Gomes Traded To Nats, Alonso Up

By:  Coop


The Reds have made their 1st deal of the 2011 season, sending fan-loved OF, Jonny Gomes, to the Washington Nations in return for a 22-year-old minor league left-handed Class A pitcher, and a 26-year-old AA OF.  Also, the Reds have called up LF and highly-touted minor leaguer, Yonder Alonso.


Jonny Gomes is a career .244 hitter, and has 115 home runs.  This year, Gomes got off to a hot start, but then slowed down.  His 2011 stats are as followed: a .211 batting average, 11 homers, and 31 RBI's.  I wish nothing but success to Gomes.


Chris Manno, the left-handed reliever, has a 1-3 record this season, along with 12 saves, and a nice 1.04 ERA for Hangerstown. 


The 26-year-old OF, Bill Rhinehart, is hitting .283, has 21 homers, and 59 RBI's in nearly 90 games for Harrisburg.


As for Yonder Alonso, in AAA Louisville this season, he was hitting .296, had 40 extra-base hits, along with 56 RBI's.  Alonso can play 1B or LF.

Wood Will Pitch Today

By: Coop

Johnny Cueto was scheduled to pitch in today's game against the Yankees, but we have got news that Travis Wood will pitch rather than Cueto.

Cueto says his neck has been bothering him for 5 days, but says "maybe I'll pitch tomorrow".

This does not sound like it is too serious, but if we get any further news about this, we will let you know.

Arroyo Strong, Reds Win 2-1

Bronson Arroyo went 6 innings, giving up just 1 run in the
Reds win over the Dodgers, Friday.

By: Coop


The Cincinnati Reds had an off day yesterday, a much-needed off day.  That off day could have played into today's game.  Bronson Arroyo got an extra day of rest, and played well today.  Bronson gave up only 1 run, and got just enough run support to pick up the win.  2-1 is the final, here's how it all happened.


There was no score until the 4th, when Loney flied into a sacrifice double play, but Andre Either would come across to score, it was 1-0 Dodgers on top.


Then in the bottom of the 5th, the bases were loaded with 2 outs.  Scott Rolen stepped up to the plate and delivered.  He hit an RBI single to center, Stubbs and Votto would both score, and the Reds had a 2-1 lead.


Dodgers pitcher, Hiroki Kuroda, would finish that 5th inning, as well as the 6th.  His final line is 6 innings pitched, giving up 2 earned runs, on 6 hits, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts.  He was hoping to get a no-decision in this one rather than a loss.  The only way he could get the no-decision is if the Cincy bullpen gave up at least 1 run.


But the bullpen was very strong.  Ondrusek came in to pitch in the 7th, got the job done.  As did Masset in the 8th.  As did Cordero in the 9th.  Cordero picks up save number 11, Arroyo picks up win number 4, and LA's Kuroda is the tough-luck loser, he is now 5-6 this season.


Let's talk about Bronson.  He got the win as I previously said.  He was very strong today, as he went 6 innings, gave up 1 run on 5 hits, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts.  Very impressive outing for #61.


The Brewers and Cardinals are both winning right now, so if they both end up winning, the Reds will remain 3.5 games back in the Central.  If they both somehow lose, then they will be only 2.5 games back.  Sounds good.  


Tomorrow the Reds will play at 4:10 PM ET.  Johnny Cueto will take the hill for the Redlegs, while Clayton Kershaw will pitch for Los Angeles.  That game will be televised on FOX.  Yes FOX, not FS Ohio, but FOX. 

6th Inning Rally Lifts Reds Past Cubs

Jonny Gomes celebrates with teammate, Brandon Phillips, after hitting a
home run in the Reds 7-4 win over Chicago. 

By:  Coop


The Cincinnati Reds were coming off of a 3 game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.  Now, another foe was in town.  The Chicago Cubs hopped on a plane and headed towards the Queen City to take on the Reds for a 2 game series.  In the 1st game of the series Homer Bailey was on the hill for Cincy, while Carlos Zambrano was pitching for the team from the south side of the Windy City.  Bailey got roughed up early on, and his team was down 0-4, but a 6th inning rally by the Reds allowed them to win 7-4, here is how.


The 1st run of the game came in the 5th inning when Zambrano hit one to 3rd, Rolen came plateward with it, the throw went under Hanigan's legs, Pena was able to come in and score a run, 1-0 Chi-Town.  Same inning, Barney hit an RBI single, Zambrano scored, it was 2-0.


Then in the Cubbies 6th inning Carlos Pena hit a 2-run homer to right field, and the score was 4-0.  That was Pena's 4th homer of the year, 2nd against the Reds.


