Cincinnati Reds
Cards get to Reds 'pen again
By C. Trent Rosecrans, CNATI.com Posted April 8, 2010 12:26 AM ET
Baseball loves numbers. It loves interpreting them, it loves moving numbers from here to there, dividing, multiplying, throwing into an equation, extrapolating and finding great truths through their final answers. However, sometimes the most simple of numbers - no equations needed, just fingers and toes - can mean everything.Entering the sixth inning Wednesday, Reds starter Johnny Cueto had thrown 90 pitches and Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright had thrown 54.
"Usually teams their bullpen is a little weaker in the middle innings - I'm not saying they don't have a great bullpen, because they might, it's still early - starting pitchers are usually strong and the quicker you can get them out of the game, the better chance you have at winning the ballgame," said Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday.
And that's exactly what happened Wednesday, as Holliday doubled in two runs in the seventh off rookie reliever Logan Ondrusek to give the Cardianls a 6-3 victory over the Reds.
"That's my goal is to outlast the other starter, if he gets out early, I outlast the next guy and just keep outlasting the other side until the game's over," Wainwright said.
Both starters gave up two runs -- Cueto on five hits in six innings and Wainwright on three hits in seven innings -- but the inning with Wainwright in the game and Cueto in the clubhouse proved to be the difference.
Cueto finished the night throwing 109 pitches before he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the Reds' two-run sixth. But just as soon as the Reds tied the game on an Orlando Cabrera home run, the Reds bullpen gave it up.
The bullpen was supposed to be a strength for the Reds this season, they returned nearly everyone from last season's pen, which finished third in the National League in ERA a season ago. But in two game so far this season, the relievers have allowed 11 runs in two games against the defending NL Central champs.
Ondrusek didn't give up a run in 10 innings of work this spring and pitched a perfect inning in Monday's opener. After Daniel Ray Herrera gave up a single to Skip Schumaker to start the seventh, Ondrusek replaced him and promptly threw four straight balls to Brendan Ryan, bringing up Albert Pujols and Holliday with two on and no outs. Predictably, the two responded with hits off the rookie who started 2009 in Class A.
"I didn't come in sthrowing strikes and with Pujols and Holliday coming up behind them, you can't give them any more guys on base to give them more opportunities to get runners on base," Ondrusek said.
Pujols singled in a run and Holliday doubled in two, eventually scoring on David Freese's single off of Arthur Rhodes.
Wainwright retired the Reds in order in the bottom half of the inning, ending his night and giving him his first win of the season and boost of confidence that he can pitch like he did in 2009 when he won 19 games and finished third in Cy Young voting behind Tim Lincecum and teammate Chris Carpenter. Just a game in, Wianwirght said he feels much further ahead than we was a year ago where a game here at Great American Ball Park was the turning point of his season.
After a no-decision to the Reds on May 10 in a 10-inning Cardinals victory, Wainwright said he watched video and saw something he needed to change. Over the next three starts he allowed a single earned run in each game against the Brewers, Cubs and the Brewers again. In those games he struck out 23, walked five and allowed 12 hits, while pitching 23.2 innings in those three games.
"This is night and day. It's not even close. This is how I was feeling last year, this is how I pitched last year," Wainwright said Wednesday. "I was hitting both sides of the plate with all my pitches and let my defense work, they hit some balls hard today and my defense played great."
Wainwright was attack hitters, getting outs early, while his batters didn't hit too many balls hard off of Cueto, but were able to draw out counts and make him work.
"One of the keys to beating a great pitcher is getting them out of the game, get the pitch count up and get into the bullpen and then hopefully you have the advantage the next day, too," Wainwright said. "I attack the hitters, always. Always attacking unless the situation doesn't call for it, but I'm always attacking and making my defense work. You save the bullpen, you save the bullpen for days and you save your team if you can go deep into games."
NOTES -- Sunday's starter, rookie Mike Leake, arrived in town from Arizona on Thursday, but he won't be added to the roster until Sunday. Until then, he can't be with the team during games. ... Orlando Cabrera drove in all three of the Reds' runs on Wednesday, hitting his first home run as a Red in the sixth inning off starter Adam Wainwright and then doubled in Ramon Hernandez in the eighth inning against reliever Kyle McClellan. ... Wainwright had a hit taken away on a grounder down the line in the sixth inning. "(Rolen) robbed me. It was a great play, it's always nice to get on Web Gems. If I hit that anywhere else except for when Scott's playing and it's a hit," Wainwright said. ... Cueto said he felt fine with his pitch count, he said he threw mostly sinkers, which didn't take as much out of him. According to PitchFX he threw 33 four-seam fastballs (with an average of 93.27 mph and a high of 95.8) and 32 sinkers. He also threw 28 two-seam fastballs.
Categories: Cincinnati Reds, Featured Stories
Tags: Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, Arthur Rhodes, Brendan Ryan, Daniel Ray Herrera, Johnny Cueto, Logan Ondrusek, Matt Holliday, Mike Leake, Orlando Cabrera
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