SB Nation - Corky Miller

Heroes of the Zeros: Catcher

Slyde — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:00:25 -0000

Continuing on with our All Decade ballots, today we look at catcher. The Reds haven't had an All Star catcher since Bo Diaz in 1987, but they've still had what could be considered a solid crop of players at backstop since Johnny Bench retired. None of the guys listed below would likely be on most teams' All Decade squad, but that doesn't mean the Reds have had crap there over the last decade. They managed to get somewhat above average production out of the position a few years over the last 10, even if they weren't consistently good from year to year.

Now that we are into the hitters, let me explain what we'll be doing. For catchers, you will be selecting a starter and a backup, but you won't be doing that for any other position. After we get through all of the positions, I will have a day for selecting a left-handed and right-handed pinch hitter, and I will also take the the top vote-getter in the OF who is not a starter as the backup OF, and the top middle IF non-starting vote getter as the utility IF. That will give us a full 25-man roster for the decade.

So, if you are having a hard time deciding who should be the backup catcher, remember that the guy has a shot at being a pinch hitter, assuming he was used in that fashion frequently enough. Ballot is after the jump.

Other ballots: Starting Rotation | Bullpen

Click header to sort table by column
	Years	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	wOBA	WAR
Paul Bako	2008	99	338	299	30	65	11	2	6	35	34	90	.217	.299	.328	.626	64	.271	-0.6
Ryan Hanigan	2007-2009	126	402	346	34	92	9	1	5	22	48	42	.266	.363	.341	.704	86	.307	1.5
Ramon Hernandez	2009	81	331	287	25	74	13	1	5	37	33	34	.258	.336	.362	.699	84	.307	0.5
Jason LaRue	2000-2006	679	2441	2136	251	513	120	6	81	293	186	613	.240	.326	.416	.741	91	.314	6.2
Corky Miller	2001-2009	104	342	288	24	57	13	0	7	36	33	69	.198	.301	.316	.617	61	.276	0.0
Chad Moeller	2007	30	49	48	6	8	1	0	1	2	0	17	.167	.167	.250	.417	4	.175	-0.6
Dave Ross	2006-2008	254	817	692	86	157	34	1	41	104	99	203	.227	.324	.457	.780	96	.318	3.3
Benito Santiago	2000	89	277	252	22	66	11	1	8	45	19	45	.262	.310	.409	.719	79	.292	0.1
Kelly Stinnett	2001-2003	157	518	459	51	110	29	0	15	57	45	137	.240	.318	.401	.719	86	.306	-0.1
Eddie Taubensee	2000	81	291	266	29	71	12	0	6	24	21	44	.267	.324	.380	.704	76	.310	-1.3
Javier Valentin	2004-2008	441	1086	981	107	259	56	2	34	149	93	154	.264	.326	.429	.755	93	.322	1.0

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/15/2009.

Talking Chop Round Table: Braves Catchers

gondeee — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:25:06 -0000

As part of season reviews for major league players and top prospect ranking for minor league players, we here at Talking Chop thought it would be a fun idea to get all of our bloggers together with the help of Google Docs and debate the various aspects of each position in the Braves organization.

The participants are, yours truly (gondeee, indicated by MG), yondaime4 (indicated by MF), royhobbs (indicated by DH), and cbwilk (indicated by CBW).

I thought we'd have a few quick questions with some short responses, but apparently I underestimated the verbosity of my fellow bloggers, and this thing turned into an opus. But while it is quite long, it is an interesting discussion about the Braves catching situation in both the majors and the minors. If you have anything to add please feel free to post a comment... but please, keep it short.

MG: My assertion is that Brian McCann is the team's MVP, is there any doubt about that?
CBW: Not to me. You made a great point in your writeup that guys like LaRoche, Prado, and Diaz just didn't have enough at bats to really qualify, though I do think LaRoche, even in half a year should get some consideration. I still can't understand the logic of him batting 7th every game. It's been remarked that the face of the team has transfered from Chipper to Mac, and I think after this year that's pretty obvious. He led the team in most of the important categories and really is the backbone. It's nice too that he's a lot like Chipper in his leadership style; he lets his play speak for him.
MF: Yeah I can't make an argument for anyone else. Not a solid one anyways. McCann led all qualified NL catchers in OPS (and that wasn't close) and was behind only Mauer in the MLB (not counting V-Mart who played about half his games at 1B). The only thing that detracts for me is his second half slide which I think can be attributed to Chipper not being as big a threat in front of him and not getting the pitches to hit. For me it really comes down to is Chipper as the first half MVP, Laroche as the 2nd half guy and then McCann for the long haul.
DH: As much as I love Brian McCann, he is certainly high up on the list, but I don't think I can really say he's the team's MVP. A particular trend I've visually observed the last few years, and that's towards the end of the years, he begins to fade. Whether it is fatigue caused by how much he plays or just his physical stamina overall, the amount of times he simply begins to get under baseballs and pop up and out seems much higher in Septembers and Octobers than it does in earlier months in a season. The only statistic that can support this claim is that his overall OPS seems to drop somewhat throughout all Septembers of his career (still a respectable .805). McCann is certainly the future of the franchise, and is no doubt an outstanding player and citizen, but his penchant for fading down the stretch is a bit of a concern for me. However, all this being said, I can still confidently claim that he's still the most talented catcher in the National League.

And it continues after the jump...