Many Reds fans, including myself, we saying to themselves "Oh boy, 4 runs, I dunno if we can do it.  Looks like this winning streak will come to and end."  But then we all remembered something.  We are the Reds, we never give up.  Some maybe, just maybe, we can get a rally at some point, take the lead, and win the game.


Well it happened. 


The Reds had a 7 run 6th inning.  The first 3 runs were scored by RBI singles by Votto, Phillips, and Bruce.  Then a Scott Rolen RBI double, and just like that the game was tied at 4.  Then a wild pitch allowed Bruce to come home from 3rd to give the Reds the lead. Then, with a man on and 1 out, Jonny Gomes came up to bat. Gomes had not hit a home run since mid-April.  But on May 16th, he went yard to right center field for a 2-run home run, his 7th long ball of the year.  You wanna talk about a guy that really needed a home run, well then talk about Jonny Gomes.  Hopefully that will end his terrible slump, and will get him back into the groove of things.


7-4 was the score after the 6th inning, and the best part about it, Homer Bailey was now eligible to get the win, well as long as his bullpen could keep the Cubs from scoring 3 runs.  Well, LeCure, Bray, and Cordero were able to do so.  


Homer Bailey needs to go buy everyone involved in that 6th inning rally a nice dinner for saving him from getting the loss.  Or he could simply just say thanks, either one.  Homer is now 3-0.  Coco Cordero picked up the save, his 8th of the year in 9 attempts.


The Reds will look for the sweep in game 2 at 7:10 PM ET.  Edinson Volquez will pitch for Cincinnati, while Matt Garza will climb the hill for Chicago.  The game will be televised on Fox Sports Ohio.

Reds Back In 1st Place

Reds catcher, Ramon Hernandez, hit 2 home runs in the
Reds 7-3 win over St. Louis, Saturday.

By:  Coop


After a 10 inning win last night, the Reds were trying to win the series today against their hated rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals.  The Reds had not won a series versus the Cards since May of 2010.  They were also trying to get their 1st place spot back.  In order to win the series, and get back to first place, Johnny Cueto would need to do well against a team that absolutely hates him.  Well, he did great.  He also got plenty of run support, the Reds won it 7-3.  Here is how.


In the 2nd inning, Public Enemy #1 in St. Louis, Brandon Phillips, hit a solo home run to left field, the Reds were up 1-0.  


1 inning later, Ramon Hernandez went yard to left, the Reds lead was doubled, 2-0.

Johnny Cueto looked great in the Reds 7-3 win over
the Cardinals, Saturday.

We go to inning #5 now, Hernandez would go yard once again.  This time to center, and the Reds had a 3-0 lead.  For the 2nd time this year, a Reds catcher has hit 2 homers in 1 game.  Still in the 5th, Phillips hit an RBI single, Stubbs scored, 4-0 the score.  


Now in the 7th, B-Phil would be at it again.  He hit a sac fly, Stubbs scored from 1st, 5-0 Cincinnati on top.


In the meantime, Johnny Cueto was just cruising heading to the 8th.  But, he had to throw a few more pitches in that 8th, thanks to two errors.  One by Janish, one by Rolen.  Two of the best defensive infielders in the league make rare errors allowing two runners to reach with Jon Jay coming up.  Then Cueto made his only mistake of the game.  He gave up a 3-run homer to Jay, his 3rd long ball of the year, and just like that it was a 2-run game.  That was followed by an Albert Pujols hit, but Logan Ondrusek came in and was able to get Holliday to hit pop up behind the plate to end the inning.


In the bottom of the 8th, the Redlegs answered back.  Fred Lewis hit an RBI single, Rolen scored, the Reds were back up by 3.  Later on, Lewis would be on 3rd, with Paul Janish batting, Motte threw a wild pitch, Freddy Lew easily scored, 7-3 the score.  Janish would then ground out to end the inning.


Francisco Cordero came in in the 9th in attempts to end the game.  He did just that, he had a 1-2-3 inning, and with that, the Reds went back to 1st place in the Central, and beat their biggest rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals in a convincing win.


While the offense was great today, so was Johnny Cueto.  #47 went 7.2 innings (a team high this season), did not give up an earned run, walked two, and fanned 5.  A great outing by Cueto.  In his 1st two games, he has looked absolutely great, and is now 2-0.


Tomorrow the Reds will go for the sweep.  Sounds good huh?  Travis Wood will battle it out with Chris Carpenter at 1:10 PM ET.  Come on down to the ball yard tomorrow, like I am, or watch the game on Fox Sports Ohio.  Let's hope to use our brooms!

Arredondo Up, Leake Down

By:  Coop


The Cincinnati Reds have decided to bring up pitcher Jose Arredondo, and send down Mike Leake to AAA Louisville.  


