CSNbbs

Reds look to regain home-field advantage vs. Crew
Young Cingrani opposes up-and-down Gallardo in series opener

By Zack Meisel / MLB.com | 5/8/2013 4:45 PM ET

The Reds have embraced their home-field advantage. Great American Ball Park has not been kind to visiting teams.

Cincinnati's loss to Atlanta on Wednesday handed the Reds their first series defeat at home all season, after winning their first five series in their friendly confines. Still, Dusty Baker's crew enters this weekend's meeting with the Brewers with a Major League-best 13-6 home record.

The Brewers haven't tested the waters outside of Miller Park much this season. Their 11 road games entering Friday's series opener in the Queen City are the fewest in the Majors, and they are 5-6 in those contests.

Milwaukee will turn to Yovani Gallardo on Friday. The right-hander has run hot and cold all season, struggling in his first three starts (6.61 ERA) before winning his next three (2.29 ERA). In his most recent outing, the 27-year-old gave up four runs in six innings, dodging a decision in a 7-6 loss to St. Louis.

"Yovani threw the ball well [aside from] a couple of mistakes that they hit homers on," said manager Ron Roenicke.

The Reds will counter with 23-year-old Tony Cingrani, who has posted a 2.63 ERA over his first four big league starts. He allowed only three earned runs across his first three outings before yielding four in six innings against the Cubs on Saturday. The southpaw served up a pair of homers to Alfonso Soriano.

"I wasn't getting ahead of anybody," Cingrani said. "I was falling behind with everybody. I didn't really locate my fastball too well, and Soriano hit a couple of balls."

Brewers: Time winding down on Rodriguez decision

• The Brewers have about a week to decide whether Francisco Rodriguez fits into their bullpen plans. The right-hander is slated to pitch Saturday at Class A Brevard County. Milwaukee inked the veteran reliever to a Minor League contract on April 17. Rodriguez can opt for free agency if he isn't promoted to the big league squad within 30 days of his signing.

• Gallardo is 5-5 with a 4.75 ERA in 15 career starts against the Reds.

Reds: Votto's hit streak stopped

• For just the third time all season, Joey Votto did not reach base in a game Wednesday, when he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against the Braves. Votto, batting .315 with a .451 on-base percentage, also saw his 10-game hitting streak come to an end. Center fielder Shin-Soo Choo also went 0-for-4 with two whiffs. Choo is batting .323 with a .453 on-base percentage.

Worth noting

• The Reds and Brewers have yet to square off this season. Cincinnati claimed nine of 15 meetings between the clubs last year, despite Milwaukee outscoring the Reds, 49-46.

• Reds reliever J.J. Hoover allowed a grand slam to Braves third baseman Juan Francisco on Wednesday. The two players were swapped in a trade on April 1, 2012.

Zack Meisel is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @zackmeisel. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp...e&c_id=cin

Johnny Cueto's rehab start in Dayton lasts three innings
May 9, 2013


Johnny Cueto's rehab start in Dayton: Reds starter Johnny Cueto threw three inning in his first rehab start on May 9, 2013, at Dayton.

Written by
C. Trent Rosecrans

DAYTON -- Reds Opening Day starter Johnny Cueto threw 50 pitches in three innings for Class-A Dayton on Thursday and should be ready to make his next rehab start on his regular four-day rest.

“I know the team needs me,” Cueto said through interpreter Thomas Vera on Thursday after giving up a run on four hits and striking out four Lansing Lugnuts. “And I miss them.”

Cueto threw a total of 50 pitches with 37 strikes. He was scheduled to throw a maximum of 60 pitches, but the three innings took more than an hour-and-a-half thanks to a five-run bottom of the first for the Dragons and an on-field ceremony that delayed the start of the third inning.

“It was great to see him out there, healthy,” Reds assistant pitching coach Mack Jenkins said. “He endured some long half-innings, with the hitting or the ceremonies in between. He had no problem getting lose. It was good, his command was better than expected for the number of days off he had.”

Cueto has been on the disabled list since April 15 with a strained right lat. He was scheduled to go on a rehab assignment last week, but he had soreness in his oblique, causing him to bump a start in Pensacola. After going three innings and 50 pitches on Thursday, he should be ready for a five-inning, 80-pitch outing next Tuesday, Jenkins said. Dayton will be at home on Tuesday, so it’s likely he could return here. The Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos are also at home that night. Louisville will be on the road. That would make the earliest he could return to the Reds’ rotation would be April 19, though that’s still at least two steps ahead of where he is after one start.

“I don’t control that, I don’t want they want,” Cueto said through Veras. “They’ll decide what kind of routine I’m going to have next time.”

Cueto’s first pitch was a strike, a relief after not pitching since April 13 in Pittsburgh. He gave up a triple and a run in the first after Lansing left fielder Dwight Smith Jr. hit a liner to center. Dayton center fielder Beau Amaral dove for the ball and it got by him, going to the wall in right. Smith scored when the next batter, Christian Lopes, grounded out to second. Cueto’s top fastball was 92 mph in the first inning, but he ratcheted up the velocity in each of the next two innings, as his last pitch was a 94 mph fastball to strike out Lansing’s Carlos Ramirez. He threw at least four pitches in the third that registered 94 mph on the stadium gun, including that, his final pitch of the outing.

“At the end, I felt like I needed to put a little more into it,” Cueto said through Veras. “I was feeling good and I thought this was the time, I wanted to throw harder to make sure I could.”

Cueto said he threw all his pitches and located all his pitches, which was his goal for the outing. Jenkins said he liked what he saw.


Reds ace Johnny Cueto delivers against the Lansing Lugnuts during his rehab start Thursday night in Dayton for the Class-A Dragons./ Nick Falzerano

“I’ve known this kid for seven years, so just seeing if he’s his normal self,” Jenkins said when asked what he was looking for out of Cueto. “Normal delivery, any time you have a guy come off injury you look for body language. Everything was good from Johnny today.”