CBW: I've been of the opinion for a while that he's the best catcher in baseball. He's obviously got the National League wrapped up, Geovanny Soto came back to earth (who didn't see that coming?), Yadier Molina is an outstanding defensive catcher but that's about it, and Russell Martin fell off the edge of the earth, but I'm not so sure he isn't better than Mauer. Obviously Mauer's 2009 was insane, but if you look at last year, McCann had him beat all over. Looking at their careers, per 162 games Mauer averages a .327 avg, .891 OPS, with 17 HR and 92 RBI, compared to McCann averaging .293, .852 OPS, with 24 HR and 103 RBI. Since 2005 the AL's OPS averages about .013 points higher than the NL, so Mauer's .039 point career lead over McCann is still very impressive, but a little less so. Another thing to keep in mind with Mauer is the DH. Over his career, he's played about half a season's worth of games as a DH, compiling a .331 avg and .887 OPS in those games. A fifth of his plate appearances this season came as a DH. I don't think there's any way to quantify it, but there's no question that gives Mauer an advantage that McCann just doesn't have.
DH: "J" Russell Martin. Totally makes sense. I love McCann to death, and I'll argue tooth and nail that he's the best in the National League, but I have to give the nod to Mauer as the best in the Majors. He has plenty of advantages that work in his favor, mostly from playing in the AL, and unless he one day migrates over into the NL, we'll never have a true comparison. Due to the capability for him to DH every now and then, it saves some wear on his body while keeping his bat in the lineup, and also keeps his AB total from dipping below batting title qualifications, which is pretty much what kept McCann from getting his own in 2006. Whether or not this reprieve from catching duties saves that much toll, Mauer also has not demonstrated the aforementioned September slow down that McCann seems to suffer each year. McCann certainly has a fine swing, but there's a reason why some teams are beginning to employ the shift on him; he's beginning to peg himself as somewhat of a pull-hitter. Mauer is definitely better at utilizing the entire feels, and is indicative by the fact that he has more hits to the left side of the field than he does pulling the ball throughout his entire career. As I said, I don't mean to knock McCann by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't think it's necessarily fair to bring Mauer down because of the luxury of the silly rules of the league he plays in; I think he'd probably be just as successful if he were a National League catcher.
MF: I'll just throw my two cents worth in here. I was using my favorite tool on ESPN to check the statistical validity of these arguments: the three year splits. Right now their three years are only from 2006-2008 but that actually works well for this. Coming in the 2009 season McCann had a three year OPS of .873 and Mauer was at .874. Obviously it doesn't get much closer than that. What is interesting is how differently they were getting there. Mauer had the high AVG and lots of walks whereas Brian was doing it with twice as many homers and 30 more doubles in that span. In the past would I have argued hard that McCann was the best catcher in baseball and that Mauer (despite the batting titles) was still living off of his prospect status. This season is what sets this all off though as Mauer finally closed the gap on power (and then some, in less than a full season). And what eventually tips the scales further is that Mauer is probably a better defender. I think right now in their primes Mauer is the guy you have to take but when their careers are settled I wouldn't be surprised to see a narrower gap than most people thought existed.
CBW: I like that take on things. My only further argument would be that Mauer is a year older than McCann, so if this year is what's setting him apart, it'd be nice to see if McCann can close that gap next season.

MG: Is David Ross the best backup catcher the Braves have ever had, when one considers hitting, fielding, and throwing out baserunners?
CBW: I think it's easy to believe that after how bad it's been the last few years, but the Braves have actually had some outstanding backups in their recent history. You look at Charlie O'Brien in 94 and 95 and he was a great at Maddux's personal catcher, combining for a .766 OPS in those two years. His average was low, but he had a ton of pop and was one of the better defensive catchers around. With Maddux on the mound nearly every time out, it's going to be hard to throw somebody out, so it's not really fair to compare Ross to guys who mostly had this issue. For me, the best backup catcher in Braves history is going to be Eddie Perez. His 9 years in Atlanta weren't spectacular, he hit .251 with a .691 OPS, but he was, like O'Brien, a very good defensive catcher and he added a lot of intangibles to the team. As far as a comparison to Ross, well, Ross has only had one season. Take a look at Perez's 1998: 61 G, 149 AB, .336 AVG, .941 OPS. That's way better than what Ross put up this year.
MF: Ross certainly had the best season ever by a Braves backup catcher. At least in recent memory. When you think about it he and McCann combined for 44 2B, 28 HR and 114 RBI. Without running the numbers I am sure the only team whose catchers combined for anywhere close to that was Minnesota. Yeah Ross had a really good year. Its not like he came into this year and just exploded either, the guy posted a .932 OPS in 2006 on top of 21 HRs. I am ecstatic that we have him for one more season.
CBW: Ross certainly had an outstanding 2009, but come on, it wasn't better than Perez's 1998.
MF: The raw offensive statistics were better sure, but I would say Ross's season was more valuable considering the offensive context (the Braves hit 215 HRs that season). So I guess depending on what we are saying as the "Best" you could take either one. I think I'll take Ross's. Just barely.
CBW: Fair enough. I'm still with Perez, but I like your reasoning. So, as far as gondeee's question, would you take Perez as the best Braves' backup catcher all time?
MF: Yeah I'll take Perez. He was great in the clubhouse and he was solid offensively and great defensively for a long time. You can't ask for much more than that out of a backup catcher.
DH: Late to the party, but I cannot argue the rationale behind Perez being the best backup catcher. I think a good amount of people would be willing to christen Ross as the best backup ever, but consider the short term memory of people remembering Brayan Pena and Corky Miller, and they're going to think Ross is Jorge Posada with the stick.
CBW: I still think getting rid of Brayan Pena was a mistake. Sure, he was replaced by Norton, who was fantastic last year, but he had all the potential to be a solid extra bat off the bench. He was working on playing first base and third base, so he could have added some versatility. The guy's attitude and hustle are just things you can't have enough of.
DH: I don't know why Miller was given the nod over Pena as the backup, especially after the "heart-warming" story that SI did about Escobar and Pena growing up wishing to be Braves, but as ludicrous as it sounds, it almost felt like Pena was the odd man out for being better than Corky. Like a backup catcher has to be only so good enough to warrant a backup status.
MG: I'd like to see the Braves carry three catchers next year, with Clint Sammons, and use Ross more as a pinch hitter and a power bat off the bench -- he might be better than much of what we got off the bench this year.
CBW: I like that idea and you'd have to think it could only help Ross for the days he does play by getting more regular at bats. When you have a guy that good, finding ways to get him in the lineup can only lead to good stuff. He had a terrible year and should be a candidate in any way, but a guy like Robby Hammock, who could also be used at 1B, 3B, and LF if necessary, but is also a great catcher, would be, to me anyway, a little more desireable for something like this someone like Sammons, who can only catch.
MF: You have to think giving ABs to Ross instead of some of the guys we were running out there the first half of the season would have been a much better use of our resources.
DH: Just remembered another name - Todd Pratt. David Ross was way better than him, too. At this point, there's such a long list of names that were more deserving of ABs than Greg Norton, that it's almost a moot point given that hind-sight's a harsh mistress.
CBW: He was also much, much better than Henry Blanco and Paul Bako. I think we've covered all the backups for the last 15 years now, and with the exception of that one season by Perez, Ross is hands down better.