Mike Leake was drafted in 2009, and was selected as the 5th starter of the rotation after spring training in 2010. He skipped over the minor leagues completely, and never wanted to go to the minors, but sometimes you gotta do what's best for the team, and go down.  


Dusty Baker said sending Leake down was one of the hardest decisions he has ever made as a manager.  


Jose Arredondo is coming up to the majors for the 1st time since 2009, when he was a member of the Anaheim Angels.  Jose's rookie year was in 2008 when he was a great setup man, going 10-2, and sporting an ERA of 1.62.  The success did not carry over into 2009 however, as his ERA went up to 6.00, and then underwent Tommy John Surgery.  During his rehab assignment, he had a 2.30 ERA and a 21/6 strikeout to walk ratio.  He pitched 15 2/3 innings.  

Reds Take Game 1 From Cubs

Jay Bruce (32), Drew Stubbs (6), and Chris Heisey (28) celebrate after beating
the Cubs, 5-4, Friday

By:  Coop


The Reds were coming off of a mediocre home stand, and were looking to look better on the road.  Today, they were opening up a 3 game series with the Chicago Cubs.  This was the first time this season the North Siders and the Reds met up.  The Reds absolutly dominated Chicago last year, and were looking to continue that domination.  Well, they did not really dominate them in this game, but they beat them, 5-4, here is how.


The Cubbies scored first when Matt Garza came across to score thanks to a passed ball by Ramon Hernandez, that was in the 3rd inning.


The Cubs' 1-0 lead was soon demolished.  In the 4th inning, Jay Bruce hit a long one to right field, it was a 3-run jack, 3-1 the score.  That was Bruce's 7th homer of the year, a team high, and his 75th home run of his career.


Chicago would answer back in their side of the 4th when Giovanni Soto grounded into a double play, a run scored, and we were back to a 1-run game.


Cincinnati would have a good 5th inning, as they scored 2 runs thanks to two RBI singles.  One by Joey Votto, and the other by Brandon Phillips.  Both players are having great seasons so far, and coming up big.  Joey Votto has now reached base in all of the Reds games this season, and is just 3 game shy of the club record.  Just sayin'.


So after the top of the 5th inning, the score was 5-2, but the Cubs answered back in their 5th inning when Ramirez hit an RBI single, Barney scored, 5-3.


Then in the 6th inning, Soto hit an RBI single to plate the former All-Star, Byrd, 5-4 the score, and that is how she finished. 


Edinson Volquez did not look to great in this game, but did do good enough to get the win.  He went 5 innings, gave up 4 earned runs, on 6 base hits, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts.  Usually not good when you have more walks than strikeouts.  Edinson is now 3-1.  


Francisco Cordero gets save #5 in as many chances, as he continues to look very good thus far, hopefully he can keep it up.


Tomorrow the Reds and Baby Bears go at it at 2:20 PM ET, another day game, since we are in Chicago.  The game will be televised on Fox Sports Ohio.

Reds Score All 3 Runs in 9th For Walk-Off Win

Jay Bruce (32) celebrates his walk-off single with his teammates

By:  Coop


In a game that looked like the Houston Astros were just dominating the Reds, somehow those boys from Cincinnati came back and won the game.  Lemme tell ya about it.  Just sit right there, and I'll tell ya all about it.  Travis Wood was on the hill for the Reds, and pitched a solid 6, giving up 2 runs.  The Astros pitchers were great, Rodriguez, the starter, went 5 innings, giving up just one hit.  The Reds did not even have another hit until the 9th.


In the 9th, the Reds had 4 hits.  The pitcher was Brandon Lyon.  The Reds entered the 9th inning trailing 2-0, Lyon struggles started with the 1st batter, as he walked Drew Stubbs.  That was followed by a Chris Heisey single to advance Stubbs to 3rd.  Then came a Joey Votto single that plated Stubbs, and put Chris Heisey on 2nd.  Brandon Phillips then hit one between the 1st baseman and the 2nd baseman, just getting past them for a single.  Heisey was waved around, and scored, 2-2 now.  Had the ball been fielded, it more than likely would have been a double play.  The next batter was Jay Bruce.  His last walk-off hit came on September 28th, 2010 against...The Houston Astros.  That of course was the game in which the Reds clinched the NL Central.  All he had on his mind was a hit good enough to bring the winning run across.  Well, he got it.  He hit a double down the right field line, Votto scored easily, "And this one belonnnnnngsss to the Reds!".  It was pretty exciting.


Oh yeah, and those two runs the 'Stros scored thanks to two RBI singles by Bourgeois and Pence, both in the 3rd inning.


Let's talk about Travis Wood.  He went 6 innings, gave up 5 hits, 2 earned runs, walked 4, and fanned 7.  A pretty decent outing by Wood.  He looked like he would be a tough-luck loser, but he was lucky enough to get the no-decision.  The Reds bullpen looked good, as Bill Bray and Logan Ondrusek both had 1-2-3 innings.  Francisco Cordero was the man who got the win, as he pitched in the 9th, gave up a hit, but that's it. Coco is now 2-0, and is quietly having a great season thus far.


