Howard Miller

It seems ever since I took a small break from writing to attend to some family matters, the Reds could not find a way to inflate their win total. Instead they had their first slump of the season which included a sweep at the hands of the Pirates and two consecutive losses in Wrigley before exploding yesterday for 9 runs and a win.

Edinson Volquez is now 2-0 and has pitched 3 great games. His only problem has been his inability to pitch late into games. His last two outings have been 5 inning outings due to high pitch count. I also notice he shakes off Bako an awful lot. They need to get on the same page if their success will continue.

Griffey continues his climb towards 600 career homeruns. He hit numbers 595 and 596 in the series with the Cubs. His swing looks as Junior-esque as ever and he is not hitting any cheapies either. Both against the Cubs were to dead centerfield and on 3-2 counts. Both times the pitcher hit his spot too. When will pitchers learn not to pitch Junior middle in? He will turn that mistake into a bleacher bomb every time.

New York Yankees blogger Joe Gallo said it this morning to me and I couldn’t agree more, Joey Votto should be given full time duty at first base. Nothing against Hatty, Votto is just younger and better. He seems to have found his swing…all he had to do was look in Northside Chicago. Two times in his very young career Votto has had a 5 RBI performance against the Cubs. He did it again yesterday and is starting to look comfortable at first base too. I don’t know where anybody got the idea he was not a good defensive first basemen…everything I’ve seen thus far contradicts that statement.

With Evan Longoria being called up by Tampa Bay and having already signed a multi-million dollar extension, and Corey Patterson beginning to struggle a little bit, I don’t think Jay Bruce will have to wait much longer to receive a callup to the big club. His numbers in AAA Louisville are once again impressive. Take a look:

.333, 1 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 9 RBI in 13 games. He’s also got 18 total hits.

This kid is ready for The Show. I would really like to see him inserted into the lineup and see how he looks sandwiched in the outfield by Adam Dunn and his (and my) childhood idol, Ken Griffey Jr.

As Josh Fogg continues to show he is not the answer to the 5th starter’s role, Homer Bailey’s progress in AAA continues to impress me. He is 2-1 with a 1.42 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. He’s averaging just under 7 IP per outing and has only walked 3 in 19 IP. He has struck out 13.

I must say I have been impressed with how Dusty has handled his young arms. He has let them try to work their way out of trouble but has not hesitated to pull the plug when the pitch count gets a little too high, no matter how well he’s pitching.

Stay tuned for a tribute to Ken Griffey Jr. when he finally hits number 600.

In saying that, CNNSI.com posted a wonderful article about the careers of Griffey and Frank Thomas written by Tom Verducci. You can find it here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/tom_verducci/04/15/verducci.griffey/index.html

Reds begin a series with the Brewers tonight. Arroyo takes the hill against Ben Sheets who has looked nasty this season.

Howard Miller

Following a disappointing extra innings loss last night, the Reds rallied tonight with a 12-4 win. All 8 starters had at least one hit. Jeff Keppinger extended his hitting streak to 8 games and Corey Patterson hit his 4th homerun of the season and his second in as many nights. Adam Dunn hit his 1st homer of the year, and Junior raised his batting average to .357 to start the season.

Josh Fogg was effective in his 5 innings and the bullpen handled the rest.

Rubber match tomorrow afternoon. Reds send Harang (o-1) to the mound looking to even his record for the season. The Brewers send Carlos Villanueva (1-0). Should be a good match up.

Howard Miller

The Reds and Brewers kick off a 3 game set in Milwaukee this evening. This is the first time the 4-3 Reds will leave the friendly confines of Great American Ballpark and take their show on the road. I think one of the keys to the Reds success this season will be how Francisco Cordero pitches on the road. Last season Cordero’s road numbers were not very flattering. He was a different pitcher on the road than he was at home. Tonight he returns to the place he called home last season and will be looking to be a difference maker in the series. The good news for Cordero is he starts his Reds road career in the place he dominated in last year. The question this series will be, can the Reds’ bats get them to Cordero?

Tonight’s matchup features 33-year-old Jeff Suppan taking on 22-year-old rookie phenom Johnny Cueto. I am very anxious to see how Cueto fares in his second outing and against such a potent lineup, without having the home crowd behind him. The Reds’ lefty heavy lineup will need to get on Suppan before he has a chance to settle down. Let’s see if they can get the young man some run support early. After what I saw from Cueto last week, I have no doubt he is the real deal. I look for the Reds to take this one tonight if they are able to stay patient and wait for their pitch. Prince Fielder is yet to hit a homerun this year, I fear he’s due.

The Chase for 600 continues tonight as Griffey gets back into the lineup after being given a night off against Cole Hamels and the Phillies yesterday. It’s amazing how different the Reds’ lineup looked without Patterson or Junior. Keppinger at first base is a waste of his defensive talents. Juan Castro should have been put at first, but it really didn’t cost them anything.

Game two will see Josh Fogg, trying to rebound from his lackluster performance, taking on Milwaukee’s Dave Bush.
Game three sees Harang and Villanueva.

This series will be a test for the entire pitching staff. The Brew Crew, having lost just once in the first 6 games this season, are balanced throughout the order. Prince Fielder is a huge power threat, Ryan Braun and Bill Hall also produce a lot of runs. Rickie Weekes is dangerous as well.

The Reds are still looking for Adam Dunn to hit one out. He’s gone 21 straight at-bats to start the season without a homerun. He’s still good for 40 this year, but he’ll feel a lot better once he gets the first one. Encarnacion only has two hits this year, the first one coming on Opening Day to win it. I’m still waiting for Joey Votto to demand the starting first baseman’s job with his play. The only thing winning it for him right now has been the slump by Hatteberg to start the year.

Brandon Phillips and Corey Patterson have both been playing great baseball. Patterson’s average may not be great but it is still early. He is, however, coming up with hits at key moments. Brandon has just been doing what he does. Great D, hitting the ball to all fields, and generating some power.

The last thing I want to say is how impressed I continue to be with Jeff Keppinger. There’s not much more I can say about him that I haven’t already said. I am enamored with the journeyman utility man. One thing I will say is, because he plays so many positions (everything but pitcher and catcher), he makes Ryan Freel the odd man when Jay Bruce is ready to come up, or when Alex Gonzalez is activated. I expect Krivsky to start making some calls to see if he can get a little more bullpen help for Ryan Freel.

Enjoy the game tonight. I’ll be back with a commentary on Johnny Cueto’s second career start sometime tomorrow.