As for the Dragons, Cueto said he spoke to the team about working hard. He pitched for the Dragons in 2006, when he threw the franchise’s first no-hitter and was named the Reds’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

“We had a long talk today in the locker room. I talked about working hard, I work hard. I told them I’m in the big leagues but I work like I’m in rookie ball. I told them hard work is what’s going to get you to the top,” Cueto said through Vera. “I also talked to them about pitches. I saw one of the guys who throws 97-plus and told him you’ve got to start using your sinker, because a sinker is a good pitch and it’ll help you a lot.”

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...ee-innings

Reds get passing marks from Walt Jocketty so far
'Once we get everyone back, I think we'll get on a run again'
May 9, 2013


"Once we get everyone back, I think we'll get on a run again," Reds GM Walt Jocketty tells John Fay. / The Enquirer/Gary Landers

Written by
John Fay

When general manager Walt Jocketty put together this Reds team, he and everyone else expected a club that was better than one that has hovered just above .500 and has been looking up from third place in the National League Central standings.

But, grading on curve, Jocketty gives the team passing marks. The Reds lost their cleanup hitter, Ryan Ludwick, on Opening Day. No. 1 starter Johnny Cueto joined Ludwick on the disabled list two weeks in the season.

Left-handed setup man Sean Marshall had a stint on the DL. Catcher Ryan Hanigan and Chris Heisey, Ludwick's replacement in left, are currently on the DL.

"If you look at the injuries we've had and the schedules -- the opponents we've played, plus playing 20 consecutive days, some tough road trips -- I am happy," Jocketty said.

"We've had some games we probably could have won. We've won some games we probably shouldn't have. It evens out. I think overall -- losing Ludwick on Opening Day -- really hurt our lineup and offense. I think we've adjusted. The pitching's been pretty good for the most part. Once we get everyone back, I think we'll get on a run again."

The loss of Ludwick forced manager Dusty Baker to rework the lineup. Brandon Phillips was moved from the second spot to the cleanup spot. Phillips has been good in the No. 4 hole. The Reds have not gotten much out of the second spot.

Ludwick's injury came at a time when trades rarely happen.

"At that point, we had to adjust with what we had," Jocketty said. "There really wasn't anyone available for one thing. It's too early in the year to mess with that. We feel like we can give Heisey an opportunity. Then he got hurt. (Donald) Lutz is holding his own. (Derrick) Robinson's done a good job. At some point, you've got to give those guys a chance to play."

On the positive side, the acquisition of Shin-Soo Choo for the leadoff spot has looked like a stroke of genius. Choo leads the NL in on-base percentage (.453) and is tied for first in run (27).

There have been some hitches with his defense in center field, but it's been solid for the most part.

"Choo's been great," Jocketty said. "His defense -- a couple of things have happened -- but it's far better than what most people expected. We thought he'd play well."

The Reds were up front when they traded for Choo: He was viewed as one-year fix. He's played so well that Reds fans are already clamoring for the club to re-sign him.

Choo is a free agent after the season. He's represent by Scott Boras, the toughest agent in baseball. But it sounds like the Reds will at least explore the possibility of retaining Choo.

"We've talked about it," Jocketty said. "But we really haven't done any work on it yet.

Rookie left-hander Tony Cingrani has made the loss of Cueto much easier to take. Cingrani is 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA in four starts.



"That's an example of giving a guy an opportunity," Jocketty said. "He's done well. We'll have to make a decision when Johnny gets back, but he's done a great job for us."

Jocketty was referring to the call the Reds will have to make with Cingrani and Mike Leake. One will be bumped from the rotation for Cueto.

That, as they say, is a good problem to have. It's preferable to trying to figure out how to replace your cleanup hitter one game into the season.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130.../305090077

Phillips' heroics lead Reds to 4-3 win
May 10, 2013

Written by
John Fay


Reds Joey Votto, left, congratulates teammate Donald Lutz after he scored a run off Zack Cozart's single in the 4th inning which gave the Reds a 3-2 lead over the Brewers. / The Enquirer/Cara Owsley


The game was hanging the balance, a one-run game in the seventh inning. The Milwaukee Brewers had runners and first and second with one out. Sam LeCure was battling with Ryan Braun.

Braun kept wasting good pitches. Then on the 10th pitch of the at-bat, Braun hitter a chopper just out of the reach of LeCure. It was headed for center field when Brandon Phillips fielded it barehanded from his his knees. Phillips tagged second base with his left knee and flipped to first for a double play.

Cingrani allowed two runs on five hits, walked two and struck out four. He had gone five, seven, six and six in his previous four starts, but he needed 85 pitches to get through the four innings.

"That's the best double play I've ever seen," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

For good measure, Phillips hit a moon shot of a home run in the bottom of the inning. Those two plays sealed the Reds' 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers before a crowd of 33,251 at Great American Ball Park.

The home run was Phillips' sixth. He also drove in the Reds' first run of the night.

But the play was the story.

"I don't how he did it," LeCure said. "I don't what body parts were involved. I think he might have thrown out of his ear. . . We take it for granted some times. I certainly didn't take it for granted standing on the mound. That was a huge play in the game."

Phillips wasn't sure exactly how it went down either.

"I don't know how I made it," he said. "I'm just glad I made it. I tried to turn a double play. I would have used my glove, but it was going to be a short hop. If I put my glove down, it would have hit the bag. I took a chance."

Baker said Phillips is always prepared.

"Brandon practices all kinds of stuff," Baker said. "You never know when it's going to come in handy."

Phillips practiced elements of the play, but it was the first time he put them all together.

"I practice the short-hop, barehand," he said. "But I never had a bag in the way. I touched the bag with knee before. But I never caught a short hop by the bag. That's a first."

And the home run?

"That felt good," Phillips said.

Alfredo Simon got the win in relief after rookie left-hander Tony Cingrani only lasted four innings.

Cingrani allowed two runs on five hits, walked two and struck out four. He had gone five, seven, six and six in his previous four starts, but he needed 85 pitches to get through the four innings.

Cingrani relied almost exclusively on the fastball through the first three innings. He got through them relatively easy, allowing only a pair of singles to Norichika Aoki.