Today was a 12:35 game, and tomorrow it will be the same time.  The only difference is that tomorrow's game will be televised, it will be on Fox Sports Ohio, as always.  The reason why tomorrow's game is on TV, well, Joey Votto said it should be because he says "We'll probably win."  Let's hope so.


The Reds will enter tomorrow's game with a 15-15 record, and either 1.5 games back, or 2.5, it all depends on what St. Louis does tonight.  Let's root for them Fish tonight.

Reds Smack Pirates To Even Up Series

Ramon Hernandez hit a grand slam in the Reds 11-2 win
over the Pirates, Saturday.

By:  Cooper Ledford


The Reds were coming off a disappointing loss to the Pirates last night, today they were trying to get their revenge and even up the series at a game each.  If they were going to do so, they would need to take advantage of the young pitcher, James McDonald, and Mike Leake would need to pitch well.  Well, the Reds got plenty of runs, and Leake looked very good.  The Reds won 11-2, here is how.


In the bottom of the 2nd, Jonny Gomes hit a solo home run, his 4th of the year, 1-0 Reds.  Then in the bottom of the 3rd, Joey Votto hit an RBI single to plate Stubbs, and the Reds had a 2-0 lead.

Jonny Gomes hit 2 long balls in the Reds 11-2 win over
the Pirates, Saturday.

But, Pittsburgh was quick to answer back.  In the 4th inning, with the bases loaded, Garrett Jones walked, that would make it 2-1.  Same inning, Cedneo hit a sac fly, Alvarez score, and that game was now tied at 2.  Until the 5th.


In the Reds half of the 5th, it was a run parade.  To start the scoring, Juan Francisco hit an RBI single, Cairo would score, and the Reds had their lead back.  But that lead would get larger.  Especially when Ramon Hernandez hit a grand slam.  It was a long one, 431 feet to left!  That got the 26,418 fans at GABP fired up, the score was 7-2.  Still in the 5th, when Leake on, Stubbs hit a 2-run jack to right, just clearing the fence, and the Reds increased their lead to 7.  

Mike Leake got the win in Saturday's game against
Pittsburgh.

That would be it for the 5th inning scoring, but in the 6th, the Redlegs were back at it.  Jonny Gomes hit a 2-run home run, his 2nd long ball of the day, 11-2 the score.  Gotta love what Gomes is doing so far this season, being patient, getting on base, and then when he gets that pitch he wants, he delivers, weather it's a single, a sac fly, or a home run, he delivers.  Jonny be good!


Cincinnati's bullpen would hold the Pirates for the rest of the game, allowing the Reds to win 11-2.  They are now 9-5 (what a way to make a living).  


Mike Leake got the win, as he went 6 innings, gave up 4 hits, 2 earned runs, and struck out 6.


Tomorrow the Reds will look to take the series lead.  Edinson Volquez will pitch tomorrow for Cincy, while the 'Burgh will run out Jeff Karstens.  Game time will be at 1:10 PM ET, and will be televised on Fox Sports Ohio.

Reds Win With A 6-Run 11th

Jonny Gomes (31) scores from 1st on a go-ahead double by
Ryan Hanigan.

By:  Cooper Ledford


After the Reds beat the Padres 3-2 in game 1, they were looking to get the series win.  In order for the Reds to get the win, they would need Sam LeCure to pitch well, and they would need to get some runs off of Clayton Richard.  Well, LeCure pitched great, but the Reds did not get many runs off of Richard, they got them off of the San Diego bullpen in the 11th inning.  This was a crazy game, the game was tied at 2 until the top of the 11th inning, where the Reds scored 6 runs all with 2 outs! Now that is amazing.  The Reds win it 8-2, here is how.


In the 1st inning, Jonny Gomes put the Reds on the board with an RBI double to plate Phillips, 1-0 Cincinnati.


The Padres would answer back in the 2nd when Gonzalez hit one into right field, Hundley would score, to tie the game.  But on that same play, while Gonzalez was going toward 3rd base, there was a throw that got past the Reds 3rd baseman, Scott Rolen, Gonzalez would try to take advantage of it and go home, but Scott Rolen gunned the ball to home plate for Hanigan to apply the tag for the out.  That is why Scott Rolen wins Gold Gloves.


The game would remain tied until the top of the 5th, when Drew Stubbs grounded out, but Bruce was able to come home from 3rd, 2-1 Cincinnati on top.


