MLB Team Report – Cincinnati Reds – INSIDE PITCH
After blowing two straight save chances, Aroldis Chapman breezed through one Monday night. He worked a 1-2-3 inning, struck out two and hit 100 mph on the radar gun several times.
“You’ve got to get them right back on that horse,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “You can’t let it fester.”
Chapman came back Wednesday as well, allowing one hit but striking out two to earn a save in a 7-4 Reds win over the New Yormk Mets.
Baker saw nothing wrong with Chapman — even when he gave up back-to-back home runs to Erik Kratz and Freddy Galvis in 3-2 walk-off loss to Philadelphia. Chapman has converted his first eight save chances before blowing the two.
“This is a funny game,” Baker said. “You’re extremely happy when it happens to the other guy. We were super happy when it happened to (Atlanta’s Craig) Kimbrel. As soon it happened to us, you’re looking for answers. Sometimes, there are no answers.”
Chapman agreed.
“I don’t see any problem,” Chapman said. “I’ve been hit. Everybody gets hit. Why not me? I’m going to get hit as well.”
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MLB Team Report – Cincinnati Reds – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 29-18
STREAK: Won three
PAST 10 GAMES: 8-2
NEXT: Friday — Cubs (Scott Feldman, 4-3, 2.19) at Reds (Bronson Arroyo, 4-4, 3.28)
PLAYER NOTES:
–RHP Bronson Arroyo will look to extend his scoreless streak Friday, when he takes the mound for the Reds in the opener of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park. Arroyo has won his last two starts by tossing 14 1/3 shutout innings and lowering his ERA from 4.30 to a season-low 3.28. Arroyo allowed just 10 hits and three walks while striking out 11 in the two starts. He will be making his 29th appearance against the Cubs and is 11-9 all-time with a 2.99 ERA.
–1B Joey Votto continued his scorching hitting Wednesday, when he went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the Reds’ 7-4 win over the Mets. Votto has hit in 11 straight games, a stretch in which he is hitting .512 (22-for-43) with three homers, nine RBIs and 13 runs scored. This is Votto’s second hitting streak of at least 10 games this season. He also hit in 10 in a row from April 27 through May 7.
–SS Zack Cowart had his best game as a big leaguer Wednesday, when he collected a career-high four hits — all against New York Mets ace Matt Harvey — in the Reds’ 7-4 win. Cowart singled in the first, doubled and scored in the third, doubled in the fifth and singled and scored in the seventh. Even Cowart’s lone out helped the Reds: His grounder back to the pitcher in the ninth sent Shin-Soo Choo — who eventually scored the tie-breaking run — to third with one out. Prior to Cowart, no player had recorded as many as three hits in a game against Harvey. Cowart’s big day lifted his batting average from .206 to .224. He had 11 three-hit games to his credit before Thursday, including two this year.
–2B Brandon Phillips extended his hitting streak to 10 games by going 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the Reds’ 7-4 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday. Phillips pulled an RBI single just fair down the third base line to give the Reds a 3-2 lead in the seventh before delivering a quirky, go-ahead double in the ninth, when his grounder to first kicked up chalk, bounced over the glove of Mets first baseman Ike Davis and trickled into short right field. The two RBIs extended Phillips’ National League-leading total to 40.
–LHP Sean Marshall was unavailable Wednesday due to shoulder inflammation. While Reds manager Dusty Baker declined to go into why Marshall didn’t pitch, Marshall told reporters he “…felt a little bit of crankiness” while warming up Wednesday. Marshall said he expected the two days of rest (the Reds are off Thursday) to help him get back to normal. Marshall battled shoulder woes during spring training and was on the disabled list from Apr. 10 through Apr. 26 due to tendinitis in the shoulder. He is 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA in 11 appearances this year.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We started fairly poorly on the road. To come back this road trip and win seven of nine was very big for us. It’s more the type of team we are. We play well on the road and we expect to win, and that’s what we did.” — RF Jay Bruce after a win Wednesday.
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MLB Team Report – Cincinnati Reds – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–LHP Sean Marshall (shoulder inflammation) was unavailable May 22.
–LHP Manny Parra (strained left pectoral muscle) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 24. He began a rehab assignment with Double-A Pensacola on May 13. He is scheduled to continue his rehab on May 23 when he starts for Triple-A Louisville.
–LF Chris Heisey (strained right hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 28. He began a rehab assignment May 13 with Double-A Pensacola but re-strained his hamstring and was sent back to Cincinnati to be examined by Dr. Tim Kremchek.
–RHP Nick Masset (right shoulder surgery in September 2012) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 21.
–LF Ryan Ludwick (torn labrum in right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 1, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 15. Ludwick had surgery April 3. He might not return before July.
ROTATION:
RHP Mat Latos
RHP Bronson Arroyo
RHP Homer Bailey
RHP Mike Leake
RHP Johnny Cueto
BULLPEN:
LHP Aroldis Chapman (closer)
RHP Jonathan Broxton
RHP Sam LeCure
RHP J.J. Hoover
LHP Sean Marshall
RHP Alfredo Simon
RHP Logan Ondrusek
CATCHERS:
Ryan Hanigan
Devin Mesoraco
INFIELDERS:
1B Joey Votto
2B Brandon Phillips
SS Zack Cozart
3B Todd Frazier
INF Jack Hannahan
INF Cesar Izturis
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Xavier Paul
CF Shin-Soo Choo
RF Jay Bruce
OF Derrick Robinson
OF Donald Lutz