The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the third. Shin-Soo Choo walked and stole second. Two outs later, Phillips singled to get Choo in. Jay Bruce followed with a double off right fielder Aoki's glove to score Phillips.

The lead lasted three pitches into the fourth. Jean Segura hit 1-1 pitch to right that just got over Bruce's glove and out. Braun smoked the next pitch to right for his eighth. It did not barely get out. In fact, it landed halfway up the moon deck.

"We scuffled for the two runs," Baker said. "Then two swings and it's a tie ball game."

The Reds were fortunate to get out of the inning with it tied. Cingrani walked Aramis Ramirez and allowed a single to Jonathan Lucroy. Todd Frazier made a nice play on a smash by Carlos Gomez to start a 5-3 double play. Cingrani walked Rickie Weeks but came back to strike out Yuniesky Betancourt to avoid further damage.

The Reds came right back. Donald Lutz, pinch-hitting for Cingrani, singled with one out in the bottom of the fourth. It extended his hitting streak to five games. Lutz stole second. Zack Cozart got him in with a single to right.

Simon took over for Cingrani and pitched two scoreless innings.

LeCure struck out pinch-hitter Jordan Schafer to start the seventh but then walked Aoki and Segura in front of Braun.

LeCure fell behind 3-1, got a called strike to even the count. Then Braun started wasting pitches.

"I kept telling myself: It's just going to take one pitch, it's just going to take one pitch," LeCure said. "That's definitely not what I had in mind. The double play was, but not the way it was turned. That was pretty unbelievable, depending on what happens that may have been the turning point in the game."

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...to-4-3-win

Hanigan's return a chance for a new season
May 10, 2013


Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan returned from the disabled list Friday. / The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger

Written by
C. Trent Rosecrans

Ryan Hanigan’s 2013 season got a restart on Friday, as the Reds catcher was activated from the disabled list after three rehab starts for Triple-A Louisville.

Hanigan was hitting just .079 with three hits in 38 at-bats in his first 12 games of the season before going on the disabled list with a strained left oblique and bruised right thumb on April 21. The Reds designated catcher Corky Miller for assignment before the game to make room for Hanigan.

“There’s no excuses, I’m not going to chalk up my performance to anything like that, but it’s nice to be able to be fresh and healthy,” Hanigan said. “This game’s tough enough as it is. I’m excited to help the team any way I can and hopefully get on a roll here with the team, get the ball rolling in the right direction.”

Hanigan had been dealing with the oblique injury since spring training and then took a foul ball off the thumb in the team’s series in St. Louis in early April.

“The thumb has healed up pretty good. It’s not going to be 100 percent until I have a lot of time to rest it. It’s not a hinderance right now,” Hanigan said. “The strength is there, which is what I didn’t have for a while there. It was real sore, I didn’t have any strength in it. The bumps and bruises aren’t going to be a big deal, as long as the function of the hand is working and the oblique is feeling good too. It was a good combination of rest and rehab. It feels pretty good.”

In three games with Louisville, Hanigan had three hits in eight at-bats. Reds manager Dusty Baker told Hanigan to treat his return as a new beginning for the season.

“I told him to start the year over, start his year over from today,” Baker said. “There’s nothing you can do about yesterday.”

Hanigan was in Friday’s starting lineup, catching left-hander Tony Cingrani. He made a great diving play on a popup bunt attempt by Brewers shortstop Jean Segura in the first inning of Friday’s game against the Brewers. He also singled in his first at-bat.

Reds manager Dusty Baker said Devin Mesoraco will catch Mat Latos on Saturday, but he’s happy to see Hanigan back on the field.

“We need him back, too, because these guys (the Brewers) will run a lot and he shuts down the running game,” Baker said.

Heisey headed for rehab

Outfielder Chris Heisey will start his rehab assignment Saturday at Double-A Pensacola. Heisey has been on the disabled list since April 29 with a strained right hamstring, and is eligible to return on Monday.

“We hope he goes out to play, because, even though he wasn’t doing quite as well as he wanted to or we wanted him to, we still need him, especially against (right-handers), with our left-handed strong lineup,” Baker said. “Especially off the bench. I talked to him and hopefully he’ll be ready and feeling good by the time we get to Philly.”

The Reds begin a three-game series in Philadelphia on May 17.

Cueto on track

Paul Lassard, the Reds’ head athletic trainer, said Reds starter Johnny Cueto was fine on Friday, the day after his start and should be on schedule to make his next rehab start. That would likely be on Tuesday. Class A Dayton and Double-A Pensacola are both home that day.

Cueto pitched three innings for Class A Dayton on Thursday, giving up a run on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks.

“That’s good news,” Baker said

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...new-season

Latos on hand for Cueto's rehab start
May 10, 2013


On his night off, Reds pitcher Mat Latos drove up to Dayton to watch teammate Johnny Cueto's rehab start.

Written by
C. Trent Rosecrans

Mat Latos swears he wasn’t trying to get the Teammate of the Year award, but it sure looked like it on Thursday, when he and wife Dallas went to Dayton to take in Johnny Cueto’s rehab start for the Class A Dragons.

It was nice that Latos got to see Cueto, whose locker in the Reds’ clubhouse is next to his, pitch for the Dragons, but the off-day activity was more a last-minute substitution for plans that had already fallen through.

Latos was planning on spending his off day in Fort Wayne, Ind., to see his friend John Hussey pitch for the TinCaps, the Midwest League affiliate of the Padres, but Hussey was promoted to Lake Elsinore of the California League on Wednesday.

“We had everything planned out to go to Fort Wayne on Wednesday, so we said, the hell with it, Johnny’s throwing in Dayton and Dayton’s only an hour away, so we just drove over there to watch him throw,” Latos said. “It was kind of weird to sit in the stands and watch him throw. The first thing Dallas asked me is if it brought back memories of watching games, and I said no, because I’m normally down there, pointing to the dugout.”