San Diego would once again tie it up in the 8th when Patterson hit an RBI ground-out Hundley scored, the score was 2-2.  But, the Padres would have taken the lead if it wasn't for the awesomeness of Brandon Phillips.  With a man on 3rd, and Venable was the batter.  Venable hit one to 2nd, almost in shortstop territory, Brandon Phillips barehanded it, and made the off-balanced throw to 1st for the out.  It was crazy, go to Reds.com to see the play.  


Okay, so the game still tied at 2, and we are going to the 11th inning.  There are two outs and a man on.  Hanigan is batting.  Hanigan hit one to left, it would be an RBI double, Gomes would come in to score, and the Redlegs had a 3-2 lead.  But, that was just their first run of the 6 they would score in this inning.  The next run would score when Chris Heisey hit an RBI single, Hanigan scored, 4-2.  The next run scored when Edgar Renteria hit an RBI single to center, Jay Bruce scored, 5-2.  Then, with two on and two out, Drew Stubbs made this one a laugher.  He hit a 3-run home run to center, 406 feet, and the score was 8-2.  That would be how the game finished.


Everyone is talking about this 6-run 11th, but right now I am going to talk about Sam LeCure.  Sam did great, going 6 innings, giving up only 1 hit, 1 earned run, 2 walks, and struck out 8, a career high for him.  Unfortunately he got a no-decision, but he proved a lot in this game.


So the Reds are now 8-3, and are 2.5 games up on Pittsburgh and Milwaukee for 1st place in the NL Central.


The Reds will look for the series sweep as Travis Wood will pitch for the Reds, while Stauffer will pitch for San Diego.  Game time is set for 6:35 PM ET and will be televised on Fox Sports Ohio.

Two Homers Lead Reds Past Padres

Reds OF, Chris Heisey, hit a two-run home
run in Cincy's 3-2 win over San Diego.

By:  Cooper Ledford


The Cincinnati Reds were coming off of a losing series in Arizona, and were looking to rebound in this series vs. San Diego.  It would be big if the Reds could take game 1.  In order to do so, Edinson Volquez would have to pitch better than he has in his first two starts, and the Reds top ranked offense would have to be able to get some runs off of San Diego's top ranked pitching staff.  Well, the Reds did not get very many runs, only 3, but it was enough for them to get the 3-2 win and go to 7-3, here is how.


San Diego got both of their runs in the 1st inning.  The 1st run came across when the bases were loaded, and Ryan Ludwick was hit by Edinson's pitch, 1-0.  The 2nd run was plated when Hawpe hit a sac fly to bring in Hudson, it was 2-0.  So Edinson Volquez's 1st inning struggles continue.


The score would remain 2-0 until the top of the 4th, when Jonny Gomes hit a 371 foot home run to left, a solo shot, his 3rd long one of the year, and the Reds were within a run.


Then in the 5th inning, with a man on, Chris Heisey hit a two-run home run, his 1st of the year, the Redlegs had a 3-2 lead.  


Edinson Volquez would last until the 6th inning, then in came Jordan Smith for 1.1 innings, Bill Bray for .2 innings, and Francisco Cordero for 1 inning, all of them scoreless innings, allowing the Reds to hold on for the win over the Padres.


Despite Edinson Volquez's shaky 1st, he was very good from then on out, as he went 6 innings, gave up only 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks, and had 5 strikeouts, and earned the win.  He is now 2-0 on the year, but is lucky he is not 0-2.  


Next the Reds will send out Sam LeCure, while the Pads will send out Clayton Richard.  Game time is set for 10:05 PM ET, and will be televised on Fox Sports Ohio.

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=91ead217-02d2-422b-bf89-2d49dfb4c189" target="_new" title="">Reds roll over Padres</a>

Reds Suffer First Loss Of Season

Sam LeCure got a no-decision in the Reds loss to
Houston, 3-2, on Thursday.

By:  Cooper Ledford 


The Cincinnati Reds were wrapping up their three-game series vs. Houston, as well as their home stand before they head to the desert to take on the D-Backs.  The Reds were 5-0 so far, and were looking to go to 6-0.  If they wanted to do so, they would need to do well against Brett Myers.  They did okay, but not good enough, as they lost 3-2, here is how.


The Astros got on the board first when Hunter Pence hit an RBI ground-out in the 1st, the score was 1-0.


The Reds answered back in the 2nd when Edgar Renteria hit an RBI double to center, allowing Gomes to score, the game was tied at 1.


Houston was able to retake the lead in the 4th when Wallace hit an RBI ground-out to plate Carlos Lee, 2-1.


Cincinnati would tie the game once again in the 7th when Scott Rolen went yard for the 2nd time this season, 2-2.


But the Astros would take the lead in the 9th when Downs hit an RBI double to plate Wallace, 3-2 the score.


