Cincinnati Reds
Pregame: Reds-Pirates 9.1.9
By C. Trent Rosecrans, CNATI.com Posted September 1, 2009 3:23 PM ET
Joey Votto, mired in an 0-for-15 slump, gets the day off for the Reds."I think Joey needs it and deserves it, I can tell his concentration isn't quite right," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Usually he has a very high level of concentration. I can tell he's frustrated. He doesn't get angry, but he's been getting angry lately, so it's time to do it."
The recent skid ties the longest of his career, suffered last month from Aug. 5 to 10. Overally, he's hitting .304, but is hitting .276 since he came off the disabled list on June 23.
"They're pitching him tough," Baker said. "I remember when I was the batting coach on the Giants and WIll Clark said -- and other guys got upset, but he was telling the truth -- that when you get to a certain level of excellence, Will said against everyone else they'd throw 90, 91, and when they threw to Will it was 94, 95. That's why I admire those guys at the top of their game for so long because you know pitchers are going to throw tehir best stuff at them.
Plus (pitchers) are going to spend more time on him in meetings. If you have an hour of meetings, you spend a couple of minutes on some guys, another you spend 10 minutes on others and youw atch more video on guys that can really hurt you. They'll talk to their friends to see how they got him out. That comes with the territory of being held in high esteem. Everyone I talk to says Joey Votto can hit. And if they've got one lefty in the bullpen, they're going to save him for Joey."
Reds
Drew Stubbs cf
Paul Janish ss
Brandon Phillips 2b
Kevin Barker 1b
Scott Rolen 3b
Jonny Gomes lf
Wladimir Balentien rf
Craig Tatum c
Justin Lehr p
Pirates
Andrew McCutchen cf
Delwyn Young 2b
Garrett Jones rf
Ryan Doumit c
Steve Pearce 1b
Lastings Milledge lf
Andy LaRoche 3b
Ronny Cedeno ss
Charlie Morton p
* Following Monday night's second game against the PIrates, Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips told reporters he'd been playing with a "hairline fracture" in his left wrist.
On Tuesday, he made a correction: "My wrist is not broken. I didn't mean to say broken. I know I didn't say 'broken.' I said 'fracture.' I didn't know 'fracture' and 'broken' meant the same thing. My wrist feels like it's fractured. Yeah. That right there."
"The last time I took an X-ray, it said there's nothing broke. Broken and fractured are the same thing. It feels like it's broken, fractured, or broken -- it's the same thing. But my wrist really does bother me."
Phillips said he was told the only thing that would help him recover is rest and sitting out games, he said he wouldn't do that.
* On Tuesday, Reds starter Justin Lehr was named the Most Valuable Pitcher in the International League.
Louisville Bats manager Rick Sweet won the Manager of the Year award for the second year in a row.
Categories: Cincinnati Reds, Featured Stories, News
Tags: Brandon Phillips, Dusty Baker, Joey Votto, Justin Lehr, lineup, Pirates, Pregame, Reds, Rick Sweet
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