MG: Coming into the season I thought the Braves had some good, although low level, minor league catching depth, but I think this year proved it's not quite as good as many had thought. Guys like Schlehuber and Elorriaga-Matra, who I had high hopes for, took a real step backwards.
CBW: There really isn't anything at the upper levels to be excited about. Jose Camarena is a fine AA player, as a backup, but that's about it. And guys like Alvin Colina and JC Boscan are necessary, but they're not prospects. I'm still fairly excited about our lower level catching, because I have a ton of faith in Bethancourt and Kennelly, but yes, Schlehuber and Elorriaga-Matra kind of knocked themselves off the prospect radar. Elorriaga-Matra is an outstanding defensive catcher, but his OPS, in a starting role, was .394. That's not going to get you anywhere. He'll be 21 next year, so he'll already be a bit old for Rome, if he can even make their roster. Schlehuber was 21 this year at Rome, so he was a bit old, and he didn't fare much better, rocking a sturdy .596 OPS. He's also a good defensive catcher, but he's going to have to repeat the level, and even if he fares well, he'll be way too old for the league.
MF: I am still not giving up on Schlehuber. I can't really say why, but I just think he is going to rebound next season. I still think he might be the most physically gifted catcher we have in the minors right now and he would put those gifts on show about once a month and then they would disappear. I would also point out that he did have a better ISOP than Kennelly had at either MB or Rome (BS: .109 vs MK: .063) and he had a fairly normal LD% at 13% to go along with a crazy low BABIP of .227. That's not to say he is going to be great, but there are some good indicators there and a lot of times your first full season can be a throw away. Maybe he should have started in Danville? I don't know, but I do know if he had gotten 500 ABs he would have had 35 ish doubles and nearly double digit homers. What has happened to Daniel Matra? (Yeah I'm not spelling that) This guy was primed to have a bust out year after seeing his draft stock drop hard after his JR season of high school. But he is still only 20 years old (not 21 till the end of December) and has time to grow and learn. And lets not forget that Kennelly has yet to really blow anyone's socks off offensively at any level.
CBW: You point about Kennelly here is dead on, but I think taking into account the severe difference between the levels of amateur play in Australia and the US is important. Kennelly wasn't really playing anyone, while Elorriaga-Matra was good enough to make the 18 and under USA team. DEM is getting a little old and really hasn't shown any level of success. It's a shame, he's a likeable guy and I was amazed with his defensive ability. Maybe he'll be able to hit enough to stick around for a while and maybe eek out a backup job in the Majors in his late 20s. I'm kind of curious why you feel Schlehuber is so physically gifted. I didn't see much that made me think he was any more of an impressive athlete than Bethancourt or Kennelly or even DEM or Benji Johnson.
MF: I was going more off the fact that he was able to steal a few bases in college and even some in the pros and that he has flashed a bit of a power stroke. Maybe I was stretching a bit on the most physically gifted but I still think he has good tools. Obviously you have seen these guys and may have caught something that I can't being stuck in the mountains of WV, but I just think there is a kernel of talent buried deep, deep in his numbers. And you are right about Kennelly having only played in Aussie leagues, but I don't think Kennelly is that old. Still just 20 and he will be in his 21 season next year. Catchers don't have a normal growth curve because a lot of times one skill has to catch up with the other. I'm not going to put money on either Schlehuber or DEM, but I'm not quite sold out on them yet.
CBW: Did I say Kennelly was old at one point? If I did I didn't mean to; to me he's right on track. I've definitely got more hope for Schlehuber than DEM. Schlehuber is still going to be old for his league, and he just seems like he profiles as more of a backup to me, but you're right, there's something there to be hopeful about.
MF: No I don't think you did, I just got crossed up with the text in there.

MG: It seems like our non-drafted minor league catchers are really the best of the bunch, Bethancourt and Kennelly.
CBW: Just looking at the other lists, it's pretty rare that we're going to be uniamous on many selections, but we all had Bethancourt 1 and Kennelly 2. After finally getting to see Bethancourt this year in Spring Training, I became a believer and a huge fan. He's a big, solid kid, but isn't bulky like a guy like Tyler Flowers, so you can see him staying behind the plate. His defense is good and had a surprising season for a 17 year old. You have to believe if he has a good ST this year, he's in line to go to Rome as an 18 year old, and if he can put up another fine season, that's really going to be saying something. Kennelly's season was a little unfair, in that he played so well in ST that they decided to clear the logjam at Rome by rushing him up to Myrtle Beach. He wasn't ready for it and it showed. He rebounded a little after moving back to Rome, but at that point there are a lot of mental factors, a half season of failure, a demotion, that lead to a severe knock in confidence. But, I have a lot of faith in the kid, he's a great defensive catcher and his mental approach to the game is fantastic. Pitchers love working with him because he's so supportive and talkative. He'll be 21 in a return to Myrtle Beach, so that's about the right age and most Australians develop slowly anyway. Another undrafted guy, Jesus Sucre comes in at number 3 for us, and he's a guy worth keeping an eye on. He's also an outstanding defender and he's got a thick, wide body that makes for the kind of target pitchers love to throw to. He hit for a little power with Myrtle Beach, but I doubt he's ever going to really be much of a power threat. He'll be 22 early in next season, and he played well enought that it seems like he might start the year at Mississippi, though that might be a little more than he's ready to handle as a hitter. I'd say prospect-wise he's a good distance after Bethancourt and Kennelly, but he's also much closer to being a finished product, since he really projects as a backup catcher all the way.
MF: I really liked Kennelly a lot coming into this season and I think he will get looked over by many folks because of his performance at Myrtle Beach when he shouldn't have been there. In a perfect world Kennelly starts at Rome and Schlehuber at Myrtle Beach, but obviously that wasn't going to happen. Scouts praise his leadership skills and how quickly he can make adjustments and improve himself. He has a solid body and is expected to develop some power as he makes more adjustments. Remember, we signed this kid out of Australia at 16 years old and he is just now 20. Bethancourt has the potential to be a stud in a couple years, if he isn't already one. For a guy so young he already is showing an advanced feel at the plate and behind it. The problem with having both of these guys is we have the second best catcher in baseball blocking them both. Both guys are going to need at least 2 more, if not 3, years in the minors to really get developed, and while McCann's contract will be up its hard to imagine the Braves not doing everything they can to resign him. And then we are back where we were with Flowers and Salty.
CBW: Great points about Kennelly's leadership and ability to make adjustments. Those are definitely things you keep hearing about the guy. I don't know if I'm entirely worried about some kind of future logjam, if only because that's something I rarely worry about. Frankly, very few prospects actually pan out, so if it comes to a point where you've got both Bethancourt and Kennelly ready to go, and McCann still dominating in the Majors, that's a fantastic problem to have, especially since quality catching is so incredibly rare. Hey, we turned Salty into a great season's worth of Mark Teixera and Flowers into at least a great season's worth of Javy Vazquez, so depth is nothing to sneeze at. Anyway, I think it's still at least three and a half to four years before these guys are really ready to be Major Leaguers, assuming they develop well. By then, you're talking about McCann being a 30, 31 year old catcher. I've always seen him as a guy who might end up having to shift to first base, so who knows, by then, if say Bethancourt, who'll only be 22, is a stud prospect ready for a spot, it might be time to make that switch.

