyward went 4 for 6 including 2 doubles and 3 RBI's in a 10-5 win over the Nats.

Jorge de la Rosa of the Colorado Rockies went 8 innings of 3 hit ball includiing 7 Ks in a 8-3 win against the Dbacks.

After week one the Reds are 2-1 and are tied with the Cubbies for 1st place in the NL Central. Jay Bruce is amoung the leaders hitting going 5 for 9 to start the season.

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Monday April 4th, an off day for the Reds as they await the arrival of the Houston Astros (0-3).

Around the Majors:

Jason Vargas of the Seattle Mariners went 8 innings and held the Texas Rangers to 2 hits in a 1-0 win.

Yankees Mark Teixeira went 3 for 4 with a pair of dingers in a losing cause to the Twins by a score of 5-3.

Jake Westbrook of the St Louis Cardinals pitched 7.2 innings while only giving up a hit while striking out 6 in a 3-1 win over the Pirates.

Tuesday, April 5th, the Reds pound the Astros for 15 hits but narrowly defeat the winless club 5-4. Scott Rolen doubled to left center scoring Joey Votto from 1st for the walk off run in the bottom of the 9th giving Brandon Lyon (0-2) the loss. The Reds had tied the game in the 7th at 4-4 and Logan Ondrusek (1-0) came on in the 9th striking out 2 for the win. Reds starter Mike Leake went 6 innings giving up 4 ERs on 7 hits. For Scott Rolen, that was his 3rd double of the game going 4 for 5 and 2 RBI's.

Around the Majors:

Boston's Jed Lowrie had a 2 for 4 day with both hits be HRs and added 6 RBI's in a 9-2 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Braves pitcher Brandon Beachy went 8 strong innings striking out 6 and allowing only 2 hits in a 4-0 win over the Brewers.

Mark Trumbo of the Los Angeles Angels had 2 HRs and 4 RBI's in a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Wednesday April 6th- The Astros win their 1st game of the season at the expense of the Reds in a 5-3 win. Some bad news for the Reds as Edinson Volquez was injured during the game as he left in the 7th with a 2-1 lead. The Reds expect to hear a diagnosis later this week. Nick Masset (1-1) was credited with the loss as he was responsible for the based loaded jam that Bill Bray came into the game to face in the 8th. With based loaded, Carlos Lee who came on as a pinchhitter hit a Grand Slam to seal the win, his first homer of the season.

Around the Majors:

Yankee's Robinson Cano had a 4 for 4 day including a pair of doubles and a home run during a 9-4 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Freddie Freeman raised his batting average to .476 with 3 for 4 game in a 9-5 win over the Brewers.

Giants ace Tim Lincecum went 8 innings to improve to 2-0 with a 4 hit, 7 K performance in a 3-0 win over the Padres.

Thursday, April 7th- the Houston Astros defeat the Reds for the 2nd straight game with a 8-4 victory. Not only did the Reds lose the game but Reds Brandon Phillips left todays game in the 1st after injuring himself while running after hitting a double. The Reds hope to hear more about the injury later this week. Astros 1B Brett Wallace had 3 hits while Carlos Lee hit his 2nd HR in as many games while knocking in 3 Astros in the win. Reds Jonny Gomes had 3 hits in a losing cause including his 1st HR of the season. C Roman Hernandez added his 1st of the season as well in the 5th. It was a tough afternoon for SP Sam LeCure (0-1) as the 26 year old only lasted 2 innings giving up 6 ERs and 6 hits. Aneury Rodriquez starter got the win (1-0) going 5 innings and giving up 4 ERs.

Around the Majors:

Ty Wigginton of the Rockies got his 1st and 2nd HRs of the season during a 14-6 win over the Pirates, Wigginton added 4 RBI's as well.

Former Jay and now Brewer SP Shaun Marcum went 7 solid innings in a 3-0 win over the Braves getting his 1st win as a Brewer.

Jason Giambi said that 40 is the old 30 when he went 4 for 5 for the Rockies against the Pirates.

Friday, April 8th -the Reds (3-3) travelled to Chase Field to face the Arizona Diamondbacks (2-4) in a 3 game set. The Reds only get 4 hits, but the one that was needed was a Ryan Hanigan single between SS and 3B to score Paul Janish in a 1-0 win over the DBacks. Reds SP Bronson Arroyo (1-0) gave up 4 hits over 7 innings for the win. Fransisco Cordero came on in the 9th and struck out 2 of the 3 he faced for his 2nd save of the season. Arizona SP Daniel Hudson (0-1) was solid as well as he spread 4 hits over 8 innings. Over 48,000 attended this close affair.

After the game, it was announced that SP Edinson Volquez was assigned to the 60 day disabled list due to a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. The elbow injury is expected to keep in out of the line-up for the remainder of the season. Volquez was 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 2 starts. With Bailey still 2 weeks away, the Reds call up Dontrelle Willis. Willis has only 1 start in AAA this season, one that lasted 2 innings but was 1-2 4.98 ERA in 8 starts for the Tigers last season.

Around the Majors:

Jered Weaver of the Angels improved to 2-0 on the season with a 9 inning 4 hit and 11 strike out effort over the Blue Jays in a 7-1 win.

White Sox's Carlos Quentin had his 2nd HR of the season while going 3 for 4 and 4 RBI's in a 9-2 win over the Rays.

Detroit's Max Scherzer spread out 4 hits over 8 innings while sitting down 9 on strikes in a losing effort to the Royals by a 2-0 score.

Saturday, April 9th- the Reds lose in extra innings 6-5 to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Despite 13 hits from the Reds, it was a bases loaded walk given up by Fransico Cordero (1-1) with 2 out in the bottom of the 10th to Justin Upton that allowed Kelly Johnson to score. J J Putz (2-0) pitched the top of the 10th for the win. Reds SP Travis Wood went 6 1/3 innings scattering 4 hits and left the game with the lead. Justin Upton was the go to guy for the Dbacks with his 3rd and 4th homers of the season while adding 5 RBI's.

Team Trainers for the Reds informed the Brandon Phillips that his fibula is in fact fractured and he is expected to be out until July or August. The 29 year old 2B was hitting .333 1 HR and 4 RBI's in his first 6 games this season and will go on the 60 day DL. The Reds have called up veteran Miguel Cairo from AAA Louisville. The 36 year old infielder was 4 for 9 so far in the minors with 2 RBIs.

Around the Majors:

Ricky Nolasco of the Florida Marlins went 9 innings of 7 hit ball while improving to 2-0 and a misicule 0.57 ERA in a 6-0 win over Houston.

Washington's John Lannan pitched 8 innings while holding the Mets to 3 hits in a 4-0 win.

Sunday, April 10th- The Reds fall 6-2 to the Diamondbacks this evening as David Hernandez (1-0) had a quality start with a 7 inning 4 hit and 8 K effort. Reds SP Mike Leake (0-1) gave up 6 runs over 5 1/3 innings for the loss. CF Drew Stubbs did add his 1st HR of the season in the loss. The injury bug has hit again as Reds reliever Jordan Smith left the game with an injury while pitching in the 8th. No word from the Reds medical staff as to the seriousness of the injury.

Around the Majors:

Former MVP Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins had a 4 for 4 day including his 4th and 5th homers of the season in a 4-3 win over Oakland.

Baltimore's Derrick Lee had a 2 HR, 4 RBI game in beating Texas 7-6. Lee is hitting .471 with 3 HRs so far this season.

John Bowker of the Pittsburg Pirates had a 2 HR 3 RBI game today. In the 6-5 win over Colorado, the 27 year old LF increased to 3 HRs on the season.

After the week, the Reds fall to 4-5 and trail the Cardinals and Cubs by 1 game in the NL Central. Bronson Arroyo is 1-0 with a sparkling 0.60 ERA in his first two starts.

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Monday, April 11th- The Reds open a series with the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park. The Reds lose a close one 1-0 courtesy of a Nick Hundley line drive RBI single in the 4th. Sam LeCure (0-2) unfortunately had a good effort go to waste as he was strong for 5 1/3 innings, but Padre SP Cory Luebke (1-0) was simply better. Luebke scattered 5 hits over 8 innings for the win.

The Reds found out that MR Jordan Smith (0-0 1.80 ERA in 3 appearances) with be out with a sprained shoulder joint for 2-3 months, they have place him on the 60 day disabled list and called up MR Joseph Krebs. The 26 year old lefty (1-0 1.50 ERA in 4 appearances in AAA) was placed on the active roster.

Tuesday, April 12th- The Reds get back on the winning side with a 3-1 win over the Padres in game 2 of the series. The key blow was a 2-Run Home Run by Joey Votto in the 6th off of Tim Stauffer (0-3). The Padres SP pitcher continues with his hard luck as he remains winless in 3 starts despite his 3.38 ERA. Dontrelle Willis (1-0) got the win in his first Reds start since being called up. He was solid over 7 innings and Nick Masset got his 1st save of the season.

Wednesday, April 13th- The Reds could not find an answer for Padre SP Clayton Richard (1-0). Richard held the Reds to 1 hit over 8 innings and Heath Bell pitched the 9th for his 4th save in a 3-0 win over the Reds. Bronson Arroyo (1-1) continues to pitch well (1.23 ERA) and went 7 innings giving up 7 hits and 3 runs.

Thursday, April 14th- day off for the Reds.