Latos said he enjoyed watching the game from the stands, something he hadn’t done since spring training of 2010, when he got done with his work early and joined his wife and another player’s wife to watch the end of a game. Before that, he said the last sporting event he saw live was probably a Miami Heat game in 2006.

Latos said he enjoyed his visit to Fifth Third Field.

“It was interesting to say the least. It was interesting to see a full stadium (in the minors),” Latos said. “I played (in the Midwest League) for two years, but I never played in that stadium.”

During Thursday game, Latos said he had fun texting Reds trainer Tomas Vera, who was at the game for Cueto.

“I didn’t go there for brownie points or anything else, we just didn’t have anything else to do,” Latos said. “We’d already planned on going to Fort Wayne to watch my buddy.”

Hussey, a 26-year-old right-hander, was Latos’ teammate in 2007 in Eugene of the short-season Northwest League and the two have been friends ever since. Hussey had Tommy John surgery after that season and after two less-than-successful seasons, had more or less decided to give up on pitching in the United States. However, Hussey continued to play in his native Australia and a Padres scout saw him pitching there and since the team still owned his rights, asked if he wanted to return to the U.S.

Hussey started the season in Fort Wayne -- where he last pitched in 2010 -- and put up a 1.59 ERA in six appearances, earning the call up to Lake Elsinore.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...ehab-start

Latos takes on Brewers seeking fourth victory
Burgos returns to mound for Crew after having start skipped

By Zack Meisel / MLB.com | 5/11/2013 12:13 AM ET

Mat Latos revealed that he pitched despite feeling ill during his last start. This season, he has left opposing hitters feeling the same way.

The 25-year-old, who has submitted six quality starts in seven outings this year, will take to the hill against the Brewers on Saturday in search of his fourth win in as many decisions.

It's a welcome sight for Reds manager Dusty Baker, who watched Latos labor through the beginning of the 2012 campaign, when the right-hander sported a 5.20 ERA through his first 14 games. Latos eventually turned his season around, posting a 2.43 ERA over his last 19 outings.

"You hope he's getting better," Baker said. "He had a slow start last year. If he has the kind of finish he had, who knows what he can do? Especially a young person that has the experience he's had and the time already, the next best thing is to try and keep him healthy.

"He'll get better and better and better. We'd like to take him deeper in the games. That's the next step for him. I'm just glad we've got him."

For the first time, Cincinnati will see Milwaukee righty Hiram Burgos. The 25-year-old will pitch for the first time since May 1, as the Brewers skipped his turn in the rotation because of a pair of off-days on their schedule.

Burgos reported to Miller Park at about 2 p.m. CT on Thursday to log a bullpen session. He downplayed the potential effect of the long layoff between outings.

"I had to do it because the team needed it, and I was fine with that," said Burgos, who has compiled a 1-0 record and 3.00 ERA in three starts this season. "I stayed in the bullpen for the [previous] series with the Texas Rangers, and [Thursday] on the day off, I threw a bullpen. I was still on the mound. I did my workouts. My arm feels good. Whenever I get the chance to pitch, I have to do my job."

After nine days off between starts, he'll have that chance on Saturday.

"I'm ready to pitch," Burgos said. "Like I always say, I want the ball."

Brewers: Estrada pushed back

• The Brewers put Burgos back into the rotation on Saturday so they could push Marco Estrada back two days. Estrada has yielded 13 earned runs over 8 1/3 innings in his last two starts. He is scheduled to start Monday in Pittsburgh.

"I would say if it could have worked out where we could have completely missed a start with him, we would have thought about doing that," manager Ron Roenicke said.

Reds: Heisey takes next step in recovery

• Outfielder Chris Heisey, on the disabled list since April 29 after suffering a right hamstring strain two days earlier against Washington, is expected to begin a rehab assignment on Monday at Double-A Pensacola. Heisey is hitting .173 with two home runs in 23 games.

"We hope he goes out to play," Baker said. "Even though he wasn't doing quite as well as he wanted to or we wanted to, we still need him, especially [with] our left-handed strong lineup and especially off the bench."

Worth noting

• Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan, who came off the disabled list before the game, went 2-for-4 on Friday to boost his average to .119 from .079. He entered the game with three hits in 38 at-bats this season.

• Brewers right fielder Norichika Aoki leads the Majors in infield hits with 11.

Zack Meisel is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @zackmeisel. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp...e&c_id=cin

Picked the perfect game to take my 3 year old son to. Plenty of runs and excitement. Latos didn't bring his best game, but he brought his bat today. Phillips continues to prove he is the best defensive second baseman of all time.

(05-11-2013 07:53 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote: [ -> ]Picked the perfect game to take my 3 year old son to. Plenty of runs and excitement. Latos didn't bring his best game, but he brought his bat today. Phillips continues to prove he is the best defensive second baseman of all time.

But did you get a Chapman bobblehead? I saw they are going for $24.99 in the Reds Shop.

Reds 13, Brewers 7

RBIs throughout Reds lineup carry club past Crew
Six players drive in at least two runs, with Bruce leading way for Latos

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 5/11/2013 7:33 PM ET

CINCINNATI -- Scoring five runs in the second inning and seven more in the third, the Reds beat up the Brewers on Saturday with a 13-7 win at Great American Ball Park.

Cincinnati spread the wealth, as six starters had at least two RBIs, including pitcher Mat Latos. Jay Bruce had three hits, including a home run, by the third inning, and his two doubles in the third made him the first Reds player since Sean Casey in 1998 to double twice in one inning.

Bruce got things going in the second inning by belting a 1-1 pitch an estimated 437 feet to right-center field for a leadoff homer against Brewers rookie starter Hiram Burgos.

The next five Reds reached safely as Todd Frazier caught Milwaukee off guard with a bunt single toward third base. Xavier Paul hit a routine fly to deep left field that bounced off of Ryan Braun's glove for an error. Latos' bases-loaded single to left field scored another run. Nine batters came to the plate in the second, giving the Reds a 5-2 lead.

