Now the REDS' Pitchers need to pitch well on the Road.

[Kingspoint]

The REDS' hitters have been hitting well on the Road all year. The REDS have a very good home record now for the year. But, all season long, the pitchers have pitched horribly on the Road, other than Volquez.

A lot of these pitchers the REDS have are veterans and they should be pitching their norms on the Road. The Veteran pitchers need to step up their game. It doesn't matter what Jay Bruce does on the Road if the pitching doesn't improve drastically.

[Kingspoint]

On this 8-game Road Trip, the 5th Starter only comes up once,...the Thursday game.

However, it's not just the starters that have pitched poorly on the Road this year, but all of the relievers, too.

This 8-game trip at Philadelphia and Florida is the REDS' season right here. They can do as they have been doing on the Road, and lose 6 or 7 of these 8 games falling 5 or 6 games under .500 again, or the veteran pitchers can step it up and pitch this team to a 5-3 record on the trip, setting up some excellent momentum for a 9-Game Homestand beginning with the Cardinals.

Harang, Arroyo, Weathers, Majewski, Mercker, Burton, Affeldt and Cordero are going to make or break this season on this trip. Volquez doesn't care where he pitches as he's been great all season. Cueto and Bailey each get a start, and I can't expect either of them to do very well. If one of them can be decent, then that would be great. Arroyo and Harang will each get two starts on this trip and let's hope the Veteran's tenacity comes through.

The first game of the next home stand will be Bailey's start.

[Kingspoint]

Monday, June 2 Citizens Bank Park | 7:05 PM ET


Bronson Arroyo, RHP (3-4, 5.55)
Reds (28-29) @ Kyle Kendrick, RHP (4-2, 4.84)
Phillies (33-25)



Scouting Report:
Reds: Arroyo pitched on three days' rest and gave up one run on just three hits with four walks and six strikeouts in six innings of work against the Pirates on Wednesday. Arroyo gave up a season-high four walks through the first 4 2/3 innings. Arroyo has been sensational over his last five starts, compiling a 3-0 record. He last faced the Phillies on April 7 when he gave up five runs on nine hits with no walks and six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. He surrendered a season-high four home runs in that start and was credited with the loss.
Phillies: Kendrick has been giving the Phillies chances to win -- the team has won seven of his last eight starts. In his most recent start, on May 27 against Colorado, Kendrick lasted 7 1/3 innings -- his longest outing of 2008. He gave up two runs while striking out five and walking only one. In two career starts against the Marlins, Kendrick is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA.





Tuesday, June 3 Citizens Bank Park | 7:05 PM ET


Aaron Harang, RHP (2-7, 3.81)
Reds (28-29) @ Adam Eaton, RHP (1-3, 4.99)
Phillies (33-25)



Scouting Report:
Reds: Harang endured his toughest outing of the season in his last start. He lasted just four innings and gave up six runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts in a loss to the Pirates. His fastball, which usually sits in the low 90s, didn't reach the 90-mph mark until the third inning, and struggled to stay there for the rest of the night. Six of the hits he gave up were doubles. The four innings marks the shortest start of the season and ties for his shortest appearance of the year, as he pitched four innings in relief at San Diego on May 25. The two strikeouts were a season low, and the six runs were a season high. The 10 hits tied a season high. Harang's last start against the Phillies came on April 5 when he pitched seven innings and gave up two runs on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts in a no-decision.
Phillies: Eaton has turned in six quality starts in 2008, but hasn't had much to show for his efforts. The right-hander notched his first victory of the year in his most recent start, Wednesday against Colorado. Eaton allowed just one earned run against the Rockies -- his lowest total of the season -- and one walk, which matched his lowest total of the season. He faced the Reds on April 5 and lasted 7 2/3 innings while giving up three runs in a no-decision. In six lifetime starts against Cincinnati, Eaton is 2-0 with a 4.19 ERA.