Friday, April 15th- The Reds open a 3 game series with the Pirates (5-8)at home. Unfortunately for the Reds it was not a good home coming as the Pirates defeat the Reds 2-0. Both teams only allowed 3 hits in this pitchers duel. The game was remained scoreless until the top of the 9th when Andrew McCutchen scored on a Pedro Alvarez single to centre field with 2 out off of Nick Masset (1-2). Chris Snder would later score on a Fransisco Cordero wild pitch. Neither starter hung around long enough for the decision as Reds SP Travis Wood went 7 2/3 innings giving up only 1 hit while Pirates SP Charlie Morton went 6 2/3 innings and 3 hits. Chris Resop (2-1) came on in the 7th to get the win while Joel Hanrahan pitched the 9th for his 4th save. Fransisco Cordero left the game in the 9th with what appeared to be a minor injury.

Around the Majors:

38 year old Chipper Jones of the Atlanta Braves gets hit 2500 in a 5-1 win over the New York Mets. Jones has a .305 career batting average and 437 career homers.

Saturday, April 16th- the Cincinnati Reds struggles continue after a 9-2 loss to the Pittsburg Pirates. Reds SP Mike Leake (0-2) got pounded for 5 runs in 5 innings while the Reds could only muster 2 runs against Pirates SP Jeff Karstens (1-2). John Bowker got his 4th HR of the season off of Leake in the 5th, while Ronny Cedeno added his 1st of the season in the 5th as well off of Leake. Joey Votto was the bright spot for the Reds getting his 3rd and 4th HRs of the season, both solo shots on Karstens.

Sunday, April 17th- The losing streak continues to 4 in a row with another home loss to the Pirates. The Pirates scored in 4 of the first 5 innings to walk away with a 8-4 victory. Pittsburg SP James McDonald (2-1) held the Reds to 6 hits over 7 innings while striking out 7. Reds SP Sam LeCure (0-3) struggles continue as he was tagged for 9 hits, 3 ERs over 3 innings increasing his ERA to 8.44. Lyle Overbay (2) and Pedro Alvarez (2) homered for Pittsburg while Joey Votto (5) and Jay Bruce (2) hit solo shots.

The Reds finish the week with a 5-10 record and last in the NL Central, 4 1/2 games back of the Cards (10-6).

Around the Majors:

Melky Cabrera was named the player of the week in the AL. The Royals CF is currently hitting .390 with 3 HRs and 11 RBI's.

Cardinals CF Colby Rasmus was selected as the NL player of the week. The 24 year old is currently hitting .338 with 8 HRs and 21 RBI's.

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Monday, April 18th-Cincinnati finally break the losing streak in a 2-1 win over the Pirates in 12 innings. With the score tied at 1-1, Ryan Hanigan doubled to right center that scored Drew Stubbs from 1st base to score the winning run off of Chris Resop (2-2). Resop came on in the 10th and had 2 outs when Hanigan hit the game winning hit. Pirates SP Ross Ohlendorf went 7 strong innings giving up 4 hits while Bronson Arroyo's line score was identical. Bill Bray (1-0) pitched the top of the 12th to get the win.

Tuesday, April 19th- The Arizona Diamondbacks (7-8)came to town and defeated the Reds 6-3. Arizona had a big 3 run inning in the top of the 4th that was the difference. SP Dontrelle Willis (1-1) had loaded the bases with one out and gave up a 2 RBI single to Stephen Drew. Later in the inning with a runner on 3rd, Willis gave up a SAC Fly to Justin Upton to score another run. Arizona SP Daniel Hudson improved to (1-1) with a 7 inning 5 hit effort. JJ Putz came on in the 9th to get his 3rd save of the season. Ryan Roberts got his 1st HR of the season for the Dbacks, while Justin Upton added his 5th. For the Reds, Joey Votto had his 6th and Jay Bruce added his 3rd, a 2 Run shot in the 1st inning.

Wednesday, April 20th- the losses continue to pile up for the Reds in a 11-7 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona pounded 16 hits while the Reds did show some offense as well with 12 hits. Arizona SP Joe Saunders (1-2) went 6 innings giving up 8 hits, while Reds SP Travis Wood (0-2) only lasted 4 innings after giving up 10 hits. Dbacks Ryan Roberts homered for the second day in row, his 2nd of the season. Jonny Gomes had a 2 run HR, his 2nd of the season and Miguel Cairo had his 1st HR, a solo shot in the 6th. Ramon Hernandez suffered and injury while running the bases, Reds training staff would not comment on the seriousness of the injury.

Thursday, April 21st - Cincinnati beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 this afternoon in a low hitting affair. The story of the game was Mike Leake's (1-2) complete game 2 hitter while striking out 8 Dbacks. Arizona SP Barry Enright was solid as well as he held the Reds to 4 hits over 6 1/3 innings. Mike Leake improved his ERA to 4.97 on the season in 4 starts.

Friday, April 22nd - Cincinnati travelled to St Louis (11-8) to play the Cardinals. The 1st game was a high scoring affair with the Cards winning 10-9 powered by a 7 run 5th inning. Both Albert Pujols (4th) and Tyler Greene (3rd) homered in the 5th, Pujols a 2 run shot off of Sam LeCure and Greene's a 3 run bomb off of Aroldis Chapman (0-1). LeCure's struggles continued as he went 4 2/3 innings giving up 11 hits and 9 runs. Cardinals MR Ryan Franklin (1-0) was credited with the win. Jason Motte came on in the 9th to get his 6th save. Reds Drew Stubb had his 2nd HR of the season in the 4th.

Saturday, April 23rd-another frustrating day for the Reds and another loss. The St Louis Cardinals defeat the Reds 4-0 this evening before over 39,000 in attendance at Busch Stadium. The Reds were held to 2 hits by Cards SP Chris Carpenter (2-1) in a complete game shut out. Another good performance by Reds SP Bronson Arroyo (1-2) as he held the Cards to 8 hits over 7 innings giving up 4 ER's. Colby Rasmus continued to stay torrid hot early this season with his 9th homer off of Arroyo in the 7th.

After the gamethe Reds announced they have demoted SP Sam LeCure to AAA Louisville. LeCure was (0-3) with a 10.57 ERA in 4 starts for the Reds and they have activated SP Homer Bailey from the disabled list.

Sunday, April 24th -St Louis beats the Reds 4-3 this evening. St Louis scored 3 in the 1st inning and held on for the victory. Lance Berkman welcomed Homer Bailey back from the DL with a 3 run shot in the 1st with 2 out. The Reds did fight back and score 3 of their own in the 7th, but it was not enough. Reds SP Homer Bailey (0-1) went 6 innings in his first start of the season throwing 73 pitches, he was tagged for 4 hits and 4 ERs. Cards SP Kyle McClellan (2-3) went 8 solid innings giving up 3 ERs on 8 hits, Jason Motte came on in the 9th for his 7th save. For Berkman, that was his 4th HR of the season, Albert Pujols had his 5th in the 3rd inning off of Bailey.

After the game it was announced that C Ramon Hernandez was added to the 15 day disabled list due to a quadriceps strain, he is expected to be out of the line-up for about a month. C Corky Miller was promoted from AAA Louisville, the 35 year old veteran was hitting .222 in 3 games in AAA.

Around the Majors:

Royals 3B Alex Gordon was this weeks player of the week in the AL. Gordon went 11 for 23 with a pair of homers and improved his average to .320 with 3HRs and 15 RBIs on the season.

The NL's Player of the week was Washington Nationals LF Mike Morse. Morse also went 11 for 23 with three home runs and his hitting .313 with 4 HRs and 16 RBI's on the season.

The Reds fall to 7-15 on the season and will head to Milwaukee to face the Brewers (9-13) on Monday.

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Monday, April 25th-the Milwaukee Brewers defeat the Reds 12-7. The Brewers were led by SS Yuniesky Betancourt who went 3 for 4 with a HR and 3 RBI's. Betancourt hit his 2nd HR of the season off of Dontrelle Willis (1-2) in the 2nd. George Kottras with his 2nd and Mark Kotsay with his 2nd also homered for the Brewers. Jay Bruce had a good day at the plate for the Reds with a 3 for 5 day including his 4th HR of the season. SP Chris Naveson (2-0) got the win for the Brewers going 6 2/3 while Willis only survived 3 innings after surrendering 7 hits and 5 ERs before giving way to the Red bullpen.

Tuesday April 26th-Reds fall short again today with a 2-1 loss to the Brewers. Brewer SP Randy Wolf (3-2) kept Red hitters off balance over 8 innings giving up only 5 hits and 1 ER. Reds SP Travis Wood left the game in the 2nd inning, but Reds trainers indicated that they do not expect him to miss his next start. Matt Maloney (0-1) took the loss for the Reds as he came on in the 5th to pitch 3 innings and gave up both Milwaukee runs including CF Carlos Gomez's 2nd HR of the season in the 7th. While the Reds were held to only 5 hits in the ball game, the Brewers won despite only getting 3.

Wednesday April 27th- Cincinnati get back in the win column with a 6-1 win over the Brewers today. Reds SP Mike Leake (2-2) followed up his CG shutout of the Diamondbacks with another great outing going 8 1/3 innings and holding the Brewers to just 4 hits. Drew Stubbs, Joey Votto and Miguel Cairo all had 3 hits for the Reds. Brewers SP Yovanni Gallardo (1-4) took the loss went 7 innings in defeat.

After the game the Reds announced they have demoted SP Dontrelle Willis to AAA Louisville and activated SP Johnny Cueto from the disabled list. Willis had gone 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in 3 starts for the Reds. The 25 year old Cueto was 12-7 with a 3.64 ERA last season for the Reds in 31 starts.

Thursday April 28th- The Reds have the day off before they face the Florida Marlins (16-8) on Friday.