Bruce started the third inning with a double to right field and scored on Frazier's double to left. Two batters later, Devin Mesoraco's double to the gap in right-center field scored Frazier. Latos rolled a single through a drawn-in infield to short-center field to score Paul. Shin-Soo Choo laced a double to right field that scored Mesoraco. After two more runs scored, Bruce returned to hit an RBI double to left-center field that made it 12-4.

A total of 20 batters came to the plate in the second and third innings against Burgos, making only his fourth Major League start.

The generous run support helped get Latos through a rough day of his own on the mound. Latos gave up seven runs (six earned) and nine hits over six innings, with three walks and four strikeouts.

Milwaukee took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning on Jean Segura's homer to right field and an Aramis Ramirez RBI double off the wall in left field that was played poorly by Paul. Norichika Aoki led off the third and reached on a Joey Votto error at first base, and Segura bounced back to the mound, but hustled down the line to prevent a double play. Braun's RBI double and Ramirez's RBI single temporarily made it a one-run game before the Reds unloaded against Burgos.

A pair of one-out walks loaded the bases against Latos in the fifth before Carlos Gomez's two-run single. In the sixth, a two-out homer by Aoki had Milwaukee down by five runs.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp...e&c_id=cin

Hanigan passes pair of tests back behind plate

By Jeremy Warnemuende / MLB.com | 05/11/2013 5:07 PM ET

CINCINNATI -- Ryan Hanigan wasted no time Friday testing the strained left oblique that played a major part in his stint on the 15-day disabled list that began April 21.

Two batters into his first game back behind the plate for the Reds, Hanigan dove to catch a foul ball off the bat of Brewers shortstop Jean Segura. Fully extended, he made the play and stood up without any ill-effects.

"It was within my reach, apparently," Hanigan joked. "It was a fun play to get back in there the first game and have a play like that right out of the gate."

Manager Dusty Baker said he wasn't concerned when he saw the 32-year-old catcher lay out to make a play so quickly after returning from injury. Considering Hanigan's "full-speed, full-throttle" style, Baker said Friday night that he and his staff had to be careful in bringing Hanigan back, because plays like that are bound to happen.

"Most of the time off the DL, you're going to do something that's going to test you," Baker said. "That's the only way Hani knows how to play and that's why we wanted to make sure he was healthy when he got back."

Hanigan's stint on the DL was also in part due to a sore right thumb, but that too proved to be a non-issue Friday, as he notched a hard-hit single in his first trip to the plate. Baker said Hanigan was able to get on top of an 89-mph slider from Yovani Gallardo, and that's something he couldn't do when the thumb was bothering him.

Devin Mesoraco was behind the plate for the Reds on Saturday, but Hanigan said he believes the oblique and thumb injuries are behind him after Friday's game.

"Good start [to] get things going in the right direction," Hanigan said. "I feel better, so I think I'm going to have more of a chance now, and it's a lot more confident swing when you're not distracted by pain and stuff like that."

Lutz takes advantage of big league time with Heisey out

CINCINNATI -- When Donald Lutz arrived in the big leagues at the end of April to replace the injured Chris Heisey, Reds manager Dusty Baker was "disappointed" the 24-year-old outfielder hadn't shown more with Double-A Pensacola. Since then, Lutz has done his best to make up for any Minor League struggles.

After going hitless in his first three games in the Majors, which included two pinch-hit appearances, Lutz carried a five-game hitting streak into Saturday's game against the Brewers. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Lutz singled, stole second and scored in the fourth inning of Friday's 4-3 win, showing off his wide range of skills.

"He's aggressive," Baker said. "He runs a whole lot better than it appears he should run for the size of his body. He's going to be a good one. It's just a matter of him going to play."

Lutz, who was born in Watertown, N.Y., but moved to Germany when he was 1 year old, is the first German-developed player to play in the Major Leagues. He hasn't played as much baseball as a typical prospect, and Baker said "he had gotten out of whack." Now, Baker believes the Reds "got him straight," and although Lutz's return to the minors is almost inevitable, his time hasn't been wasted.

"Huge benefit -- for him and for us," Baker said. "He's going to have to go back eventually. Hopefully he goes back, and he'll go back with the fact he knows he's had some success here."

"Los Rojos" helps recognize baseball's diversity

CINCINNATI -- The Reds' jerseys on Saturday looked a bit different than usual, as the team wore tops with "Los Rojos" on them for the first time in club history.

The uniforms, which are for sale in the Team Shop, are part of the Dusty Days celebration, which helps recognize the different cultures present in the Cincinnati area. Such events are held throughout baseball every year, and Venezuelan-born Cesar Izturis said it's appreciated by the players who make the game so culturally diverse.

"I appreciate it everywhere I've been," Izturis said. "Baseball is so big all over the world. It's one day for them, and they support this game, too. It's great for baseball."

Jeremy Warnemuende is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=...n&c_id=cin

(05-11-2013 08:09 PM)ctipton Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-11-2013 07:53 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote: [ -> ]Picked the perfect game to take my 3 year old son to. Plenty of runs and excitement. Latos didn't bring his best game, but he brought his bat today. Phillips continues to prove he is the best defensive second baseman of all time.

But did you get a Chapman bobblehead? I saw they are going for $24.99 in the Reds Shop.

Yessir. I still fail to see the fascination with them though.

(05-12-2013 12:12 AM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-11-2013 08:09 PM)ctipton Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-11-2013 07:53 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote: [ -> ]Picked the perfect game to take my 3 year old son to. Plenty of runs and excitement. Latos didn't bring his best game, but he brought his bat today. Phillips continues to prove he is the best defensive second baseman of all time.

But did you get a Chapman bobblehead? I saw they are going for $24.99 in the Reds Shop.

Yessir. I still fail to see the fascination with them though.

Simply collectibles, but if you are silly enuff to allow your 3-year old to play with it, you won't have to worry about collecting anything.

Daugherty: Put Chapman to better use
Best pitcher should be used for crucial outs
May 11, 2013


When the most crucial outs in a game occur in the eighth inning, or even the seventh, why shouldn’t your best relief pitcher be used then? / Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

Written by
Paul Daugherty

Aroldis Chapman isn’t the fine, bone china you break out for Christmas dinner. He’s not the once-a-year suit you dust off, literally, when someone gets married or dies. He is the Reds best arm, not an heirloom in a curio. The Reds need to give him more to do.