In the bottom of the 9th, the Reds tried hard to at least tie it with two outs.  Phillips hit a single, Votto reached as well, then came Ramon Hernandez.  We all know what he did on Opening Day, could he do it again?  Another 3-run walk-off homer?  Nope, he grounded into a fielder's choice to end the game.


Sam LeCure was the pitcher, and he looked pretty good, as he went 5 innings, gave up 3 hits, 2 earned runs, walked 2 and fanned 6.  He gets a no-decision.  Nick Masset pitched the final two inning of the game, and he gets the loss as he allowed 1 run to score in the 9th.  The winner is Abad who went 1.1 innings giving up 1 hit and 1 walk.


So the Reds lose, sending 20,104 people home sad.  But as Jim Day said "161-1 is not bad".  We can hope, can't we?  If you are a Reds fan like me, this is not a big deal, 5-1 is still one of the best records in the National League, and this is only 1 game out of 162.  


Next the Reds will get on the plane and head to Arizona to take on the Diamondbacks for a three-game weekend series.  They will play tomorrow at 9:40 PM ET and will be televise on Fox Sports Ohio.  

Hanigan And Arroyo Help Reds Complete Sweep Of Brewers

Ryan Hanigan rounds 3rd after hitting a 3-run home run,
Sunday vs. Milwaukee.  Cincinnati ended up winning 12-3.

By: Coop


The Cincinnati Reds were hosting the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. The Reds were looking to complete the sweep, and go to 3-0 on the year.  If they were going to reach 3-0, Bronson Arroyo would need to look like he did in his last Spring Training start, and the Reds offense would have to get some damage done again Randy Wolf, who has been a Reds killer throughout his career.  Well, Bronson looked great, and so did the Reds offense.  The Reds won 12-3, here is how.


In the 1st inning, the lead-off man, Rickie Weeks, who hit a home run in game 1, went yard.  A solo home run, and the Brewers were up 1-0 early on.


The Reds would answer back in the 2nd when Johnny Gomes hit a long one to left center, Jonny's first hit of the season, and the game was tied at 1.  Paul Janish was not a fan of the tie, so in the same inning he hit an RBI single to plate Jay Bruce, 2-1 Cincinnati on top.


In the 3rd inning, the pitcher, Randy Wolf, hit a double, then Rickie Weeks would bring him home with a double of his own.  The game was tied at 2.


The Redlegs would answer back in the 4th when Drew Stubbs reached on an infield single, Ryan Hanigan would score, the score was 3-2.  Same inning, Brandon Phillips hit his first homer of the year, it was a 3-run jack to left, 6-2.


Then in the 5th inning, Ryan Hanigan hit a solo home run to put Cincy up by 5, 7-2.


In the top of the 6th, Ryan Braun went yard off Bronson Arroyo, 7-3 the score.


In the 6th, Scott Rolen hit a sac fly to bring in Brandon Phillips to put the Reds back up by 5.  Still in the 6th, with two men on, Ryan Hanigan hit his 2nd home run of the game, and Cincinnati had an 11-3 lead.


In the 7th, Miguel Cairo hit an RBI single to center, Heisey would score, 12-3 the score, and that's how she finished. 


While Hanigan was the star of the game, Bronson Arroyo can not be overlooked.  Arroyo went 7 innings, gave up 6 hits, 3 earned runs, did not walk a batter, and fanned 5, he got the win.  A nice outing for a guy who has mononucleosis, if you ask me.  Also in this game, Reds fans got to see Aroldis Chapman for the first time this season, as he had a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th, reaching a top speed of 103 mph.  


So the Reds drink the brew, and sweep Milwaukee.  They will next play host to the Houston Astros.  The first game of that series will be Tuesday at 7:10 PM ET, you can catch the game on Fox Sports Ohio.

Reds End Spring With Win Over Tribe

By:  Cooper Ledford


The two teams that were share Goodyear, Arizona, as their spring home, the Indians and Reds, were going at it today.  The Indians were playing host.  This was the final Spring Training Game for the Reds, as they will soon head back to Cincinnati and get ready for Opening Day.  This looked like it would be interesting, as the Reds had Bronson Arroyo on the hill.  If you missed it, Bronson has mono, and people were worried about him, and how good he would do this season.  Well, today, he looked fine, looked really good, but I'll talk about him later.   Back to the game, the Reds beat the Indians 8-3.  Here is how.


In the top of the 1st, Jay Bruce hit an RBI single to bring in Phillips, 1-0 Cincy.


Cleveland would answer back in their half of the 1st when Shin-Soo Choo hit a solo home run to tie the game.


Jonny Gomes must not like tie games, because in the top of the 4th, Jonny Gomes, who hit a homer yesterday, went yard, a solo home run, 2-1 the score.  The Reds would add another run in the 5th when Joey Votto hit an RBI single to plate Stubbs, the score now 3-1.