Friday April 29th- The Reds only needed 5 hits to defeat the Florida Marlins 3-1 today. All the offense came in the 2nd inning when 3B Scott Rolen hit a 2-run HR off of SP Josh Johnson (4-2) and later in the inning 2B Miguel Cairo cashed in LF Chris Heisey from 2nd with an RBI single. Rolen had a 1-2 night which included his 2nd HR of the season, while Reds SP Johnny Cueto (1-0) made his season debut going 5 1/3 innings while giving up 6 hits and striking out 6 in 111 pitches of work. Johnson went 5 innings for the Marlins and Nick Masset came on in the 9th for his 2nd save.

After the game, the Reds announced that LF Jeremy Hermida was demoted to AAA Louisville today. the 27 year old had only had 5 AB in the Reds first 25 games this season to make room for 30 year old Fred Lewis to be activated from the D/L. Lewis went .262 with 8 HRs and 36 RBI's last season with the Toronto Blue Jays and had yet to play a game in a Cincinnati uniform.

Saturday April 30th-the Reds win streak came to a close as the Marlins rallied in the 8th to score 3 runs and overcome a 3-1 Red lead to win the game 4-3. Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez hit a 3 run HR in the 8th off of Fransisco Cordero (1-2) to seal the victory. For Ramirez that was his 4th HR of the season. Reds SP Bronson Arroyo again was solid allowing only 5 hits and 1 ER over 6 1/3 innings. Marlins SP Anibal Sanchez did not get the decision as he lasted 5 2/3 innings giving up 10 hits and 3 runs. Manny Corpas (1-0) was credited with the win while Ryan Webb got his 1st save of the season.

Sunday, May 1st- Cincinnati hitters opened the flood gates scoring 6 in the 2nd inning for a 10-2 win over the Florida Marlins today. The 6 run 6th was highlighted by a 3B Scott Rolen Grand Slam HR to straight away left field. For Rolen, that was his 3rd HR of the season, 2B Edgar Renteria got his 1st HR of the season and CF Drew Stubbs added is 3rd of the season in the 5th. Marlin PH Brett Hayes hit a solo shot in the 9th. Reds SP Homer Bailey (1-1) got the win after holding the Marlins to 3 hits over 7 innings. Marlins SP Clay Hensley only lasted 1 2/3 innings giving up 8 ERs and 7 hits.

The Reds finish off the week 10-18 .357 and find themselves 6 games back of the NL Central lead. The Reds will start a 3 game series with the Houston Astros (10-18) next week.

Around the Majors:

Detroit 1B Miguel Cabrera was selected AL player of the week with his 14 for 28 week. Cabrera is hitting .301 with 4 HRs and 13 RBIs this season.

The NL player of the week was Pablo Sandoval. The 24 year old Giants 3B was 10-22 this week and 4 HRs bringing his totals to .355 with 7 HRs and 26 RBI's.

[Big T]

Reds April in Review:

For the most part, the Reds will be happy to see April come and gone as no one was expecting a 10-18 start to the season. Both the Astros and Reds hold down last place in the NL Central. For the Reds a 3-9 road record is certainly alarming, but more specific is the 0-7 record against Lefties.

Offense is certainly the main issue as the Reds are 16th in the National League with a .228 batting average, 14th for runs scored and 15th in On-Base at .301.

Reds starting pitchers rank 11th in the National with 4.11 ERA, but with Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto recently coming back from injury, they should climb up the ladder in this department.

SP Bronson Arroyo 1-2 1.91 ERA 6 Starts
SP Homer Bailey 1-1 2.77 ERA 2 Starts
SP Johnny Cueto 1-0 0.00 ERA 1 Start
SP Mike Leake 2-2 4.01 ERA 5 Starts
SP Travis Wood 0-2 3.91 ERA 5 Starts

This group looks like it be a solid group if it can stay healthy, especially if Mike Leake can continue to pitch as well as he has in his past few starts (2-0, 17 1/3 innings, 6 hits, 1 ER and 11 Ks)

MR Nick Masset 1-2, 4.61 ERA 12 G 13.2 IP (2 saves)
MR Logan Ondrusek 1-0, 0.71 ERA 13 G 12.2 IP
CL Fransisco Cordero 1-2 3.00 ERA 14 G 15 IP (2 saves)

Both Masset and Ondrusek have been solid in the bullpen, in fact manager Dusty Baker has recently gone to Masset over Cordero in closing situations.

1B Joey Votto 104 AB .279 6 HR 14 RBI's
3B Scott Rolen 95 AB .231 3 HR 10 RBI's
SS Paul Janish 83 AB .277 0 HR 9 RBI's
RF Jay Bruce 98 AB .265 4 HR 11 RBI's

These four guys have been consistantly solid in the month of April but they will need some help in May if the Reds can expect to back into contention for a playoff spot.

Some guys in AAA that may get a look before the season is out are:

SP Matt Klinker 26 year old 3-1 2.33 ERA 6 Starts
1B Micheal Griffin 27 year old 93 AB, .323 2 HR 13 RBIs
SS Zack Cozart 25 year old, 87 AB, .218 3 HR 17 RBI's

Around the MLB:

Current playoff teams:
New York Yankees 19-9
Kansas City Royals 16-12
Los Angeles Angels 16-12
Boston Red Sox 16-12

Atlanta Braves 20-9
St Louis Cardinals 16-12
San Fransisco Giants 19-8
Florida Marlins 17-10

AL Batter of the Month: Rays Manny Ramirez .317 10 HRs 32 RBI's
NL Batter of the Month: Braves Jason Heyward .419 9 HRs 30 RBI's
AL Pitcher of the Month: Tigers Phil Coke, 5-0 2.45 ERA
NL Pitcher of the Month: Giants Tim Lincecum 5-0 2.11 ERA
AL Rookie of the Month: Jays Juan Miranda .227 6 HRs 13 RBIs
NL Rookie of the Month: Braves Brandon Beachy 4-0 0.98 ERA.

[Big T]

Monday, May 2nd-The Reds open the week with a 5-2 win over the Astros. Reds SP Travis Wood (1-2) was certainly a huge factor in the win by holding the Astros to 4 hits over 6 2/3 innings while striking out 6. LF Fred Lewis led the game off with a solo shot in the 1st, his 1st of the season while he had a 3 for 4 night. Houston SP Brett Myers (2-5) went 6 innings giving up 7 hits but was charged with 5 runs. Reds MR Nick Masset came on in the 9th to get his 3rd save of the season. MR Logan Ondrusek left the game with an undisclosed injury, the Reds hope to hear some updated news on his status later this week.

Tuesday, May 3rd- The Reds got another "W" in the win column today with a 4-3 win over the Astros. Dispite the hot effort of Astros CF Brian Bogusevic who had a 3 for 4 day at the plate and his 1st HR of the season. The Reds got HRs from 1B Joey Votto, his 7th and CF Chris Heisey his 1st of the season. Reds SP Mike Leake (3-2) continue to be effective with his 3rd straight 8 + inning effort while allowing on 3 ERs. Nick Masset came on in the 9th for his 4th save.
Wednesday, May 4th-The Reds complete the sweep of the Astros with a 7-4 win this afternoon before a crowd of over 22,000. The Reds required a 3 run walk off HR by pinch hitter Corky Miller to break the tie in the 9th. Despite a great day by Astros 1B Brian Dopirak who had a 3 for 5 day with a HR, they could not turn 15 hits into more offense. Reds SP Johnny Cueto only lasted 4 1/3 giving up 7 hits, while CL Fransisco Cordero blew his 3rd save opportunity before giving way to MR Joseph Krebs (1-0) to get the win.

Thursday, May 5th - an off day for the Reds as they prepare for a trip to Chicago (15-16) to face the Cubbies.

Friday, May 6th- The Reds win streak came to a screaching stop today when the Chicago Cubs beat Cincinnati 5-2 in 10 innings. A 3 Run walk off HR by SS Starlin Castro off of MR Nick Masset (1-3) was the difference. Unfortunately the loss spoiled another great SP Bronson Arroyo effort. Arroyo went 8 innings giving up only 4 hits and 2 runs as he went toe to toe with Cubs SP Ryan Dempster who allowed 5 hits and 2 ERs over 8 innings. For the Reds, LF Fred Lewis got his 2nd HR of the season, while Castro's game winner was his 1st of the season. LF Alfonso Soriano added his 6th HR of the season as well for the Cubs.

Saturday, May 7th- Cincinnati got a critical run in the top of the 9th to defeat the Cubs 3-2 today. It was CF Chris Heisey with a lead off solo shot off of MR Renyel Pinto that was the game winner. But the real star of the show for the Reds today was SP Homer Bailey (2-1). Bailey held the Cubs to 3 hits over 8 innings to get the win. Nick Masset came on in the 9th for his 5th save needing only 3 pitches. For Heisey, that was his 2nd HR of the season. RF Kosuke Fukodome replied with his 5th HR of the season in the 6th inning.

After the game, the Reds announced that MR Logan Ondursek had a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament is will be out for the remainder of the season. Ondrusek was 1-0 0.69 ERA in 14 appearances this season imediately was placed on the 60 day DL. Cincinnati then proceeded to promote MR David Johnson from AAA Louisville. The 26 year old righty was 1-0 4.66 ERA in 17 appearances in AAA.

Sunday, May 8th- The Cubs blow out the Reds 11-4 today to win the 3 game series. Cubs LF Alfonso Soriano had a huge day with a 2 for 4, 2 HR and 5 RBI day. For Soriano, those were HRs 7th and 8th on the season. C Geovany Soto also hit his 7th of the season for the Cubs. Reds SP Travis Wood (1-3) took the loss as he was tagged for 6 hits and 6 runs over 3 2/3 innings. Chicago SP Randy Wells (3-1) was credited with the win for his work over 7 innings.