CBW: Since, he's the only guy on the list we haven't talked about, how do you guys feel about Benji Johnson? For me, he just sneaks onto the end of the list because I have more faith in his future than Elorriaga-Matra's. He's always been a little old for his league, but he's never really played all that well. One thing you can see is that he's always been a backup, so it's hard to even compare him to Clint Sammons, a guy who was always a little old, but was definitely being groomed as a backup.
MF: Hah, I was amazed it took us this long to bring up Johnson. I don't really know much about Johnson honestly, but out of the guys we have talked about not named Clint Sammons, I think Johnson's total package is the most advanced, but I think long term and short term there just isn't any room for him. It looks like he has a little pop in his bat, but he really just doesn't have anything going for him other than that, and even that isn't a +tool. I know we are talking backups here, but unless his defense is better than Clint Sammons (which is going to be difficult) I can't really justify ever using an MLB roster spot for anything other than emergency purposes.
CBW: Good call. I dont' think his defense is really close to Sammy's. Clint is one of the best defensive catchers I've ever seen in the minor leagues.

CBW: Speaking of Sammons, he probably could still qualify for a prospect list, since he doesn't even have 70 at bats in the bigs (I was shocked he only got in 6 games this season), but none of us thought of him. Martin suggests keeping him as an extreme backup in 2010, so, to that point, do we all kind of feel like that's about his ceiling, a mitt with legs?
MG: I always thought he had a decent bat, but it seems to have eroded as he's moved up the ladder. I was lobbying for him over Corky last year since with Clint at least we get the hope that the offense will improve, being that he is young and can still be molded, and the glove would not have suffered at all. It's hard to say why one becomes a cheerleader for certain players, but I think way more of Sammons than I probably should, and I'm not ashamed of that.
CBW: I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Personally, he's one of my favorite guys in the organization. I've seen him play at every level and he's one of the nicest, most down to earth guys you'd ever want to meet. And, it doesn't hurt that his defense is just spectacular. If nothing else, Sammons is a good example of how good catchers, despite their hitting ability, can stick around.

Just Like They Drew It Up. Reds Win 7-5 to Break 5-game Losing Streak.

Slyde — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:01:24 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

Yer a....GULP....mmmmmm.

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Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Drew Sutton. Sutton only saw three pitches all day, but that was enough as his 2-run pinch hit double in the 9th inning was the difference for the winning squad.

Key Plays

The story of the day today was base runners, as in the Reds had 21 of them when you add up the 10 hits, 8 walks, and 3 errors by the Cubs. Thankfully, they managed to get some hits today with runners on base, going 5 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

The Reds put their first two runs on the board due to the Cubs fielding incompetence. Three errors in the 3rd inning allowed the Reds to load up the bases and score a run before Brandon Phillips singled in a second run to put the team up 2-0.
The Reds added 3 more runs in the 4th inning after Adam Rosales and Drew Stubbs singles put runners at 1st and 3rd. Darnell McDonald followed with one of his two hits on the day to drive in Rosales. Joey Votto did the same to drive in Stubbs. Consecutive walks to Phillips and Scott Rolen put another run on the board and the Reds led 5-0.
While all of this was happening, Johnny Cueto was cruising right along, allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks through the first 5 innings. He ran into trouble in the 6th though, walking lead-off hitter Ryan Theriot and back-to-back singles Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, the latter scoring Theriot. Geovany Soto ended Cueto's day with a double that plated Lee and moved Ramirez to third base.
Daniel Ray Herrera relieved Cueto but allowed a sacrifice fly to score Ramirez and a walk and was replaced with Ramon Ramirez who induced a flyout from Jeff Baker to end the inning.
The Cubs rallied again in the 7th a walks to Kosuke Fukudome and Lee put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Nick Masset came to the game to face Aramis Ramirez who promptly singled to load the bases. Masset struck Milton Bradley out, but then gave up another double to Geovanny Soto. Both Fukudome and Lee scored, but a nice relay from Stubbs to Paul Janish to Corky Miller nailed Ramirez at the plate, preserving a 5-5 tie.
The 8th inning was quiet on both sides, and it looked like the Reds would stall out in the 9th as Rolen grounded into a double play after a Phillips single. However, 2-out walks to Jonny Gomes and Kevin Barker left the door open for Drew Sutton to be a hero, and Sutton didn't disappoint. His double into right field plated both runners and gave the Reds a 7-5 lead.
Francisco Cordero made quick work of the Cubs in the 9th, throwing just 9 pitches in a 1-2-3 inning.

via www.fangraphs.com

Other Notes

The win today still leaves open the possibility that the Reds could finish this road trip with a split. As bad as they played during the 5-game losing streak, a split would feel like a freaking miracle.
The Reds had 10 different players reach base via a hit or a walk.

The Tale Of The Season: Cubs Defense, Marmol Fail In 7-5 Loss To Reds

Al — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:00:56 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

"If only you guys had played better defense, I could still be in this game!"

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Even I, the eternal optimist, have to admit that the task of making a baseball miracle and getting this Cubs team into the playoffs is probably impossible now.

The Cubs lost to the Reds 7-5 on another sun-kissed September afternoon that reminded all of us of the summer we missed, both baseball-wise and weatherwise. That wasn't the entire story, of course; the Cubs made a stirring comeback from a 5-0 deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the 7th, only to lose.

Wasn't that about the story of the entire season? We got teased from time to time, the team making us think they were about to make an extended run and get back into the race, only to fall back and have reality set in.

Today, the Cubs gave the Reds six outs in the third inning and no team can expect to overcome bad play like that. They were, in fact, lucky to get out of that inning with only two runs scoring. One of the three Cub errors in that inning was an unlucky one -- Aramis Ramirez couldn't have aimed the throw on Drew Stubbs' grounder better than he actually threw it. The ball hit Corky Miller in the helmet and ricocheted at least 100 feet away into about the fifth row behind the Cubs dugout. A run scored and runners wound up on second and third. This was after Derrek Lee, as sure-handed a fielder as the Cubs have, fumbled a bunt attempt by pitcher Johnny Cueto, which should have been an automatic out.

Even after that, the Cubs could have gotten out of the inning with no runs scoring. Darnell McDonald hit a ball to Ryan Theriot, who threw home to get Cueto. That left runners on first and third with one out, and Randy Wells got the tough Joey Votto to hit a grounder right to Lee for what should have been an inning-ending double play. Unfortunately, Theriot dropped the ball, and Brandon Phillips' subsequent single scored the second run of the inning.

Both of those runs were unearned due to the errors, and the three runs that scored in the third should have been unearned, too; Votto's ball that glanced off Lee's glove was scored a hit, but should have also been an error. That could have been a double play, too, and then even after a pair of walks Jonny Gomes' grounder would have ended the inning with no runs scoring.

Randy Wells deserved better, and the bullpen did a good job of keeping the Reds at five runs while the Cubs were hurriedly catching up; Geovany Soto, whose bat has come alive in this series, hit doubles in the sixth and seventh innings, driving in three of the five runs the Cubs scored to come back and tie. Ramirez was thrown out at the plate -- I would have sent him too, with two out and the tying run already in. It took a perfect throw and relay to get him.