Wednesday, June 4 Citizens Bank Park | 7:05 PM ET


Edinson Volquez, RHP (7-2, 1.46)
Reds (28-29) @ Brett Myers, RHP (3-6, 5.52)
Phillies (33-25)



Scouting Report:
Reds: Volquez pitched six innings and gave up two runs on five hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in receiving a no-decision. It marked just the second time this season that Volquez has given up more than one earned run in a start. He was obviously feeling the affects of pitching 1 2/3 innings in relief during an 18-inning game the previous Sunday against the Padres. Pitching for the third time in a week, his mid-90s fastball hovered in the low-90s for most of the night. His location was also a bit off, as just 59 of his 102 pitches went for strikes. Volquez last faced the Phillies on April 6, when he pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up one run on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in a winning effort. It was hist first win of the season.
Phillies: The right-hander feels he made significant progress in his previous outing, when he allowed three first-inning runs, but no more in an eight-inning stint. He struck out 11 in the game and was pleased with his ability to locate, something he has struggled with all season. He surrendered four runs in five innings to the Reds on April 6.

[Kingspoint]

Bronson Arroyo has failed miserably in his attempt to pitch "just halfway decently" on the Road tonight. He's the one veteran that I thought would come through for the team on this roadtrip.

[Kingspoint]

The Relievers have been excellent while one Veteran Starter (Harang) did well. The young starters other than Volquez did not do so well. Bailey was the victim of poor defense, some of it his own, and he failed to pitch himself out of trouble. Cueto gave up too many runs. Arroyo did not do well.

But, totally unexpectedly, the Hitters went to sleep....8 runs in 4 games. Even though they were 1-3 in Philly, there was enough good things that happened that with a little more help from the Offense, and only 2 starts from CP, they could win 3 of 4 in Florida.

There was no chance to win the game today. They needed to win the Arroyo start and Arroyo failed to deliver. He needs to deliver in his next start at Florida, as Harang surely will, and Volquez surely will. I don't expect to win Cueto's start, though he was better in his last couple of games, so who knows what might happen. We swept Florida a bit ago, and I'm sure they remember it. Would love to do it again.

[Kingspoint]

I didn't mean to say Cueto gave up runs. Cueto pitched great in his last start as I had said he pitched well lately.

[bgwilly31]

The pitchers had NOTHING to do with the reasons we went 1-3 in Philly.

[Rob387]

yeah the bats were definitely asleep in philly.. it didn't even look like Hamels had his best change yesterday and he was making them look silly. i feel good about homer's start though maybe he will finally get going at the big league level

[Kingspoint]

The pitchers had NOTHING to do with the reasons we went 1-3 in Philly.

If Arroyo pitches half-way decently, we split the series.

It is surprising how poorly the players hit so far on the road trip as they came into it hitting well on the road.

[bgwilly31]

arroyo made two pitching mistakes from the game that i can remember. Throwing a dead 3-0 fastball down the middle to utley. And another hanger to somebody else that homered that game. That accounted for 3 runs.

Of the what 5 given up.

You call 2 mistake pitches a terrible outting?

[Kingspoint]

arroyo made two pitching mistakes from the game that i can remember. Throwing a dead 3-0 fastball down the middle to utley. And another hanger to somebody else that homered that game. That accounted for 3 runs.

Of the what 5 given up.

You call 2 mistake pitches a terrible outting?

It only takes 1 pitch to have a poor outing.

[bgwilly31]

It only takes 1 pitch to have a poor outing.

Thanks my conversation with you is over.

[Kingspoint]

Thanks my conversation with you is over.

This isn't Little League.

It's the Majors. Arroyo's performance was crappy in a situation where he knew he was setting the table for the Road Trip. His performance took away the momentum that came from the homestand, and his team scored enough runs to at least send the game into extra innings. He gave up 5 runs in HALF of a game.

How you can say there were only 2 bad pitches is beyond understanding?

Arroyo faced 24 batters. He was behind in the count after 1 pitch to 13 of those batters. He got ahead in the count after 1 pitch to only 4 of those 24 hitters. 7 of the hitters put the ball in play on the 1st pitch. He pitched poorly thoughout the game while pitching tough at the same time after getting in trouble, but he put himself in trouble the entire game. It was a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what it was.