The Reds finish the week at 14-20 and are 5 1/2 games behind the Cards. They will prepare for the Houston Astros (11-23) next week.

Around the Majors:

Baltimore Orioles RF Vladimir Guerrero was selected as this weeks AL player of the week. Vlad went 17 for 32 with 4 HRs to improve his season stats to .349 5 HRs and 21 RBI's.

Dodgers CF Matt Kemp was selected as the NL player of the week. Kemp went 12 for 28 with 3 HRs. Currently Kemp is hitting .292 with 6 HRs and 23 RBI's.

[GrantDawg]

Nice write ups. Go (cyber) Reds!

[Big T]

Monday May 9^th- ffice:smarttags" />lace w:st="on">Houstonlace> defeats the Cincinnati Reds 5-2 today on the strength of a 2B Bill Hall’s 3 run HR in the 8^th off of Francisco Cordero. For Hall, it was his 5^th HR of the season. Reds SP Johnny Cueto (1-1) was strong through 7 1/3 innings in defeat and attempted to help his own cause with his 1^st career HR in the 3^rd off of Astros SP Bud Norris. MR Brandon Lyons was credited with the win, while CL Mark Melancon got his 4^th save.
fficeffice" />>>
Tuesday, May 10^th- lace w:st="on">Cincinnatilace> defeats the Astros 7-3 today with a 4 run top of the 15^th inning. The key blow was a SS Paul Janish 3 run HR off of MR Tyler Walker. For Janish, that was his 1^st HR of the season. Reds SP Mike Leake had another strong performance going 8 innings allowing 5 hits and only 1 ER. MR Aroldis Chapman (1-1) was credited with the win, and lace w:st="on">Walkerlace> (0-1) took the loss.
>>
Wednesday, May 11^th- The Houston Astros easily beat the Reds today 7-2. Astros SP J A Happ (2-4) had a good day on the bump, going 8 innings giving up 6 hits and only 1 ER. Bronson Arroyo (1-3) despite his dazzling 2.38 ERA this season took another loss. Reds CF Drew Stubbs hit his 4^th HR of the season while 2B Bill Hall hit his 6^th for the Astros.
>>
Thursday, May 12^th- The Reds get the day off as they prepare for a key weekend series with the division leading St Louis Cardinals.
>>
Friday, May 13^th- The Reds beat the Cards 11-10 in a 10 inning wild one. The Reds led 10-4 when the Cardinals put up back to back 3 run innings in the 8^th and 9^th. A Fred Lewis double scores Drew Stubbs in the 10^th for the victory of loser CL Jason Motte (1-3). MR Nick Masset blew his 1^st save of the season giving up 3 runs in the 9^th to the Cards, but MR Aroldis Chapman (2-1) was credited with the win. Reds SP Homer Bailey had another strong effort giving up 5 hits, 3 runs over 7 innings. Offensively for the Reds, 1B Joey Votto got his 8^th HR of the season, 3B Juan Fransisco his 2^nd, and PH Jonny Gomes his 3^rd of the season. For the Cards 3B David Freese hit his 2^nd, 1B Albert Pujols hit his 8^th and Colby Rasmus hit his 15^th of the season.
>>
Saturday, May 14^th- The Reds squeak out another victory against the Cards today with a 6-5 win courtesy of a 1B Joey Votto walk off HR. A even bigger blow was dealt when SS Paul Janish hit a bases load homer in the 3^rd. For Janish it was his 2^nd of the season while Votto’s was his 9^th. PH Mark Hamilton replied with his 2^nd HR of the season for the Cards. Reds SP Travis Wood went 5 2/3 innings giving up 8 hits and 2 runs. MR Nick Masset blew in 2^nd save, as many in two nights while MR Matt Maloney (1-1) got the victory for the Reds. Cards CL Jason Motte (1-4) took the loss again today.
>>
Sunday, May 15^th- The Reds sweep the Cards and close the gap on the NL Central lead with a 5-1 victory over lace w:st="on">St Louislace>. Reds SP Johnny Cueto (2-1) was the story has he held the Cards to 3 hits and 1 run over 7 innings. Cueto out-duelled Cards SP Chris Carpenter (2-4) who gave up 8 hits over 7 innings. The Reds got homers from C Ryan Hanigan, his 2^nd, 1B Joey Votto got his 10^th and RF Jay Bruce got his 5^th of the season.
>>
The Reds finish the week with an 18-22 record .450 and 2 ½ games behind the Cards. The Reds prepare for a 2 game series with the Chicago Cubs (20-20)
>>
Around the Majors:
>>
lace w:st="on">Tampa Baylace>’s RF Matt Joyce was selected the AL Player of the Week. Joyce went 10 for 20 with 3 HRs this week and is hitting .245 with 10 HRs and 24 RBI’s.
>>
The NL selected Cardinals LF Matt Holliday as the Player of the Week. The 31 year old went 11 of 22 this week to raise his batting stats to .338 with 5 HRs and 31 RBIs.
>>
>>

[Big T]

Monday May 16th- Cincinnati defeats the Chicago Cubs 9-4 today. Reds SP Mike Leake (4-2) got the win in another strong performance. 1B Joey Votto added his 11th HR of the season. Leake went 8 + innings for the 5th straight start.

Tuesday, May 17th- Cincinnati gets by the Cubs 4-3 today. Bronson Arroyo (2-3) gets rewarded with a win after being snake-bitten quite a few times this season. MR Nick Masset gets his 6th save. Cubs 1B Carlos Pena hits his 13th HR of the season while Reds C Ryan Hanigan gets his 3rd.

Wednesday, May 18th- The Reds get their 6th straight win today with a 9-2 whipping of the Pittsburg Pirates. Reds SP Homer Bailey (3-1) gets the win while Pirates SP Kevin Correia (4-5) took the loss. Pirates 3B Pedro Alvarez hit his 4th HR of the season, while Reds SS Paul Janish hit his 3rd.

Thursday, May 19th- The Reds increase their win streak to 7 with a 6-3 win over the Pirates. Reds SP Travis Wood (2-3) left the game with an undisclosed injury in the 7th, while MR Nick Masset got his 7th save. Pirates SP Charlie Morton (2-3) took the loss. Pirates C Chris Snyder hit his 6th HR of the season. Cincinnati got homers from C Corky Miller with his 2nd and RF Jay Bruce with his 6th.

After the game it was learned that also LF Fred Lewis was injured and he was placed on the 15 day D/L. The Reds called up LF Todd Frazier from AAA tonight, he was hitting .263 with 7 HRs and 23 RBIs in 152 ABs in Louisville. Lewis was hitting .319 with 2 HRs and 12 RBIs for the Reds in 69 ABs.

Friday, May 20th- the Reds travel to Cleveland (17-27) to play their 1st inter-league game of the season and get defeated 2-1 to halt thier win streak at 7. Indians SP Frank Herrmann (1-2) and Reds SP Johnny Cueto (2-2) had an old fashioned pitchers duel. Reds CF Drew Stubbs was the only player to hit the long ball today with his 5th of the season.

Saturday, May 21st- The Reds quickly got back into the win column with a 11-10 victory over the Indians today. Indians 1B Matt Laporta was the star of the game with a 2 for 3 day including his 11th and 12th HRs. Reds C Ryan Hanigan hit his 4th whole 3B Scott Rolen hit his 4th HR as well of the season. Reds SP Mike Leake only lasted 4 2/3 innings today giving up 8 hits and 7 ERs but left with no decision. MR Matt Maloney (2-1) got the win while MR Nick Masset got his 8th save.

After the game the Reds announced they had waived and designated C Corky Miller for assignement. Miller had hit .214 with 2 HRs and 6 RBI's in 14 ABs with the Reds. This move was made as C Ramon Hernandez was activated from the 15 day D/L.

Sunday May 22- Cleveland need a 3 run bottom of the 9th to beat the Reds 5-4. The key blow was a 2 run HR by C Carlos Santana but was followed up by a RBI double by CF Michael Brantley. Both critical hits came of MR Nick Masset (1-4) who had blown his 4th save of the season. The Reds unfortunately wasted a great day by CF Drew Stubbs who was 3 for 5 in the game. For Santana, that was his 4th HR of the season, Reds DH Jonny Gomes hit his 4th of the season as well. Reds SP Bronson Arroyo went 7 2/3 innings of 4 hit ball and 1 ER.

After the game, the Reds announced that SP Travis Wood will be gone for the remainder of the season. Wood was 2-3 with a 3.88 ERA in 9 starts for the Reds. The Reds called up SP Matt Klinker from AAA where he was 6-1 with a 2.79 ERA in 9 starts.



The Reds are now 23-24 on the season with a .489 win percentage and are 2 1/2 games back of the St Louis Cards. They now prepare for a 4 game series with the Philadephia Phillies (16-31)

Around the Majors:

This weeks AL Player of the Week is Minnesota 1B Justin Morneau, the 30 year old former MVP went 13 of 25 this week including 3 HRs improving his numbers to .344 15 HRs 43 RBI's.

Cincinnati Reds veteran 3B Scott Rolen was named the NL Player of the week based on his 14 for 24 performance. Rolen is currently hitting .259 with 4 HRs and 17 RBIs.

[Big T]

Monday May 23rd- Philadelphia defeats the Reds 4-3 on the strength of RF Ben Fransisco's 2 for 2 game and 4th HR of the season given up by Homer Bailey. LF Raul Ibanez also homered for the Phillies, his 6th of the season which was off Bailey as well. The key inning for the Phillies was the 2 run 4th when SP Cole Hamels had a 1 run single, CF Shane Victorino had an RBI double. Hamels improved to (1-1) pitching 6 innings giving up 8 hits, 2 ERs and striking out 6. SP Homer Bailey (3-2) took the loss, he went 7 innings giving up 7 hits and 4 runs. Phillies Ryan Madson got his 9th save.