But then, Carlos Marmol came in. Marmol has been very good since being anointed closer, but this was not a save situation and Marmol pitched like the old, bad, pre-closer Marmol. Even after a slick DP got him to two out and no one on, he walked a pair and gave up a two-run double to a .176 hitter, Drew Sutton. (Can you tell the difference between Drew Stubbs and Drew Sutton? I can't.) How can you do that? In any case, Angel Guzman should have been in this game instead of Marmol, but apparently, Guzman is deep in Lou's doghouse after the two had words the other day in Pittsburgh when Guzman didn't agree with Lou's decision to yank him.

That simply can't happen. Guzman was wrong to do that, but at a certain point, the manager has to put the guy in the game who has the best chance of doing the job at hand. In this case, in a tie game in the ninth inning, it was Guzman's role, not Marmol's.

So at this point, what to do? Play guys who have a chance to be contributors next year. Bobby Scales, thank you for your moment in the sun, but you're not going to be a Cub in 2010. Jake Fox should be in LF every day while Alfonso Soriano is on the shelf, in order to either determine his role in 2010 or increase his trade value. Same for Andres Blanco; he should be playing SS every day, particularly since Theriot is hitting .211 since August 15. Let's find out whether Blanco is someone who could be the primary backup infielder next year. And let's not put Aaron Miles into any more games, please.

I'll have lots more to say about 2010 once this season has finally ended. It's been difficult -- as you all well know -- in many ways. Until then, try to enjoy the rest of the season; perhaps there will be a thrilling comeback win, or a great individual performance to enjoy. It's still baseball, and we all love the game, or at least I hope you do. We'll miss it when winter comes. And next year will bring new ownership and new hope. Keep the faith; someday, the Cubs WILL win the World Series. In the meantime, I'm off to the U2 concert tonight at Soldier Field; maybe I'll see you there.

Red hot Cincy in town to close homestand

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:00:22 -0000

If the Rockies want an 8-2 homestand, they'll need to at least win a series against a very hot team. You want optimism for reaching that? Then know that the Rockies draw the ~~exact three starting Reds pitchers~~ they faced and swept on the road five weeks ago. PLUS KIP WELLS. UPDATE: Justin Lehr suffered a strained groin and will be replaced by Matt Maloney. Maloney and Homer Bailey swap days.

So there's optimism and then there's reality. The starting pitching for Cincinnati has started to perform far better, and with that, so have their results in the W column. Cincinnati has won seven straight and and 12 of 14 with their extra innings win yesterday. They did Colorado a favor by sweeping the Braves on the road this last weekend - and allowing just 4 runs in the series, though both losses in the 14-game streak came against the Dodgers (thanks a lot...).

In other words, the Rockies are the hottest team in the majors. In 7 of 8 games, the Reds have held their opponents to three or less runs. They will also have a mind for revenge after the Rockies swept them five weeks ago. Basically, have the Reds turned a corner to be legitimate threats, or will the Rockies expose their "cute little streak" as a farce? I project the latter, with the Rockies taking the series on the way to a satisfying 8-2 homestand.

Red Reporter is the Reds SBNation blog, if you're interested.

Cincinnati Reds (63-73, W7, 5th, 18 GB Div)

Monday-Thursday: 4-game series at Coors Field

The Bats: F

Only the Giants have had a worse team wOBA than the Reds this season, and only the Giants have had a worse team batting average. That should tell you all you need to know. The aforementioned NL West offenses represent the only two clubs with less runs scored than Cincy, they trail only the Padres in SLG and just the Giants and Royals in OBP. They have experienced a lot of turnover in their lineup, but in truth, the replacements aren't helping much at all. The top two in their lineup have been terrible all year, although several different players have filled those spots. Rookies Paul Janish and Drew Stubbs now frequent the top of the lineup:

LINEUP	Avg	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	wOBA
Drew Stubbs - CF	.253	4	7	.280	.430	.309
Paul Janish - SS	.220	1	13	.303	.304	.276
Joey Votto - 1B	.304	21	67	.395	.538	.397
Brandon Phillips - 2B	.276	19	67	.333	.464	.343
Scott Rolen - 3B	.313	9	51	.369	.458	.359
Jonny Gomes - RF	.285	17	43	.357	.566	.391
Wladimir Balentein - LF	.232	6	21	.301	.382	.299
Corky Miller - C	.180	0	7	.286	.230	.246

By wOBA metrics, the lineup features two hitters performing at strong All-Star levels (Votto and Gomes) though neither have been starters all year, two above average hitters (Rolen and Phillips), one below average hitter (Stubbs), and three hitters who should theoretically be easily replaces (Janish, Balentein and Miller).

Colorado native Darnell McDonald (.234, 1, 6) is listed as the lone reserve outfielder, while Craig Tatum (.161, 1, 6) has been almost splitting time with Miller behind the dish. Adam Rosales (.200, 4, 19), Drew Sutton (.163, 1, 5) and Kevin Barker (7-for-19, 2B) are backup infielders.

Hop after the jump for the scouting report on the arms, the D, the pitching matchups and the hot/cold players.

The Arms: D+

Check out Cincinnati's starters on Statcorner. It's a big red mess. Their staff ERA is a respectable 4.33, but their staff Fangraphs value is 5th worst in MLB, 3rd worst among rotations. Their starting staff has more talent than that though, and lately, they've been showing it, so I'll give their grade an extra boost.

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Francisco Cordero	2-4	59	0	0	0	33	2	58.1	49	15	14	2	27	52	2.16	1.30

Daniel Ray Herrerra, Pedro Viola and Arthur Rhodes are Dusty Baker's left-handed options out of the pen. Jared Burton, Nick Masset, Micah Owings, and Ramon Ramirez (no not that one) come at you from the right side of the bullpen. Herrerra, Owings and Ramirez are below average via StatCorner, though Owings might not make the trip after being hit by a pitch. The rest of the pen is solid, led by Cordero, who had five saves last week.

The D: C+

The Reds are ranked 4th in UZR/150 while also making the 82 errors, a 5-way tie for 16th-least in MLB. Fangraphs says they are the 7th best defense, though team stats aren't helpful with all their turnover. Janish and Phillips are plus fielders via Fangraphs, but the rest of the starting lineup has not been noteworthy this season.