The Book says no?

Time to rewrite the book.

I ask Dusty Baker why Chapman, or any closer, doesn’t pitch in the eighth inning, doesn’t pitch when the Reds are behind, doesn’t pitch when they’re way ahead, doesn’t pitch unless the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars. He says, “It’s just the way things are.’’

True.

Time to change.

Until he arrived on the mound Friday night without needing directions, the Reds best arm hadn’t pitched since last Saturday. Until he saved his eighth game in eight tries, Chapman was tied for 16th-best savior in all of baseball. He was in a dead heat with Greg Holland and Jim Henderson.

Holland and Henderson are not the guys you bowl with in the Wednesday night over-50 league. They’re not dual-lead guitarists in a Metallica tribute band. They’re the closers for Kansas City and Milwaukee. Until Friday, each had seven saves, same as the Reds best arm.

The business suits might ask for a cost-benefit analysis. They’d crunch some numbers. They might throw in the phrase “opportunity cost.’’ They might suggest, “You’d get a better return on investment if you used your best arm in more situations that indicate a need for your best arm to be used.’’ Or something.

Are the Reds getting their money’s worth from the Erstwhile Mr. 106? Is the bang for The Big Man’s buck Missile-like? Seventeen appearances, eight saves. Chapman is good, but he’s no Addison Reed, who has 11 saves for the White Sox, or Jason Grilli, who leads the NL with 14 saves, even though he’s 36 years old and never closed before this year.

This isn’t Chapman’s fault. How could it be? He doesn’t decide when he will pitch. Between last Saturday and Friday night, Baker had employed 10 pitchers not named Aroldis, including J.J. Hoover and Sean Marshall three times and Sam LeCure and Alfredo Simon twice. Baker is a Book guy, through and through.

Orthodoxy has eliminated the gift of managing by feel. Baker doesn’t need to use any of the instincts he might have gathered over 39 years of playing and managing in the major leagues. He has a seventh-inning reliever, a couple eighth-inning relievers and Chapman in the ninth. Carry on.

Forget for a minute that the save statistic is a semi-bogus creation that serves only the player doing the saving, and the minion who represents him. Or that closers are the most overrated members of any baseball team, easily replaced and often interchangeable. I’ll see your Rafael Betancourt and raise you an Edward Mujica.

No, let’s fix on the notion that closers are one-inning, certain-situation ponies. Because that’s where the Reds are getting ripped off. The Reds trailed Atlanta Wednesday, 2-1 in the eighth. Mike Leake had pitched his aspirations off, but allowed two hits to start the inning. Two on, none out, one-run game. Perfect opportunity to use your best arm.

The Reds went with their eighth-inning guy. They lost, 7-2.

Obvious question: When the most crucial outs in a game occur in the eighth inning, or even the seventh, why shouldn’t your best relief pitcher be used then?

There are any number of reasons not to mess with convention. Most involve ego and confidence and “roles.’’ Baker says the roles allow him and pitching coach Bryan Price to warm up the proper pitcher. He says no one knows until afterward which inning is the most important.

Agreed. So why do we assume it’s always the ninth?

“The toughest thing to do is close out a team,’’ Baker said.

No. The toughest thing to do is come into a one-run game in the late innings with two on, none out and keep it a one-run game. Starting the ninth with a lead and clean bases is not as hard. So what’s keeping teams from thinking that way?

“Nothing really,’’ said Bronson Arroyo. “Especially if you have a guy like (Jonathan) Broxton’’ who has been a closer. “For years, I asked to pitch in a four-man (starting rotation) and nobody wanted to do it. I don’t think a lot of people want to stick their neck out for something so unorthodox that if doesn’t work out, they’re going to get major criticism.’’

Or major kudos, if it works. The Reds would be the perfect team to turn convention on its head. Their bullpen is outstanding. They have one, perhaps two, proven, ninth-inning candidates (Broxton for sure, and Sean Marshall), another in the wings (J.J. Hoover) and yet another with the tough head to handle the pressure (Sam LeCure).

It’s time to redefine how to use relief pitchers. Time to rewrite The Book. Aroldis Chapman is the Reds best arm. Time to put him to better use.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...better-use

Reds at least a week away from Cingrani decision
May 11, 2013


With at least a week of Johnny Cueto's rehab left, the Reds will have to decide on Tony Cingrani soon. / The Enquirer/Cara Owsley

Written by
C. Trent Rosecrans

Johnny Cueto’s return is still at the very least a week away, meaning Tony Cingrani could still have two starts before the Reds have to make a decision on what to do with their rotation.

Cueto is scheduled to pitch Tuesday in Dayton and his next scheduled start would then be on Sunday, May 19. Whether that start is in Philadelphia or elsewhere is still to be determined.

At that point, the Reds could be forced to make the decision between Mike Leake and Tony Cingrani. Cingrani lasted just four innings in Friday’s start, allowing back-to-back home runs to Jean Segura and Ryan Braun in the fourth inning. It was Cingrani’s shortest outing in his five-starts in the big leagues.

Cingrani, whose ERA rose to 2.86 with the outing, has allowed at least one home run in four of his five starts, including two in each of the last two starts.

“You can get by with basically one pitch -- he’s throwing 95 percent fastballs -- but the second time through and third time through, it’s even tougher because they know the action on your ball,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “He’s going to have to come up with a secondary pitch -- especially against a team like that team. They can hit that fastball.”

According to FanGraphs.com, Cingrani has thrown 83.3 percent fastballs, 10.6 percent sliders and 6.1 percent changeups in his five starts this season. Of starters who have thrown at least 20 innings this season, only the Nationals’ Ross Detwiler (90.8 percent) and the A’s Bartolo Colon (89.2 percent) throw their fastball more. Last season, among qualified starters, Cleveland’s Justin Mastson threw the highest percentage of fastballs, 80.7 percent.