Tuesday May 24th- Cincinnati narrowly defeat the Phillies 4-3. Reds SP Matt Klinker (1-0) made his first career Major league start going 7 innings, giving up 4 hits 3 runs and 2 Ks. MR Nick Masset came on for his 9th save. Philadelphia SP Roy Oswalt (4-6) went 7 innings giving up 12 hits and 4 runs. Reds CF Drew Stubbs went 2 for 4 including his 6th HR of the season.

Wednesday May 25th- Cincinnati 10 Philadephia 4. Cincinnati hitters pound out 16 hits including CF Todd Fraziers 2 for 4 day, with 3 RBIs which included his 1st career HR. SS Paul Janish added his 4th HR of the season while Jonny Gomes hit his 5th while pinch hitting. Philadephia got homers from 1B Ryan Howard, his 13th, 3B German Duran who hit his 1st of the season. Reds SP Johnny Cueto (3-2) went 6 1/3 giving up 6 hits, 4 runs while striking out 8. MR Matt Maloney came on to get his 1st save of the season. Phillies SP Roy Halliday (4-4) went 7 innings giving up 10 hits, 5 runs and struck out 5.

Thurday May 26th- The Reds lose to the Phillies today 4-2. A CF Shane Victorino 2 run double in the 6th off of Mike Leake was the difference in this game. The Reds did get a 1B Joey Votto HR, his 12th of the season while Phillies 3B German Duran hit his 2nd in as many days. SP Mike Leake (4-3) went 6 innings while giving up 7 hits, 4 runs while striking out 5. Phillies SP Scott Lewis (2-3) gave up 4 hits, 1 run and struck out 5 in 6 innings work. Ryan Madson came on for his 10th save of the season.

Friday, May 27th- Atlanta (35-16) needed overtime to beat the Reds 3-2 in 12 innings. A based loaded walk granted by MR Matt Maloney to Freddie Freeman allowed the winning run for Atlanta. Despite a strong effort by Reds SP Homer Bailey who scattered 5 hits over 7 innings, CL Fransisco Cordero blew his 4th save of the season to set up the loss. Atlanta SP Brandon Beachy went 5 2/3 innings while giving up 3 hits and striking out 4, but got no decision.

After the game, the Reds announced that they have claimed MR Ryan Tucker from the Texas Rangers. The 24 year old is not expected to see action this season in the Majors and was selected to bolster the Bull pen of either the AAA Louisville or AA Carolina this season and be ready for a shot at a roster spot next year.

Saturday May 28th- Atlanta blasts the Reds 10-3 today in game in which they blew it open in the 6th. With the score 3-1 in favour of the Braves, a 3 run inning set the stage with a RBI double by CF Jordan Schafer, an RBI single by RF Cory Aldridge doing most of the damage against Bronson Arroyo. Reds SP Arroyo (2-4) allowed 8 hits and 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings. Braves SP Tommy Hanson (3-7) held the Reds to 4 hits, 3 runs and struck out 7 in 8 innings of work. Braves 1B Freddie Freeman had a 2 for 5, 5 RBI day which included his 5th HR of the season a Grand Slam, C Brian McCann his 6th HR and SS Brandon Hicks his 1st also went for the long ball today.

Sunday, May 29th Atlanta 8- Cincinnati 2- The Braves had a huge 5 run 6th inning keyed by Don Uggla's RBI single, Chipper Jones RBI double, and a Brian McCann 2 run HR. The Reds did answer with a couple HRs of their own, Miguel Cairo hitting his 2nd and Paul Janish hitting his 5th. For Atlanta, McCanns shot was his 7th of the season. Reds SP Matt Klinker (1-1) took the loss with a 9 hit, 7 run effort over 5 1/3 innings. Braves SP Derek Lowe left the game in the 1st and MR Scott Linebrook (5-1) got the win.

After the week the Reds fell to 25-29 .463 win percentage and are 5 games back of the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers. The Reds will face those same Brewers (30-24) next week in a 3 game set hoping to cut into their lead.

Around the Majors:

The AL announced its Player of the Week today as White Sox RF Carlos Quinton. The 28 year old went 11 of 24 and 3 HRs this week raising his totals to .360 with 11 HRs and 49 RBI's.

Florida Marlins 1B Gaby Sanchez was this weeks NL Player of the week. Sanchez had a 13 for 25 week and is now hitting .345 with 9 HRs and 45 RBI's.

[Big T]

Monday May 30- the Milwaukee Brewers take game 1 of the 3 game series 4-3 today. The Brewers scored the key run on a 1B Prince Fielders double to right field to score 3B Matt Gamel off of Bill Bray in the top of the 9th. Fielder went 4 for 4 with 3 RBIs including his 22nd HR of the season. C Ryan Hanigan hit his 5th HR of the season for the Reds. SP Johnny Cueto left with no decision pitching 5 2/3 innings while giving up 6 hits and 3 runs. Rel Bill Bray (1-1) took the loss. Brewers SP Zack Greinke pitched 7 innings giving up 6 hits, 3 runs and striking out 8. Rel Zack Braddock (2-0) was credited with the win and Rel John Axford got his 14th save.

Tuesday, May 31st- The Brewers defeat the Reds 6-4 today on the strength of a 5 run 2nd inning. Key at bats were 2B Rickie Weeks RBI single, LF Ryan Braun's RBI double and 1B Prince Fielders 3 run HR off of Mike Leake. For Fielder that was 23rd of the season. Reds 1B Joey Votto hit his 13th as well today. Brewers SP Sergio Mitra (8-2) went 6 innings scattering 8 hits and 3 runs. Rel John Axford recorded his 15th save. Reds SP Mike Leake (4-4) took the loss after only lasting 1 2/3 innings giving up 6 hits and 6 runs.

Around the Majors:

Vladimir Guerrero recorded his 2500th hit today in a 11-6 win over the Mariners. The Oriole RF has 442 HRs to go with those hits and is currently hitting .319 with 6 HRs and 28 RBIs.

Wednesday June 1st- The Brewers embarass the Reds 14-1 today on another huge day by 1B Prince Fielder. Fielder went 3 for 4 with 6 RBIs including his 24th HR with the bases loaded off of Homer Bailey and and his 25th later in the game. C George Kattras hit his 7th of the season, 2B Rickie Weeks his 9th and 3B Matt Gamel his 5th. Brewers SP Shaun Marcum (5-4) allowed 7 hits, a run and struck out 5 over 7 innings. Reds SP Homer Bailey (3-3) lasted only 3 innings while giving up 5 runs.

Thursday, June 2nd- A very welcomed day off to prepare for the Dodgers(33-25).

Friday, June 3rd- The Reds continue to struggle and get beaten by the Dodgers 7-1 today behind the superb performance of SP Hiroki Kuroda (5-3). Kuroda allowed only 4 hits and 1 run over 7 innings while adding his 1st career HR. Reds SP Bronson Arroyo (2-5) lasted 5 innings giving up 9 hits and 5 runs. Dodgers also got homers from C Rod Barajas (10th) and LF Jay Gibbons (2nd).

Around the Majors:

SP Tim Lincecum of the Giants recorded 15 strikeouts today in a 2-0 win over the Colorado Rockies. The 26 year old is currently 10-1 with a 2.67 ERA in 13 starts.

After the game, the Reds announced they have demoted LF Todd Frazier to AAA, he had gone 3 for 9 since being called up with 1 HR. LF Fred Lewis was activated from the D/L.

Saturday, June 4th- Another tough loss today as the the Reds fought back from a 4-1 deficit to tie it only to have the Dodgers score 3 in the top of the 9th for the 7-4 win. CF Matt Kemp started the rally with an RBI single and was followed up by a RF Andre Either SAC Fly off of Rel Aroldis Chapman. With Rel Nick Masset in the game LF Jay Gibbons got an RBI single. LA SP Clayton Kershaw went 6 innings of 3 hit ball while striking out 9 Reds. Rel Vincente Padilla (2-1) was charged with the blown save and credited with the win. Rel Matt Maloney (2-3) was tagged with the loss for the Reds. Reds SP Matt Klinker went 6 2/3 innings giving up 8 hits and 4 runs. LA also got a homer from 1B James Loney (3rd) while the Reds C Ryan Hanigan hit his 6th.

Sunday, June 5th- The losing streak continues as the LA Dodgers beat the Reds 4-3. The Dodgers scored 2 key runs in the 5th when both Casey Blake and SP Chad Billingsley hit SAC Flys off Johnny Cueto. Reds LF Fred Lewis went 3 for 4 with a double and triple, and 1B Joey Votto hit his team leading 14th HR but that was not good enough. SP Chad Billingsley (6-2) allowed 7 hits over 7 2/3 innings while giving up 3 runs and striking out 11. Rel Jonathon Broxton was credited with his 12th save. Reds SP Cueto (3-3) went 8 innings giving up 8 hits and 4 runs. Frustration was building for the Reds as CF Drew Stubbs got ejected after striking out in the 9th.

The Reds will start the week against the Chicago Cubs (29-30) after having an 0-6 week this week. The Reds fall to 25-35 with a .417 win percentage and 10 games behind NL Central leading Milwaukee.

The AL announced its Player of the Week today as Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre. Beltre went 11 for 26 this week including 4 HRs to raise his numbers to .230 10 HRs and 33 RBIs.

Milwaukee Brewers larger then life 1B Prince Fielder was selected as the NL Player of the Week. The 27 year old went 12 for 20 with 4 HRs this week. Fielder is currently hitting .357 with his Major League leading 25 HRs and 69 RBIs.