Probable Pitchers:

Today, 1:10 pm MDT

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Homer Bailey	5-4	16	14	0	0	0	0	76.1	80	54	50	12	36	52	5.90	1.52

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Ubaldo Jimenez	13-10	28	28	1	0	0	0	189.1	158	71	69	11	70	162	3.28	1.20

I have heard that Bailey has turned a corner. I'm not so sure about that. Admittedly, he has allowed just 4 ER over 21.1 IP his last three starts, but a closer inspection shows the bookend games of that stretch came against Pittsburgh. Before that stretch, 9 of his 11 starts had a sub-50 game score. He's among the worst at preventing home runs, so this is his chance to show he isn't a blind squirrel that found a nut and two Pirates. Ubaldo is on an elite roll, going 6+ IP in 24 straight starts, has won 6 of 7 starts, allowed 2 or less runs in seven straight, has 11 consecutive quality starts and has gone 8.0 innings in 4 of 6 starts. Favors: ROCKIES very strongly

Tuesday, September 8, 6:40 pm MDT

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Matt Maloney	0-3	5	4	0	0	0	0	23.2	26	17	17	8	7	19	6.46	1.39

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Jason Marquis	14-10	30	27	2	1	0	0	182.1	181	82	76	12	57	88	3.75	1.31

Rookie Matt Maloney was sent to the minors last Monday after three subpar starts in the rotation. He has started four games for Cincinnati this year, allowing two home runs in each (lip your chops boys). He does decenty with strikeouts and walks, but those home runs give him a SSS FIP of 7.01 and tRA of 7.21. He throws the starter's traditional four, with only ahigh 80-s fastball tending to live above 80mph. Without looking, that ought to tell you he's left-handed. Jason Marquis has allowed 5+ ER in consecutive starts for the first time since early May. He had obvious mechanical flaws in his last start, so if recent trends continue Cincinnati stands a chance However, I adhere to larger sample sizes. Favors: ROCKIES strongly

Wednesday, September 9, 6:40 MDT

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Bronson Arroyo	12-12	29	28	3	2	0	0	183.0	188	93	86	28	60	101	4.23	1.36

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Jason Hammel	8-7	28	25	1	0	0	0	143.0	174	79	70	12	37	99	4.41	1.48

Bronson Arroyo is on some kind of roll. He has a 1.17 ERA over his last five starts, allowing one or less in four of them. The right-hander has hurled 8 straight quality starts and 10 of 11. Contrary to Bailey, I think Arroyo hmay indeed be turning a corner, partially due to his larger body of work in his career. I love me some Jason Hammel. The Rockies have won 8 of his 9 Coors starts under Jim Tracy and he has allowed 3 or less runs in seven straight. And that's your fifth starter. Booya. Favors: DRAW.

Thursday, September 10, 1:10 MDT

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Kip Wells	1-1	6	3	0	0	0	0	25.2	16	9	9	2	16	18	3.16	1.25

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Jose Contreras	1-0	1	1	0	0	0	0	6.2	8	1	1	1	1	5	1.35	1.35

How about a duel of castaways? Kip Wells has started three games for Cincinnati, all victories. In his last two games, he allowed a total of 2 ER and 3 hits in 12 IP. But we know who the real Kip Wells is. He has a 4.85 season ERA, 4.58 FIP and as a starter for Cincy, he has a 6.89 tRA. Jose Contreras will try to back up his solid debut in which he escaped a lot of traffic and high pitch counts. Favors: ROCKIES moderately

My take

Ubaldo will start the series off right this afternoon. The Reds are definitely on a nice streak, but it has mostly been built by good pitching, which is due for a jolt against a hot offense at Coors Field. Their streak is noteworthy, but so is the fact that they only faced two teams that are over .500, sweeping the Braves and losing to the Dodgers. Otherwise, five of the wins came against the Pirates and three against the sinking Brewers. That streak will carry less weight than the popitching matchups, which the Rockies are sitting pretty for all four games. There's no reason they shouldn't win three games in the series.

Francisco Cordero had five saves last week alone while Drew Stubbs hit .333 and 3 HR during the week. Darnell McDonald got a chance to start and went 5-for-15 with a HR and Brandon Phillips was 12-for-25 with 2 HR and 3 2B. Bronson Arroyo allowed 1 or less runs in 4 of his last 5 starts, allowing just two in the outlier.

Joey Votto is had just two hits last week in 21 ABs, though he did hit a homer. Corky Miller has 20 straight hitless at-bats. Justin Lehr is coming off his worst three game stretch of the season.

The Reds are making their run in spite of a rash of injuries this season. Several key contributors are on the 15-day shelf, including OF's Jay Bruce (wrist - 7/12), Willy Taveras (quad - 8/19), Chris Dickerson (ankle - 8/24), Laynce Nix (neck - 8/21), RHP Aaron Harang (appendix - 8/21), and Cs Ryan Hanigan (concussion - 8/24) and Ramon Hernandez (knee - 7/17). That's just the 15-day DL. On the 60-day, there's RHPs Edinson Volquez (elbow - 6/2) and Mike Lincoln (neck - 6/13), IF Danny Richar (shoulder - 7/3) and C Wilkin Castillo (shoulder - 6/21).

Poll

How will the homestand shake out?

Extremely sour. 5-5 after a sweep

4 votes

Quite bitter. 6-4 after losing the series

3 votes

Acceptable. 7-3 after a series split.

14 votes

Very happy. 8-2 after winning the series.

44 votes

Perfect. Can't do much better than 9-1 after sweeping the Reds

28 votes

93 votes | Poll has closed

In "The King & I," it's referred to as "The Small House of Carnal Pleasures of Uncle Thomas." Reds win, 4-2 in extras.

Brendanukkah — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:45:29 -0000

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Micah Owings. Even though Micah cannot possibly be a starter [reasons for this pending], he stepped up with two shutout innings of relief, then got the win by being hit in the head to drive in the winning run. We hope that he's okay. Johnny Cueto also pitched six innings of one run ball and struck out nine. Drew Stubbs went 3-5 with a home run.

Key Plays

In the third inning of this pitcher's duel, Johnny Cueto led off with a single, followed by Drew Stubbs's single. Cueto came around to score on Darnell McDonald's single up the middle. With one run in, two runners on, no outs and the heart of the order coming up, the Reds looked poised to do some real damage. But Joey Votto struck out, Stubbs was caught stealing third, and Brandon Phillips grounded out.
Adam LaRoche's single in the fourth broke up Johnny Cueto's no-hitter, but he was immediately stranded.
Former Red David Ross helped level things with a one out walk in the fifth. Nate McLouth moved him to second one out later with a single, and Martin Prado doubled to bring him in.
After six stellar innings, Jared Burton came in to relieve Cueto. He immediately gave up a home run to David Ross, and a single to Kelly Johnson. Danny Ray Herrera came in and got a fly out from McLouth and a double play from Prado. Would this be the end of the Reds winning streak?
No! Drew Stubbs hit his fifth home run of his young season to tie the game with two outs in the eighth inning.
Bonus Baseball! Stubbs hit a triple in the eleventh inning, but was thrown out at the plate by Nate McLouth after he tried to score on McDonald's fly out.
In the twelfth inning, Votto drew a leadoff walk, and Scott Rolen moved him to third with a single. Wladimir Balentien also walked and the bases were loaded for Micah Owings. Kenshin Kawakami unloaded a pitch that hit Owings in the head. It was a scary moment, but the winning run came in. Corky Miller hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Rolen for an insurance run.
Not that it was needed. Francisco Cordero struck out the side for his 33rd save.

via FanGraphs

Other Notes

After getting hit in the batting helmet, Owings walked off the field under his own power.
The Reds have won their seventh straight and 12 of 14. It's not surprising that this is happening without Willy Taveras and Alex Gonzalez, though it is surprising that Justin Lehr and Kip Wells have been important parts of this hot streak.
Tim Hudson retired the last 14 batters he faced.
The Reds are now only three games out of third place in the NL Central.
Drew Stubbs has five home runs in 87 plate appearances.
The Reds have swept three of their last four series.