Hanigan comfortable

In his first game off of the disabled list on Friday, Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan had two hits and a diving catch, testing both his oblique and his thumb.

“Good start, get things going in the right direction. I feel better, so I feel like I’ll have more of a chance,” Hanigan said before Saturday’s game. “I have a lot more confident swing when you’re not distracted by pain.”

Baker liked what he saw from Hanigan at the plate, as well.

“He got on top of that pitch, where he couldn’t before,” Baker said of Hanigan’s second-inning single.

Hanigan was hitting just .079 when he came off the disabled list, with just three hits overall. Friday was his first multi-hit game of the season.

Hesiey improving

Chris Heisey will head to Pensacola on Sunday and start his rehab on Monday, not on Saturday as had been said on Friday. Heisey has been on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring since April 29.

“I’m feeling great, rehab is going well,” Heisey said on Saturday. “The training staff has done a great job and walked me through it. I’d never hurt my hamstring before, it’s a new thing for me. Feeling really good now.”

The plan, for now, is that Heisey joins the team on Friday in Philadelphia.

Lutz getting his shot

For a guy who was hitting .211 in the Double-A Southern League, Reds outfielder Donald Lutz has looked pretty good at the plate in the majors. He has five hits in 16 at-bats since being called up, good for a .313 average, including a pinch-hit single in Friday’s win.

Despite his early success he will likely be sent back to the minors when Heisey is ready to return.

“I was disappointed on how he had done in Double-A, I wish he had done a lot better. He got out of whack, but we think we got him straight. He’s gotten more aggressive,” Baker said. “He’s going to be a good one, it’s just a matter of him going to play. He’s got some things to straighten out. He’s from Germany, so he hasn’t played much baseball. He’s going to get better.”

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...i-decision

Arroyo on solving the 'stuff' mystery
Answer has been elusive for many years
May 11, 2013

Written by
John Fay

Bronson Arroyo has been pitching professionally for 19 years. In all that time, he’s been trying to solve one of baseball’s great mysteries. He’s spent a lot of time and energy trying to figure out how to have his best stuff every fifth day.

Arroyo is like all pitchers: Some starts the velocity is there; other days it’s not. With Arroyo, it can be the difference between topping out at 90 mph and topping out at 86. For power pitchers, like Arroyo’s rotation mates Mat Latos and Homer Bailey, it be the difference between 97 and 92.

It affects breaking pitches as well.

But virtually every pitcher deals with it to some degree.

“I’ve tried to deduce that down over the years,” Arroyo said. “For me, it comes down to what I’m eating and how I’m lifting weights. Because the only thing I could ever deduce it down to is a certain feeling.

“Everybody is going to be totally different, but I want the ball to feel heavy in my hand. I don’t want the ball to feel light. The only comparison I have if I don’t touch the ball for a few days or if I haven’t lifted – because I’m a guy who’s very thin, I want to be a little snug – if the ball feels light, it’s almost like a tennis ball.

“A tennis ball is light, but it’s hard to throw it hard.”

All that said, Arroyo hasn’t completely figured it out. One year in the minors, he tracked everything he did between starts.

“I still haven’t been able to dial it in every single time,” Arroyo said. “But I’ve done a better job with the weight room and my food intake. I have more days when the ball feels heavy. If the ball feels heavy, I’ll have a little livelier fastball and for the most part better stuff.

“But to calculate those days when you have a good fastball and good stuff, I honestly don’t think it’s possible to harness that every time you go out there. It’s obviously a huge mixture of how much sleep, how much water you have in your body. Is the body fighting off an infection? What time of the day is the game?

“You can’t allow yourself to be frustrated by it.”

Latos says that’s one of the keys.

“My guess is – or what I’ve taken out of my career – is it’s a way to keep you humble,” he said. “You’re in the pen and you think you’ve got lights-out stuff. You take it for granted.”

Pitching, particularly starting pitching, is a unique athletic endeavor. You pitch only every fifth day, and when you do, you tax yourself like few other things in sports do.

“Your arm is so delicate. You get guys going out there who aren’t 100 percent healthy all the time,” Arroyo said. “The velocity thing is just so strange. It seems to come and go. Your jumping ability or sprinting ability doesn’t vary a whole lot. But so many factors go into throwing.”

Arroyo chalks some of it up to: It’s a funny game.

“I’ve gone where I’ve had this amazing changeup for three months,” he said. “I’m getting groundball out after groundball out. Then I won’t have that same changeup for three years. It’s just weird.”

Good stuff is not necessarily an indicator of success.

“There are days when I feel like I don’t have anything and I pitch really well,” Latos said. “There are days when I feel like I have the best stuff of the year and I get shelled. It’s the way game goes.”

WEEK AHEAD: The Reds are off Monday. It’s their third off day in 12 days. It follows a stretch of playing 20 days in a row. They open a three-game series in Miami on Tuesday to start a nine-game road trip.

They play a weekend series in Philadelphia, followed by a three-game series in New York against the Mets. The Reds are 10-7 against the NL East overall, but 1-3 on the road.

DEPTH AT AAA: Right-hander Jose Arredondo has been more than a tad hard to hit in Triple-A. Going into Saturday, he’d given up five hits in 18 2/3 innings. That’s an .088 average.

The problem is he’s walked 18 and struck out 29.

STAT CORNER: The Reds went into Saturday’s game second in the NL in on-base percentage at .331. Colorado was first at .337.

It’s a bit of a small sample size, but the Reds appear to being getting better at not making outs. Last year, they were 12th in the NL in OBP at .315.

But they aren’t hitting with as much power. They were 10th in slugging at .384. Last year, they were sixth in the NL at .411.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...ff-mystery

Brewers turn to Peralta to stop slide in Cincinnati
Youngster opposes Arroyo at site of last year's season-ending injury

By Evan Peaslee / MLB.com | 5/11/2013 8:37 PM ET

The Brewers will attempt to get back on track Sunday against the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

Milwaukee has lost three straight and eight of its past nine -- two against the Reds -- and sends Wily Peralta to the mound in hopes of halting the slide.