But, Cleveland would bring back the one-run game in the 5th when Choo hit his 2nd jack of the game, another solo homer, 3-2 the score.


There would be no scoring until the Reds half of the 8th when Juan Francisco hit an RBI single to bring in Mike Costanzo (remember him from yesterday?), 4-2 the score.  But that was only the 1st of the 4 runs the Reds would score in that inning.  The 2nd run was scored when Chris Heisey hit an RBI one-bagger to plate Francisco, 5-2.  The 3rd run was scored when Paul Janish grounded into a force out, but with Denis Phipps on 3rd, that would be an RBI, as Phipps would score, 6-2.  The final run of the inning was scored when Jake Kahaulelio hit a RBI single to left, Janish would score, 7-2 the score at the end of the rally inning.


The Tribe would add a run in their 8th when Jordan Brown hit a sac fly to bring home Sanchez, 7-3 the score.


In the top of the 9th, just for the heck-of-it, Ryan Hanigan added a run with an RBI single to plate Heisey, 8-3 the final, and that is how she finished.


As promised, I will talk about Bronson Arroyo.  The high-kicking #61 went 6.1 innings, gave up 6 hits, 2 earned runs, walked 1, and struck-out  3.  So a nice final Spring Training outing for Bronson in front of 4108 people in Goodyear, Arizona.


The Reds finish Spring Training Games with a 17-14-2 record.


So Reds fans, are you excited like me?  You better be, because Opening Day is only 2 days away.  Don't forget about it.  The Cincinnati Reds will battle the Milwaukee Brewers, Thursday, at 2:10 PM ET, the game will be televised on Fox Sports Ohio, and Local 12.  Pitching in that game will be Edinson Volquez.

Reds Beat White Sox

 By:  Cooper Ledford


The regular season is only three days away, but for now, there is still Spring Training Baseball.  With that, the Reds were visiting the Chicago White Sox in Glendale, Arizona.  It looked as if it would be a pitchers duel as it was Mike Leake pitching for Cincinnati, and Danks for the South-siders.  It ended up being a nice batting practice for the Reds, and a struggle for the White Sox, as the Reds won 9-1.  Wanna know how?  Good, here you go.


To start the scoring, in the 2nd inning, Jonny Gomes hit a solo home run, 1-0 the score.  Then in the top of the 5th, with two men on, Drew Stubbs hit a 3-run jack to right field, it was 4-0 Redlegs.


The Sox would answer back in their half of the 5th when Brent Lillibridge hit an RBI single to plate Quentin, it was 4-1.


But, not for too long.  In the 8th inning, some guy I have never head of, his name is Brian Barton, hit a 3-run home run, deep to left field, and the Reds had a 7-1 lead.  And then to make things better, another guy I have never head of, Mike Costanzo, went yard with a man on, a 2-run homer, and that would make the score 9-1, and that's how she finished.  But, not without some sweat and somewhat of a threat.  In the bottom of the 9th, Matt Maloney was pitching, there were 2 outs, and the bases loaded, the batter was Adam Dunn.  But, Matt was able to strikeout Dunn to finish the game.


Mike Leake is the winner, as he had a nice game, going 5.2 innings, did give up 6 hits, 1 ER, walked 2, and sat down 3 via strikeout. 


Tomorrow the Reds will play their final Spring Training Game as they play visitor to the Cleveland Indians.  Game time is at 3:05 PM ET, and will not be televised.  Then the Reds will hop on a plane to go back to Cincinnati and get ready for Opening Day, Thursday.

Cueto Sidelined To Begin Season

Johnny Cueto is sidelined
to begin the 2011 season.

By:  Cooper Ledford


Reds starting pitcher, Johnny Cueto, was diagnosed with mild inflammation in his right shoulder, Monday.  


Cueto has left his last two starts with stiffness underwent MRI exams on his shoulder and elbow.  Team doctors say his injury is not serious however.


Reds general manager, Walk Jocketty said they will "shut him down for a week or so".  Once Johnny starts to throw again, it will still be "at least a couple of weeks" before he is back in the Reds rotation.  

While the rest of the team will head back to Ohio for Opening Day, Cueto will stay in Goodyear, Arizona to continue working out and getting ready.


While this is bad for Johnny Cueto, that gives pitchers like Travis Wood, Mike Leake, and Homer Bailey a good chance at the rotation, as there are now three spots to fill.

Reds Tear Up Harang, Beat SD

By:  Cooper Ledford


Remember Aaron Harang?  Of course you do.  Who could forget his Cy Young Caliber seasons, or shall I say season with the Reds, and then his....terribleness for the following years.  Well, Harangatang was starting for the Padres today.  The Reds scored 7 runs off of him, and went on to win 15-5.  Yeah.