Final - 9.6.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	R	H	E
Cincinnati Reds	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	4	7	1
Atlanta Braves	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	0
WP: Micah Owings (7 - 12) SV: Francisco Cordero (33) LP: Kenshin Kawakami (7 - 11)

Complete Coverage >

Then came Bronson. Reds beat the Braves, 3-1.

Brendanukkah — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 03:16:28 -0000

by John Bazemore - AP

Hang in there. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

View full size photo »

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Bronson Arroyo. 7 innings of one run ball gets him his team-high twelfth win of the season. Jonny Gomes, Wladimir Balentien and Brandon Phillips all had multi-hit games and Scott Rolen did well both at the dish and on the field.

Key Plays

It seemed that Badroyo was en route to a Toronto-esque start in the first inning. He gave up back to back singles to Matt Diaz and Martin Prado, then walked Chipper Jones. Bases loaded, no outs. Ruh Roroyo. Who can get them out of this jam? Brian McCann! A grounder to Scott Rolen led to the 5-2-3 double play, and Adam LaRoche flew out. Scoreless inning.
Jonny Gomes hit his 17th homer in the second inning. Balentien followed that up with a triple, but Corky Miller grounded out to end the inning.
In the fourth inning, Adam LaRoche reached on an error by Votto, and then Yunel Escobar was called out on batter's interference. Shockingly enough, Bobby Cox was thrown out for arguing on behalf of his player. While it's a bit of a farce at this point how often Cox gets tossed, it's nice to see a manager with some fire and willing to stand up for his players.
Escobar did have to leave the game with an ankle injury. Nate McClouth replaced him in the lineup.
In the fifth inning, Balentien led off with a double. Corky Miller bunted him to third... in front of the pitcher. Arroyo popped out, and then Drew Stubbs flew out. It might have been long enough to score Wlad, but the sac bunt insured that that was the third out.
The Braves threatened in the bottom of the fifth with singles from Derek Lowe and Matt Diaz. But Corky picked Lowe off of second, then Arroyo retired Prado and Chipper.
The beef of the Reds order decided to impose their will on the game in the sixth inning. With one out, Joey Votto drew a walk, and then scored when Brandon Phillips hit a double. Scott Rolen continued to impress, hitting a single to drive in Phillips. Jonny Gomes singled too, but the hot-hitting Balentien grounded into a double play to end the inning. Reds 3, Braves 0.
I mean, Braves 1. Nate McClouth hit a home run in the bottom of the sixth.
The heart of the order tried to widen the lead in the eighth inning. Votto again walked with one out, and Phillips singled. Scott Rolen reached on Chipper's fielding error to load the bases. Unfortunately, Gomes struck out and Balentien popped out.
Didn't matter. Arthur Rhodes and Francisco Cordero slammed the door on the Braves, and the Reds win again!

via FanGraphs

Other Notes

Bronson has a 1.99 ERA over his last six starts.
The Reds have won their fifth straight game, tying a season high.
That was Wladimir Balentien's first career triple.
Gomes has 17 home runs in 249 plate appearances. He had 17 home runs in 2007 too, but it took him 394 plate appearances. His career high is 21 homers, and if he had come up with the team from spring training instead of making his Reds debut on May 22, he would easily have broken that mark. He may still do it.

Final - 9.4.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cincinnati Reds	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	3	8	1
Atlanta Braves	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	6	1
WP: Bronson Arroyo (12 - 12) SV: Francisco Cordero (31) LP: Derek Lowe (13 - 9)

Complete Coverage >

If you're going to stake your rep on being a fifth place team, these are the games you HAVE to win. Reds sweep double header, win 6-3.

Brendanukkah — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:18:02 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

He still thinks the C on his hat is for "Cueto." (AP Photo/David Kohl)

Browse more photos »

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Brandon Phillips. Phillips went 3-4 with two runs, two RBI, a home run and a stolen base. He hit what seemed to be a second home run, but replays showed that it was a foul ball.

Key Plays

The Reds came flying out of the gate in the evening contest, with Drew Stubbs singling and Paul Janish bringing him home with a double. One out later, Brandon Phillips scored Janish with a single. Scott Rolen singled and Jonny Gomes hit a ground rule double to plate Phillips. After Darnell McDonald struck out, Corky Miller walked to load the bases. Sadly, Johnny Cueto struck out, but the Reds had a 3-0 lead.
Phillips made it a four run lead in the third inning with his 18th home run of the season.
Cueto, fresh off the DL, cruised until the sixth inning when he gave up a home run to Andrew McCutchen. Danny Ray Herrera came in to relieve, but after getting two quick outs he gave up a single to Ryan Doumit, a double to Steve Pearce, and singles to Brandon Moss and Ronny Cedeno. The Pirates had crept to within one run, and Nick Masset was called on to get the third out of the inning.
The Reds got some Great American Insurance runs in the eighth, when Darnell McDonald hit a ground rule double and Drew Stubbs hit his second home run of the day (but first of the game) to increase the lead to 6-3.

via FanGraphs

Other Notes

This was Johnny Cueto's first win since July 1. It's his ninth of the season, which matches his total from last year.
The announced attendance of 13,051 for the day game was actually the attendance number from April 10, the rained out game. The Reds had an attendance of 9,087 for the nightcap, the lowest attendance ever at GABP.
The Reds had not swept a double header in ten years. (Actually, the last time I'm seeing such a sweep occurred on May 26, 1997. John Smiley beat Al Leiter [BOO!], and Mike Morgan beat Matt Beech. Terry Pendleton played third base. I'd totally forgotten he'd ever been a Red.)
With nine more losses, the Reds will clinch a losing season for the ninth straight year.
Nick Masset and Arthur Rhodes pitched in both games for the Reds. Jesse Chavez pitched in both games for the Pirates.
Francisco Cordero earned his 29th save. He's five away from passing Dan Quisenberry on the all-time list.