[Big T]

Reds May in Review

The Reds are currently on a 0-10 run and when it looked like they were getting back into the race two weeks ago, their fortunes have changed drastically. The Reds current record is 25-35 and have struggled on the road going 8-20. They have also continued to have difficulty with LHP going 2-11.

A huge problem has been the bull pen and giving up HRs. The Reds currently are 4th in hits allowed, but 15th in HRs allowed. The Reds currently have a 4.13 team ERA by starters.

The Reds starting pitchers have cooled off a bit this month but still the top 3 have put up pretty good numbers.

SP Bronson Arroyo 2-5 2.63 ERA in 12 starts
SP Homer Bailey 3-3 3.29 ERA in 8 starts
SP Johnny Cueto 3-3 2.94 ERA in 8 starts
SP Matt Klinker 1-1 5.68 ERA in 3 starts
SP Mike Leake 4-4 5.14 ERA in 11 starts

Offensively the Reds are pleased with a few of the guys

C Ryan Hanigan .244 6 HRs 26 RBIs
1B Joey Votto . 297 14 34
3B Scott Rolen .241 4 20
SS Paul Janish .273 5 30
LF Fred Lewis .338 2 13
CF Drew Stubbs .221 6 17

The Reds cannot expect any help from the returning injured players soon.

SP Travis Wood- done for the season
SP Edinson Volquez- done for the season
MR Logan Ondrusek- done for the season
2B Brandon Phillips- August return
MR Jordan Smith - Mid July to August return

The Reds are keeping a close eye on these guys for possible promotion from AAA Louisville.

SP Sam LeCure 3-3 4.25 ERA 7 starts
CL Daniel Ray Herrera 0-3 11sv 4.15 ERA in 26 appearances
C Devin Mesoraco .283 6 HRs and 19 RBIs
1B Michael Griffin .299 4 32
1B Yonder Alonzo .261 10 40
2B Chris Valiaka .279 1 7
3B Mike Costanzo .246 8 27
SS Zack Cozart .276 7 37
LF Daniel Dorn .246 10 24

Around the Majors:

Current Playoff Teams:
Boston Red Sox 39-22
Minnesota Twins 36-24
Oakland Athletics 33-28
New York Yankees 36-24

Atlanta Braves 44-16
Milwaukee Brewers 35-25
Los Angeles Dodgers 36-25
Florida Marlins 34-25

AL Batter of the Month: White Sox Carlos Quentin .351 15 HRs 54 RBIs
NL Batter of the Month: Brewers Prince Fielder .357 25 HRs 69 RBI's
AL Pitcher of the Month: Athletics Brett Anderson 10-3 2.32 ERA
NL Pitcher of the Month: Braves Kris Medlen 4-2 2.77 ERA
AL Rookie of the Month: Twins Tsuyoshi Nishioka .322 2 HRs 22 RBIs
NL Rookie of the Month: Braves Freddie Freeman .325 9 HRs 46 RBIs

[Big T]

Monday June 6th- Today is the day young college and high school baseball players dream about, the Major League Amateur Draft. This season the Reds will select 25th. The Reds philosophy will to go after position players or pitchers with starter potential in the 1st few rounds, avoiding players looking for bonuses outside their slot suggestions.

Round 1- The Reds select RF Chris Burton. Burton is currently a college player in Auburn which means the competition level has been great. This season Burton has played 57 G 160 ABs .292 13 HRs and 55 RBIs. The Reds head scout says "Burton has some impact tools, he is still learning to translate those tools into performance.

Round 2- The Reds select RF Luis Miguel Valdez. Valdez is currently playing HS ball at Hardin Texas with good competition. In 26 G he is hitting .483 with 5 HRs and 34 RBI's.

Round 3- 3B Billy Reed was selected by the Reds. He is currently at Northwestern State where the competition is good. In 62 G he is hitting .279 with 7 HRs and 52 RBI's.

Round 4- Cincinnati selects CF Jorge Luna who is currently playing at St Bonaventure which is considered in Average competition. In 44 G and 205 ABs he is hitting .302 with 5 HRs and 38 RBI's.

Round 5- The Reds select CF Pedro Ramirez from Florida in the Atlantic conference which is considered Good competition. In 60 G and 274 ABs he is hitting .270 with 8 HRs and 51 RBIs.

The Reds continue to struggle with their 11th straight loss in a 5-3 game with the Chicago Cubs. It was the 4 run 3rd innings on SP Mike Leake that did in the Reds. Cubs CF Tyler Colvin hit a 2 run HR which was followed by another 2 Run HR by 3B Aramis Ramirez 2 hitters later. Colvin had a big day at the plate with a 2 for 4 day and his 3rd HR of the season. Ramirez's HR was his 10th of the season while RF Kosake Fukodome added his 10th as well. Cubs SP Ryan Dempster (3-5) went a solid 8 innings giving up 6 hits, 3 runs while striking out 5. Reds SP Mike Leake (4-5) allowed 9 hits and 5 runs over 7 innings.

Tuesday, June 7th- The Reds lose another today in a 3-1 loss the the Cubs in 13 innings. A 2 run top of the 13th on Reds Rel Bill Bray was the Reds undoing. LF Marlon Byrd's 2 run single was the key hit. Reds SP Homer Bailey had a strong start going 8 1/3 innings only allowing 1 hit while striking out 8, but was not good enough as Rel Bill Bray (1-2) took the loss. Cubs SP Andrew Cashner scattered 4 hits over 7 innings, while Rel John Grabow (4-0) was credited with the win of 3 inning shut out relief. Rel Doug Davis got his 1st save.

The Reds announce they have claimed Rel Eduardo Sanchez from the St Louis Cardinals on waivers. Sanchez had 3 IPs pitched with the Cards this season going 0-0 0.00 ERA and was 1-1 5.74 ERA in 16 IPs in AAA this season. The Reds assigned Sanchez to AAA Louisville.

Wednesday June 8th- The Reds are handed their 13th straight loss in a 9-7 game today by the Cubs. With the score tied 5-5 in the top of the 9th, the Cubs pick up 4 runs on Rel Matt Maloney courtesy of a C Geovany Soto 2 run HR followed later by a PH Alfonso Soriano 2 run single. The Reds fought back with a 2 run HR by 3B Scott Rolen in thier half of the 9th, but it was not enough. Soto was 3 for 4 today with 4 RBIs including his 13th and 14th HRs of the season. For Rolen it was his 5th. Cubs SP Randy Wells went 6 1/3 innings allowing 7 hits and 4 runs, Rel Sean Marshall (4-1) picked up the win and Rel Carlos Marmol got his 14th save. Reds SP Bronson Arroyo was tagged for 10 hits and 5 runs over 6 innings of work. Rel Matt Maloney (2-4) took the loss allowing 5 hits and 4 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Thursday, June 9th- The Giants defeat the Reds 6-0 to increase the Reds losing streak to 14 games. Giants SP Madison Baumgarner (7-1) was the key today as he held the Reds bats to 6 hits and struck out 5 over 7 innings. Reds SP Matt Klinker (1-2) last 6 innings giving up only 3 hits, but 4 runs. Giants C Buster Posey hit his 11th HR of the season and 1B Brandon Belt added his 5th HR.

Around the Majors:

Chicago Cubs Aramis Ramirez hit his 300th career HR today. Ramirez is hitting .232 with 11 HRs and 29 RBI's

Friday- June 10th- The Reds win, the Reds win.... Cincinnati defeated the San Fransisco Giants 11-8 today to stop a 14 game skid. RF Jay Bruce went 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs including his 7th HR while LF Chris Heisey hit a 3 run HR, his 3rd of the season. Giants rookie C Jackson Williams hit his 1st career HR today, while CF Andre Torres added his 2nd HR. Giants SP Jonathan Sanchez (3-5) gave up 10 hits, 7 runs and struck out 8 over 5 1/3 innings. Reds SP Johnny Cueto lasted only 3 2/3 innings while giving up 9 hits, 6 runs and 2 K's. Rel Bill Bray (2-2) got the win while Rel Nick Masset got his 10th save.

Around the Majors:

Detroit Tigers Magglio Ordonez aided the Tigers to defeat the Mariners today with his 300th career HR. The 37 year old is hitting .253 with 12 HRs and 34 RBIs so far this season.

Saturday- June 11th- The Reds make it 2 in a row with a 6-4 win over the Giants. A 4 run top of the 3rd was the key for the Reds vs Giants Matt Cain. RF Jay Bruce had a 2 run double in the 3rd, followed by a 3B Scott Rolen RBI single. Not to be out done, SS Paul Janish ended the scoring with a RBI Triple. Despite the solid afternoon from 3B Pablo Sandoval who went 4 for 5 with 2 RBIs, the Giants were unable to over come the big inning. Reds SP Mike Leake (5-5) was solid allowing only 5 hits, 2 runs and struck out 6 over 7 innings. Rel Nick Masset was credited with his 11th save. Giants SP Matt Cain (6-5) only lasted 3 innings allowing 5 runs on 7 hits.

Sunday June 13th- Cincinnati backed up yesterdays win with another today in a 4-2 defeat of the Giants. Reds SP Homer Bailey (4-3) went 7 1/3 innings holding the Giants to 6 hits, 2 runs and got 8 Ks. Matt Maloney came on for his 2nd save. The Reds got the win at the expense of Giants ace SP Tim Lincecum (11-2) who lasted only 4 2/3 innings today giving up 6 hits and 4 runs.