I am not gonna say all the scoring plays, as I do not have time (seriously, I gotta go eat dinner in 30 minutes), but I will give you some good bullet points to what happened in this game.

• Aaron Harang went 3 innings, gave up 7 hits, 7 ER, walked 1, and struck out 1.  He is the loser.
• Reineke got the start for Cincinnati, and had 2 scoreless innings of work, his only blunder was one walk.  He picks up his 2nd win of the Spring.
• Dave Sappelt looked good once again, as he had 2 RBI's.
• Ryan Hanigan, Chris Heisey, and Juan Francisco all hit home runs.
• Todd Frazier got in on some action today, as he had an RBI single. 

Tomorrow the Reds will head back to Goodyear to play host to the San Francisco Giants.  Game time is at 3:05 PM ET, and sadly there will be no TV...again. 

Kershaw And Dodgers Beat Reds

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Clayton Kershaw allowed one hit and struck out three in four scoreless innings, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Cincinnati Reds 2-0 Saturday.


The left-hander, who will start Opening Day against San Francisco, walked one in his second spring start. He gave up one run and two hits while striking out three in three innings against the Chicago White Sox on Feb. 28.

The Dodgers stopped a four-game skid and won for just the third time in nine games under new manager Don Mattingly.

Matt Kemp doubled into left field in the fourth inning for the Dodgers' first run. Reds starter Bronson Arroyo gave up one hit in three innings.

Great Pitching Allows Reds To Beat M's

By:  Cooper Ledford


The Cincinnati Reds were 4-2 in Spring Training, and they traveled to Peoria, Arizona, to take on the Seattle Mariners, who were 2-2.  On the hill for Cincinnati was Chad Reineke, while Seattle had Doug Fister pitching.  Forget about Chad Johnson Ochocinco Johnson, Chad Reineke was great, as he went 3 innings, gave up 3 hits, 1 run, and fanned 2.  He helped the Reds pick up the win, 3-1.  Here is how.


In the top of the 2nd, Fred Lewis hit an RBI single to bring in Hernandez, Cincy had a 1-0 lead, but they were not done.  Same inning, Kris Negron hit a sac fly to plate Lewis, 2-0 Reds.


The M's would get on the board in the 3rd when Ichiro hit a sac fly to bring in Dustin Ackley, 2-1 the score.


The Reds would get their 2-run-lead back in the 5th, when Dave Sappelt (I am really starting to like this kid) hit an RBI single to bring in Negron, 3-1 the score.


Cincinnati's pitching staff was able to keep the Mariners off the board for the next 4 innings.  A good job by Willis, Bray, Masset, Gil, and Valiquette.  But, out of all the pitchers, Chad Reineke is the player of the game, as I said in paragraph one, he went 3 innings of 1 run, 3 hit, baseball, struck-out 2, and picked up the win.


So, the team from Southwest Ohio picks up their 5th win, and go to 5-2, while the Mariners of Seattle go to 2-3, but at least Seattle still has good coffee. 


Next, the Reds will go to Camelback Ranch to take on the Dodgers, that game is tomorrow 3:05 PM ET.  This will be the 2nd time in the last 3 days the Reds and Dodgers have gone at it.

Reds Take Down Dodgers 3-1

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Drew Stubbs had a run-scoring double and defending National League MVP Joey Votto singled and drove in a run to lead theCincinnati Reds to a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.

Stubbs began last season as the Reds' leadoff hitter but struggled. He began to hit when Dusty Baker dropped him in the lineup. Against the Dodgers, he had two hits and also scored a run back in the leadoff spot.

"Stubbs doesn't have a track record," Baker said. "I have to find out if he's a slow starter or not. He has a good mix of speed and power."

Travis Wood, competing with Homer Bailey and Mike Leake for the final two spots in Cincinnati's starting rotation, gave up one hit and struck out two in two innings.

Francisco Cordero, Aroldis Chapman, Matt Maloney and Sam LeCure kept the Dodgers in check following Wood.

"We got great pitching tonight," Baker said. "Wood looked good. Cordero looked good. Maloney pitched out of trouble in his three innings. Chapman looked excellent."

Chapman struck out the first two hitters he faced in his perfect inning.

Hiroki Kuroda made his second spring start for the Dodgers and allowed two runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings.

"I didn't have all my pitches tonight. My breaking ball wasn't there," Kuroda said. "That was a great lineup. It was like during the season. It put a little pressure on me."

Jerry Sands had two hits and an RBI for the Dodgers.

First-year Dodgers manager Don Mattingly is encoraged by what he's seen in the early going.

"Our energy's been good. We have a couple wins and a couple losses but I feel good about what we're doing. We've been concentrating and focusing on what we need to do," Mattingly said.