Final - 8.31.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	3	8	0
Cincinnati Reds	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	X	6	13	0
WP: Johnny Cueto (9 - 10) SV: Francisco Cordero (29) LP: Paul Maholm (7 - 8)

Complete Coverage >

Too Little, Too Late For The Dodgers

Eric Stephen — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:34:00 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

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The Dodgers had a furious rally in the ninth inning, but it wasn't enough, as Manny Ramirez struck out with the bases loaded to end the 4-2 Reds' win at Great American Ballpark.

One starting pitcher looked dominant tonight. It wasn't Chad Billingsley. Homer Bailey of the Reds shut down the Dodger offense all night, and the Reds took advantage of an ineffective Billingsley to build an early 4-0 lead.

Billingsley threw just nine pitches in a perfect first inning, but struggled just about every inning after that. He allowed four runs in five innings, including a solo home run to Johnny Gomes to leadoff the sixth inning. Tonight was the first time in two weeks a Dodger starter has allowed more than three runs in a game.

The Dodger offense never seemed in sync against Bailey, who threw eight scoreless innings, striking out seven Dodgers. Bailey's final pitch of the night was a 97-mph fastball to strike out Casey Blake to end a potential Dodger rally. The Dodgers put two runners on base in both the sixth and eighth innings, but couldn't cash in any runs either time. The Dodgers were hitless in nine at-bats (plus a walk) with runners in scoring position tonight.

James Loney led off the ninth inning with a solo home run off Nick "Bobbleslam" Masset to break the shutout, and after a rally the Dodgers added another run on a questionable Andre Ethier strikeout. Etiher swung and missed on a ball that hit him in the foot, and the ball got away from Corky Miller, allowing Ethier to reach base safely and Mark Loretta to score. MLB Rule 6.05(f) states:

A batter is out when he attempts to hit a third strike and the ball touches him

Also, under rule 6.08(b):

APPROVED RULING: When the batter is touched by a pitched ball which does not entitle him to first base, the ball is dead and no runner may advance

I'm not sure if runners can advance on that play legally, and I wonder if the Dodgers would have somehow gained the win if the Reds would have protested the game.

Game two of the series is on Fox tomorrow at 1pm, with Charlie "Mr. National TV" Haeger facing Matt Maloney, who was just recalled from Triple A for the start.

WP - Homer Bailey (4-4): 8 IP, 7 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts

LP - Chad Billingsley (12-8): 5 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, 1 strikeout

Box Score

Farmers Only: Weekend Recap

BK — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:00:33 -0000

Roster Moves: As previously noted, Juan Francisco is in Louisville now, and Shaun Cumberland has rejoined the outfield mix in Carolina. Kris Negron has joined Sarasota, and Oscar Castro moves from Dayton to Billings, with Hector Santana taking his place. After sitting out for a lot of the year, Misael DeJesus is on the active roster in the GCL.
Louisville had a decent weekend, winning 2 out of 3 against Toledo. They won 4-0 on Friday behind a stellar pitching performance by Matt Klinker. Klinker went 7 1/3 innings of 2-hit ball, and struck out 9 while walking 3. Pedro Viola gave up only one hit in his 1 2/3 to close it out. Drew Stubbs was 2-for-5 with a RBI, and Eric Eymann and Chris Denove had two hits each as well. On Saturday, they won 4-1 behind a decent rehab start by Micah Owings. Micah went 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball, only giving up 3 hits and striking out 3, but issued 5 walks. That's a little concerning. Logan Ondrusek notched his 5th save. In the cleanup spot, El Nino Destructor was 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI in his AAA debug. Wes Bankston was 3-for-4 with a HR, and Corky Miller and Daniel Dorn had two hits each. The Bats lost the weekend-cap 7-2 as Sam LeCure had some trouble. Bankston and Dorn had 3 and 2 hits respectively (again), and Chris Valaika added two hits of his own. Up next: The Bats take on Indy at 7:05. No starter listed, but it should be Travis Wood.
Carolina took two of three from Birmingham over the weekend. On Friday, the Mudcats lost 11-6 behind another terrible outing by Zach Ward. He's started 3 games so far in Carolina and is the proud owner of a 23.14 ERA. That's not very good. Logan Parker drove in 3 runs in the game as well. Camilo Vazquez turned the table on Saturday night, leading the team to a 8-1 win. Vazquez pitched 5 1/3 innings of 1-run ball, and Joe Krebs pitched 2 2/3 no-hit innings of relief before Greg Atencio struck out the side in a perfect 9th. Stephen Chapman led the way with 3 hits for the offense, and Jake Kahaulelio and Korey Feiner drove in 2 runs each. They won on Sunday too, 4-3. Alexander Smit pitched 7 innings and gave up 2 runs. Up next: Luis Montano takes on Jacksonville at 7:05.
Sarasota had a mostly down weekend against Fort Myers. They won 3-1 Friday, lost 3-1 on Saturday, and dropped both games of a Sunday doubleheader 6-3 and 4-3. On Friday, Curtis Partch pitched 7 innings and only gave up 1 unearned run while striking out 6, and Mace Thurman pitched 2 scoreless innings for his 6th save of the year. Jason Louwsma was 2-for-3. Kris Negron was 0-for-3 in his Reds debut on Saturday, but Neftali Soto and Dave Sappelt each had two hits. Matt Fairel had a good start, going 6 innings of 1-run ball, but Josh Beal gave up 2 in the 9th to get the loss. Jeremy Horst earned his 12th loss in game 1 of the doubleheader, and Pedro Villarreal gave up 2 runs in 5 2/3 in the nightcap. Up next: Travis Webb takes on Jupiter at 7.
Dayton lost all three of their games over the weekend, and are now on a 5 game skid. They lost 9-7 to West Michigan on Friday, as Chase Ware got roughed up in his first start. Humberto Sosa and Tony Brown had two hits each and Byron Wiley homered. They lost 7-1 to Fort Wayne on Saturday, as Ezequiel Infante had his first bad start of the year. He gave up 5 runs in 4 innings. Carlos Mendez homered and Josh Fellhauer was 2-for-4. They lost 5-1 on Sunday despite a great start by Jordan Hotchkiss. Hotchkiss only gave up 1 hit in 5 innings, and struck out 6 while walking nobody. Up next: Dayton takes on Fort Wayne at 7:05.
Billings only played 1 game over the weekend, with the game on Saturday being rained out and the doubleheader Sunday being postponed due to wet grounds. The Mustangs lost 7-3 to Casper on Friday, mostly due to a bad outing by Tim Crabbe. The top 3 hitters in the order (Mariekson Gregorius, Yorman Rodriguez, and Yen-Wen Kuo) all had two hits. Up next: Blair Carson takes on Idaho Falls at 9:05.
The GCL Reds only played 1 game too, with their Sunday game being rained out and their off day on Saturday. They lost 6-3 on Friday. Misael DeJesus pitched a scoreless inning for the start, and Jefry Sierra was 3-for-4. Up next: They take on the GCL O's at noon.