The Reds announce they have traded RF Jay Bruce to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for 2 prospects. The Reds will get 24 year old 3B Brent Morel and 27 year old LF Alejandro De Aza. Bruce, 24 years old had played 62 G this season for the Reds hitting .266 with 7 HRs and 31 RBIs. Morel had played 8G with White Sox this season hitting .138, but had played 26 G at AAA hitting .294 with 10 HRs and 31 RBI's. De Aza has played 51G this season in AAA hitting .271 with 6 HRs and 22 RBI's. The Reds assigned Morel to AAA Louisville and De Aza will report directly to the Reds.

The Reds also announced that they have demoted Rel Matt Maloney to AAA Louisville this evening. Maloney was 2-4 9.75 ERA in 24 IPs. The Reds have recalled Rel Daniel Ray Herrera from AAA where he was 0-4 5.23 ERA, 11 saves in 33 IPs.

The Reds finish the week with a 28-39 record, .418 win percentage and find themselves 11 games behind the St Louis Cardinals. They will face the Los Angeles Dodgers (41-27) in a 3 game series starting on Monday.

The AL Player of the week is veteran Seattle RF Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro went 15 for 26 this week which raises the 37 year olds number to .300 with 2 HRs and 24 RBIs.

The NL Player of the week was Dodgers Andre Ethier. The 29 year old RF went 16 for 31 with 5 HRs bringing his seasonal totals to .323 with 18 HRs and 53 RBIs.

[Big T]

Monday June 13th- The Reds shut out the Dodgers today 4-0 on the strength of a Bronson Arroyo (3-5) gem. Arroyo went a complete game holding the Dodgers to just 2 hits while striking out 6. In a 110 pitches of work, the Dodgers did not get a base runner past 1st base. Offensively, 1b Joey Votto his his 15th HR, while RF Jonny Gomes hit his 6th HR. With the shut out, Arroyo dropped his ERA to 2.69. LA's SP Jon Garland (2-5) lasted 7 innings while giving up 8 hits and 3 runs.

Tuesday, June 14th- Its back to back shutouts for the Reds as they defeat the Dodgers 5-0 today. Reds SP Matt Klinker (2-2) scattered 7 hits over 8 innings throwing 102 pitches. 3B Scott Rolen left the game with what appeared to be an arm injury. SP Hiroki Kurodo (5-4) took the loss for the Dodgers, giving up 4 runs and 6 hits over 7 innings. Reds SS Edgar Renteria hit his 2nd HR of the season while Alejandro De Aza hit his 1st career HR in his first appearance in a Reds uniform.

3B Scott Rolen joined the 2000 hit club today with his 1 for 4 effort. Over his career, 308 of those hits were of the HR variety.

After the game it was announced that 36 year old Scott Rolen will be out for 2 weeks. Rolen had 236 ABs over 66 games so far this season hitting .237 with 5 HRs and 27 RBIs. The Reds recalled 3B Brent Morel from AAA Louisville, Morel was hitting .294 with 10 HRs and 31 RBIs in AAA this season.

Wednesday, June 15th- The Dodgers nip the Reds 5-4 in 12 innings today. With 1 out and runners on the corners and Rel Fransisco Cordero on the mound, Dodgers James Loney hit a walk off RBI single to win the game. Despite 2B Edgar Renteria's 4 for 5 effort, the Reds fall short today. LA's SP Clayton Kershaw pitched 6 innings giving up 7 hits and 5 Ks, but Hong-Chih Kuo (4-4) pitched the 12th for the win. SP Johnny Cueto went 6 2/3 innings giving up 7 hits and 4 runs but Fransisco Cordero (1-3) was credited with the loss.

Thursday, June 16th- Reds get the day off in preparation to face the Toronto Blue Jays (33-37).

Around the Majors:

Chicago White Sox LF Adam Dunn hit for the cycle today. The 31 year old is currently hitting .254 with 14 HRs and 51 RBIs on the season.

Friday, June 17th- The Reds powered by 14 hits defeat the Blue Jays 9-3 today in inter-league action. A big day for Reds RF Chris Heisey who went 2-4 with 4RBIs including a 3 run HR in the 1st off Brandon Morrow. For Heisey, that was his 4th of the season. Jays 1B Juan Miranda hit his 15th of the season and LF Eric Thames got his 2nd for the Blue Jays. Reds SP Homer Bailey (5-3) had the complete game giving up 6 hits and striking out 6. Jays SP Brandon Morrow (4-5) only lasted 4 innings, took the loss.

Saturday, June 18th- The Jays pound the Reds today 7-0 while leaning on the arm of SP Jesse Litsch. Litsch (2-4) went 8 innings giving up only 4 hits and 5 Ks. Reds SP Mike Leake (5-6) pitched 8 as well giving up 10 hits and 5 runs. Jays 2B Aaron Hill hit his 16th HR of the season while LF Eric Thames added his 3rd.

Sunday, June 19th- The Jays win the rubber match of the 3 game set 7-4 today. The key inning was a 4 run top of the 3rd for the Jays against Bronson Arroyo. Jays 3B Nuimann Romero scored on a SS Yunel Escobar double after CF Bobby Kielty led off the inning with his 1st HR of the season. LF Eric Thames scored Escobar with a RBI single and he later scored on RF Jose Bautista's double to left centre field. Jays Eric Thames capped a great series against the Reds with a 3 for 5 day with 2 RBIs including his 3rd HR of the series and 4th on the season. C J P Arencibia hit his 6th of the season as well for the Jays. Reds 3B Brent Morel hit his 4th career HR, and his 1st as a Red. SP Bronson Arroyo (3-6) only lasted 3 innings while Jays SP Ricky Romero (10-5) went 6 innings giving up 6 hits and striking out 6. Rel Frank Fransisco got his 9th save.

After the game, it was made known that CL Fransisco Cordero was unhappy giving up his closers role to Nick Masset and had asked to be traded. Unfortunately his 12 M contract with a year left did not get any interest around the league.

Cincinnati finished the week with a 31-42 record, .425 win percentage and find themselves 10 games back of St Louis. The Reds will prepare for a 3 game inter-league set with the New York Yankees(42-31).

Around the Majors:

AL Player of the week was the aformentioned Adam Dunn of the Chicago White Sox. Dunn went 11 of 24 with 3 HRs this past week.

Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals was selected this weeks NL Player of the Week. The 26 year old 3B went 11 for 26 with 3 HRs. This season his totals are .361 with 12 HRs and 35 RBIs.

[Big T]

Monday, June 20th- The Cincinnati Reds powered by a 16 hit attack defeat the New York Yankees 15-6 today. The Reds had two big innings, a 6 run 5th and 5 runs in the 8th aided by a strong day by 3B Juan Fransisco who went 3 for 4 with 5 RBIs including a 3 run HR which was his 3rd of the season. RF Chris Heisey hit his 5th HR of the season, SS Paul Janish hit his 6th HR and CF Alejandro De Aza got his 2nd. Yankee 2B Ramiro Pena hit his 3rd HR of the season, 3B Alex Rodriquez his 13th and RF Nick Swisher had his 12th HR. Reds SP Matt Klinker (3-2) lasted 5 innings giving up 5 hits and 5 runs. Yankee SP Bartolo Colon (4-6) only lasted 4 1/3 giving up 9 hits and 6 runs. New York's Rel Marino Rivera left the game in the 9th inning with an undisclosed injury.

After the game the Reds announced they have made a trade with the Yankees. Changing Clubhouses overnight will be SP Homer Bailey going to the Yankees for SP Hector Noesi and Rel Joba Chamberlain. Bailey is 5-3 with a 2.82 ERA in 11 starts this season for the Reds. Meanwhile 24 year old Noesi is 4-6 4.27 ERA in 14 starts in AAA. Joba Chamberlain is expected to add some much needed depth in the Reds bullpen, the 25 year old is 1-1 2.67 ERA in 34 appearances this season. The Reds assigned both Chamberlain and Noesi the Active Roster and to make room demoted Rel Joseph Krebs (1-0) 7.80 ERA in 15 IPs to AAA Louisville.

Tuesday, June 21st- The Reds need 11 innings to defeat the Yankees 6 -4 today. 3B Juan Fransisco hits a 2 run HR off of Rafael Soriano in the 11th for the win. For Fransisco, it was his 4th HR of the season. Reds SP Johnny Cueto left the game early in the 3rd inning with some arm issue, the Reds did not comment on the status of Cueto after the game. Rel Fransisco Cordero (2-3) got the win going 1 1/3 inning while striking out 2. Yankee SP C C Sabathia went 8 innings giving up 8 hits, 4 runs and struck out 6. Soriano (1-1) was tagged with the loss. Yankee C Russell Martin got his 3rd HR of the season.

Wednesday, June 22nd- the Yankees were able to avoid the sweep with a 11-6 win over the Reds today. Yankee 2B Robinson Cano had a 3 for 5 day with 3 RBIs, 3B Alex Rodriquez hit his 14th HR of the season and CF Curtis Granderson hit his 16th HR. Yankee SP Homer Bailey making his 1st start as a Yankee and facing his former team lasted only 1 inning, giving up 5 hits and 4 runs. Rel Demaso Marte (3-0) was credited with the win. Reds SP Hector Noesi made his Reds debute and lasted only 2 innings while giving up 6 hits and 5 runs, Rel Daniel Ray Herrera (0-1) continued with his struggles since his promotion currently sitting with a 30.38 ERA in 4 appearances. Reds LF Alejandro De Aza left the game with an undisclosed injury.

Around the Majors:

Yankee SS Derek Jeter recorded his 3000 hit today vs the Cincinnati Reds. The 36 year old has 238 HRs in his career and is currently hitting .260 with 4 HRs and 41 RBIs.

