REDS LOOK TO
ROOKIE WOOD TO STOP LOSING STREAK
9.9.10
BY:MEH
"WE'VE GOT TO WIN."
REDS LOOK TO ROOKIE WOOD
TO STOP LOSING STREAK
On Wednesday, Bronson Arroyo
was handed his third straight loss and the Reds received their fourth
straight loss during a
9-2 defeat
in Colorado. Luckily for Cincinnati, the St. Louis Cardinals have lost their
last two games against the Brewers after beating the Reds two-out-of-three
games over the weekend. The Reds owned an eight game lead over the Cards
going into the Labor Day weekend series with the Cards. Despite losing that
series, and losing their first three games against the Rockies, there are still six games separating the first and
second place in the NL Central. The Reds magic number is now nineteen with
23 games left in the regular season.
"You’ve
got to look at on the bright side,"
Dusty Baker said.
"We didn’t lose any ground with one less game on the schedule. That’s not
going to continue. We’ve got to win.”
On
Labor Day, Aaron Harang
possibly made
his
final start
as a Cincinnati Red. After the Reds gave him a 4-0 lead against Rockies
starter Ubaldo Jimenez, Harang gave up four runs in the third inning as he
walked three batters before being pulled. Since returning from the disabled
list Harang has allowed seven runs on twelve hits in 6.1 innings during two
starts. The Reds
lost 10-5.
After pitching well during his rehab start in Dayton, Edinson Volquez
could return to the Reds Saturday
against the Pirates in place of Harang.
“They hit so well,”
Joey Votto said.
“They even got a bunch of hits off (Aroldis) Chapman. They kept pounding on
us. I suppose there were opportunities. I think there’s a feeling when
you’re out there dominating a team. And today we felt we were going back and
forth, then they had that big inning and stretched the lead. They kept
scoring on us. I felt it was difficult to come back from that. Not that we
didn't try.”
Aside from allowing three runs
against the Rockies after only throwing eight pitches on Tuesday, Johnny
Cueto pitched well. Returning to the Reds after attending his uncle's
funeral in the Dominican Republic, Cueto ended his day strong hurling six
innings while allowing three earned runs on seven hits. The Reds lost a very
winnable game
by a score of 4-3.
“He threw the ball great,”
Dusty Baker said.
“I hate for him to lose and us to lose it. . . We lost the game, but my
bullpen needed the rest. It could have been disastrous had he early exit
like last night. He saved my bullpen. During this stretch of 20 in a row,
you can’t have too many short outings.”
Bronson Arroyo hurled his worst game since May 31 on Wednesday. The Reds
needed a stopper, but instead got a 4.1 inning outing from veteran Arroyo in
which he allowed seven runs on eight hits while giving up a season-high
three home runs. The Reds were
defeated 9-2
by the Rockies.
“This is first year since I’ve been in this uniform that we’ve got something
to play for,”
Arroyo said.
“What happens out there on field personally, you’ve got to push those
emotions aside for the betterment of the team. We’re still in a good place.
That’s all you can ask for.”
The Reds will send Travis Wood (5-2, 3.19) to the mound
against
Jason Hammel (10-7, 4.25) and the Rockies Thursday afternoon at 3:10pm.
During Wood's only career start against Colorado on July 28, he struck out
six batters in six innings of work and allowed just one earned run on three
hits while receiving his first major league loss. In two career starts
against the Reds, Hammel is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA. He has won his last two
starts and is 7-1 with a 3.43 this season while starting at home.
Travis Wood and the Reds will attempt to avoid their first five-game losing
streak since April 14-18. The Cardinals will begin a four-game series in
Atlanta.
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Nix update
JOHN FAY
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