Thursday, June 23rd- a day off for the Reds as they prepare for the Baltimore Orioles (31-44).

Around the Majors:

Yankee closer Mariano Rivera is expected to be out for over a year with an arm injury sustained against the Reds earlier this week. The 41 year old was 5-1 1.74 ERA with 16 saves in 33 appearances this season.


Friday, June 24th- The Orioles defeat the Reds 4-3 today on the strength of a DH hot Vladimir Guerrero. Guerrero scored LF Luke Scott from 2nd with an RBI single off Nick Masset for the winning run today. Guerrero goes 5 for 5 with 2 RBIs including his 9th HR of the season. 1B Hank Blalock hits his 2 HR of the season as well for the Orioles. Reds DH Jonny Gomes gets his 7th HR of the season in response. Reds SP Bronson Arroyo went 7 1/3 innings giving up 11 hits and 3 runs, Nick Masset (1-5) gets the loss. Baltimore SP Brian Matusz went 6 2/3 innings giving up 7 hits while striking out 6, Casey Janssen (2-0) was credited with the win. Reds 3B Miguel Cairo left the game early and Reds had no comment on his injury status.

Saturday, June 25th- Baltimore nips the Reds 3-1 today on the strength of a solid game by SP Jeff Neimann. Neimann (5-5) held the Reds to 2 hits over 6 innings while getting 7 Ks. Rel Koji Uehera got his 15th save of the season. Reds SP Mike Leake (5-7) had a quality start going 8 innings allowing 6 hits and striking out 5. Orioles got HRs from 1B Jake Fox, his 11th and LF Luke Scott hit his 7th.

After the game, the Reds had several announcements and roster moves. LF Alejandro De Aza was diagnosed with a separated shoulder and is expected to be out for 6 weeks. In 6 games and 10 ABs with the Reds he hit .700 with 2 HRs and 3 RBI's. The Reds recalled 27 year old LF Jeremy Hermida from AAA. Hermida was hitting .276 with 6 HRs and 20 RBIs in 48 games in Louisville.

The Reds announced some more bad news on the injury front, SP Jim Cueto is expected to be gone for the season with an elbow injury sustained earlier this week. Cueto was 3-3 3.92 ERA in 11 starts this season. The Reds then recalled 27 year old Sam LeCure from AAA where he was 4-5 4.19 ERA in 11 starts.

The Reds also announce that have assigned Rel Jordan Smith on a rehab assignment to AAA Louisville. Smith was taken off the 60 day D/L today and the Reds did not comment on how long they expect him to rehab.

Sunday, June 26th- The Reds end the week with a 4-1 win over the Orioles today. Reds SP Matt Klinker (4-2) was the key to victory with a solid 8 inning effort. Klinker scattered 7 hits and Rel Nick Masset came on for his 12th save of the season. Orioles SP Justin Duchscherer (3-5) took the loss going 7 2/3 innings. Reds CF Drew Stubbs hit his 7th HR of the season in the win.

After the game, the Reds announced that 3B Miguel Cairo was diagnosed with a fractured foot and will be out 2-3 weeks. Cairo was hitting .263 2 HRs and 16 RBIs in 64 games this season for the Reds. The Reds have promoted INF 27 year old Michael Griffin for AAA Louisville where he has played 64 games, 259 ABs .328 with 8 HRs and 55 RBIs.

Reds finish the week with a 34-45 record, good for a .430 win percentage and 8 1/2 games behind NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers. The Reds will open up next week against the Tampa Bay Rays (40-39).

Around the Majors:

The American league announced its Player of the week today as Royals LF Alex Gordon. Gordon was 9 for 20 with 4 HRs last week and is currently hitting .286 with 12 HRs and 47 RBIs.

Marlins RF Mike Stanton was selected as the National league Player of the week. Stanton had a 8 for 21 week that included 5 HRs. He is hitting .278 with 24 HRs and 64 RBIs currently for Florida.

[Big T]

Monday, June 27th The Tampa Bay Rays opened a 3 game series with the Reds in a 8-1 victory. Rays DH Don Johnson was 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs including his 19th and 20th HRs of the season. Rays 2B Ben Zobrist hit his 5th HR while RF Matt Joyce added his 17th. Rays SP David Price (7-9) pitched 7 strong innings scattering 9 hits and striking out 5. Reds SP Sam LeCure's (0-4) struggles continued as he gave 8 hits and 6 runs over 6 2/3 innings.

Tuesday, June 28th Tampa Bay narrowly defeated the Reds 5-4 today on the strength of 3B Evan Longoria's walk off solo HR off of Reds Rel Nick Masset. For Longoria that was his 15th HR of the season that capped off a 4 for 5 day at the plate. Rays RF Matt Joyce added his 18th HR in the win. Rays SP Brandon McCarthy went 7 innings, giving up 7 hits and 4 Ks, but Rel Jake McGee (2-0) was credited with the win for his 2 innings of relief work. Reds SP Hector Noesi pitched 7 2/3 innings giving up 12 hits and 4 runs, but it was Masset (1-6) that took the loss. LF Fred Lewis left the game due to an undisclosed injury.

Around the Majors:

Tampa Bays Evan Longoria completed the cycle today against the Cincinnati Reds. Longoria is hitting .245 with 15 HRs and 43 RBIs on the season.

Wednesday, June 29th The Tampa Bay Rays complete the sweep of the Cincinnati Reds with a 6-2 win today. The key inning was a 3 run bottom of the third for the Rays when a 3B Evan Longoria RBI single, followed by a DH Don Johnson RBI double and then a LF Matt Joyce RBI SAC Fly all of Bronson Arroyo did most of the damage. Rays SP James Shields (6-5) had a strong outing going 7 2/3 innings holding the Reds to 4 hits. Rel Joey Peralta got his 2nd save of the season. Reds SP Bronson Arroyo (3-7) lasted into the 6th but gave up 11 hits and 6 runs. LF Chris Heisey left the game with an injury.

After the game it was determined that LF Chris Heisey had strained his oblique and will be out 4-5 weeks. Heisey played 68 games for the Reds this season hitting .214 with 5 HRs and 18 RBIs. The Reds recalled 29 year old RF Brian Burton from AAA where he played 61 games and hit .269 with 8 HRs and 29 RBIs.

Thursday, June 30th The Reds have a day off to prepare for a series with the Cleveland Indians (41-41).

The Reds announced they have demoted 1B Michael Griffin to AAA Louisville. In 2 games Griffin hit .143 in 7 ABs. The Reds then reactivated 3B Scott Rolen from the D/L.

Reds also announce they have claimed SS Michael Fisher from the Baltimore Orioles today. Fisher who was claimed last month by Baltimore from the Mets has played 6 games in the MLB this year and in 22 ABs hit .227 with 1 HR and 2 RBIs. He was then assigned to AAA Louisville.

Friday, July 1st The Reds struggles continue as they lose to the Cleveland Indians 5-2. The Indians scored 4 runs in the critical 6th inning that was started with an error by SS Paul Janish to load the bases with 1 out that could have been a double play ball. Clevelands Eric Patterson then hit a 2 RBI double off Mike Leake, that was followed by a 2 RBI single by Michael Brantley. Indians SP Fausto Carmona (5-7) went 8 innings of 4 hit ball and Rel Chris Perez came on for his 24th save. Reds SP Mike Leake (5-8) only lasted into the 6th giving up 7 hits and 5 runs. The only HR of the games was Clevelands 1B Matt LaPorta's 21st.

Reds announce the LF Fred Lewis was diagnosed with and herniated disc and will be out 2 weeks. In 41 games this season, Lewis is hitting .297 with 2 HRs and 16 RBIs. The Reds then promoted LF Todd Frazier for the 2nd time from AAA Louisville. Frazier has played 57 games in AAA hitting .250 with 9 HRs and 34 RBIs.

Saturday, July 2nd Cleveland continues the Reds losing streak with a 8-0 win today. The Reds were able to get 8 hits, but were still shutout by SP Mitch Talbot (6-5) who went 6 innings scattering 7 hits and the help of the Indian bullpen. Reds SP Matt Klinker (4-3) gave up 9 hits and 6 runs over his 6 inning effort. Cleveland hitters combined for 8 runs without a HR but had 4 doubles.

Sunday, July 3rd The Reds go winless for the week with a 12-2 embarassing loss today. In the 3 game series with the Indians, the Reds were outscored 25-4 and were swept. Cleveland SS Asdrubal Cabrera went 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs including 2 doubles. For the second straight game the Indians score a bunch a runs without the help of a HR, but account for 5 doubles. SP Frank Herrmann (6-3) goes into the 7th giving up 9 hits but only 2 runs. Reds SP Sam LeCure (0-5) continues to look out of place in the Majors only lasts 2 2/3 innings giving up 7 runs.

The Reds claim CF Jermaine Mitchell from the Oakland Athletics from waivers today. Mitchell has played 45 games in AAA hitting .292 with 6 HRs and 23 RBIs and was assigned to AAA Louisville.

Around the Majors:

Former Red RF Jay Bruce is out for the season according to Chicago White Sox sources. Bruce had played 15 games since a trade that brought him from the Reds hitting .220 with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs for the Sox.

The AL announced its Player of the Week as Red Sox RF Darnell McDonald. McDonald went 12 for 24 with 1 HR. He is currently hitting .322 with 4 HRs and 23 RBIs.

Milwaukee Brewers 2B Rickie Weeks is the NL Player of the Week. Weeks was 13 for 27 with 2 HRs. He is currently hitting .281 with 14 HRs and 44 RBIs.

The Reds fall continues as they are now 34-51 with a .400 win percentage and 11 1/2 games behind the Brewers.