The young Peralta returns to the mound in Cincinnati for the first time since suffering a biceps injury the last time he stepped on it in September. The Brewers prospect was forced to leave that Sept. 27 game early, but only after pitching 5 1/3 shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out six.

Peralta's season ended prematurely because of the injury, but he's looking forward to retaking the mound at Great American Ball Park.

"You never want to come out of a game when you're pitching good," Peralta said.

He'll have it tough against a Reds team that took the series' first two games and six of their past eight, but the 24-year-old had a nice bounce-back outing in his most recent start against the Rangers.

"It was a great game for him," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "[Texas] is a really tough lineup to go through."

"I'm very happy with what I did today," said Peralta, who recorded his fourth quality start of the season against Texas. "The last time, I made good pitches, and they got hits on it. Sometimes, those things are going to happen. Today, I think I made good pitches when I needed to."

Milwaukee will need a big start from its young hurler, after getting only a combined seven innings from the rotation the past two games.

He'll oppose Bronson Arroyo, who last won on April 15 and took a loss in his past three outings.

Arroyo allowed four earned runs in five innings against Atlanta his last time out, giving up eight hits and a pair of walks while striking out seven.

"That was definitely a battle," Arroyo said afterward. "I wound up getting guys on base early in almost every inning. When you do that, it forces you to throw more pitches, especially against a lineup as deep as these guys were."

"That guy is a battler," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He threw a lot of pitches because he was in and out of trouble a lot, but he got out of it a couple of times."

If Cincinnati hopes to reverse the trend for its veteran pitcher, it will need to continue its stellar defensive play of late, something that Baker puts a lot of emphasis on.

"If you're gonna win, you gotta play defense," Baker said. "All people look at is offense. You better come up with some huge offensive numbers, because in the big leagues, you give away outs, it's going to cost you. Take away outs, then its big time to your benefit. Just don't cost outs, but if you take away outs, that's huge."

Reds: Lutz impresses at big league level

• Outfielder Donald Lutz is making up for a slow start to his Major League career.

Lutz was hitless through his first three games, but the 24-year-old carries a five-game hitting streak into Sunday's finale.

Part of his appeal to the Reds is his speed. Although he is 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, he stole two bases in his first eight games, including one in Friday's contest.

"He's aggressive," Baker said. "He runs a whole lot better than it appears he should run for the size of his body. He's going to be a good one. It's just a matter of him going to play."

Lutz, who is the first German-developed player to play in the Major Leagues, has developed well in the Reds' system, and his time with the big league club has only helped.

"[It's a] huge benefit -- for him and for us," Baker said. "He's going to have to go back eventually. Hopefully he goes back, and he'll go back with the fact he knows he's had some success here."

• Jay Bruce doubled twice in the third inning of Saturday's 13-7 Reds win. He became the first Reds player with two hits in an inning since Drew Stubbs on Apr. 25, 2011, at Milwaukee, and the first Reds player with two doubles in an inning since Sean Casey on Aug. 7, 1998, also against the Brewers.

Brewers: Rest does wonders for Estrada

• Marco Estrada was given an extra two days' rest between starts after a tough outing Sunday against the Cardinals. The right-hander allowed eight runs while recording only 10 outs and walked five batters for the first time in his Major League career.

That start had the Sonora, Mexico, native questioning everything, saying that it was "by far" the most lost he has ever felt on the mound.

"It was a feeling that I've forgotten about," Estrada said. "I don't want to go back there again. It was scary, you know?"

But some extra rest and an additional bullpen session has improved his mindset.

"I feel a million times better," Estrada said. "I know those things are going to happen, but I didn't like how the mental aspect of it was lost. Normally, I feel like I have pretty good control over that. I didn't have it that day, but I've worked on it. Mentally, right now, I'm pretty strong."

With the additional days off, Estrada is scheduled to pitch Monday in Pittsburgh, instead of pitching Saturday against the Reds as originally planned.

Worth Noting

• The Reds are 9-8 against the National League Central this season, while the Brewers are 7-10 and have lost seven straight. This is the first series between the division foes this season.

Evan Peaslee is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/mlb/gamed...de=preview

Reds down Brewers, 5-1, to complete sweep
Arroyo, Lutz lift team to Mother's Day win
May 12, 2013 4:08 PM


The Reds' Donald Lutz (left) embraces teammate Todd Frazier after his second-inning home run, the first of his Major League career. / The Enquirer/Amanda Davidson

Written by
C. Trent Rosecrans

Donald Lutz hit his first career home run and Bronson Arroyo pitched 6 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball to lead the Reds to a 5-1 victory over the Brewers, giving the home squad a sweep of the series against their divisional rivals.

Arroyo’s start was the team’s first quality start since April 30, when Arroyo gave up two runs in a 2-1 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Since then, no Reds starter had combined to go at least five innings with three or fewer runs. Arroyo gave up five hits, walked one and struck out five when he was taken out with two outs in the seventh with runners on first and third. Dusty Baker brought in right-hander Sam LeCure, who struck out third baseman Jeff Bianchi, the only batter he’d face.

After Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce hit back-to-back singles to start the second, Lutz gave the Reds the only runs they’d need in the second, when he hit Wily Peralta’s 0-1 fastball off the foul pole in right for his first career home run.

The Reds added a run in the third when Joey Votto scored on Brewers shortstop Jean Segura’s throwing error on an attempted double play ball off the bat of Jay Bruce.

Xavier Paul hit a pinch-hit homer in the seventh inning off of Brewers reliever Mike Fiers.

The Brewers’ only run came in the eighth, when Alex Gonzalez scored on a passed ball. Gonzalez singled off of reliever Jonathan Broxton to start the inning.

Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth, striking out the side, in a non-save situation. The Reds are off on Monday before starting a three-game series in Miami against the Marlins.

With the loss, the Brewers have lost eight in a row to division opponents -- three against the Reds, four at home against the Cardinals and one to the Pirates -- and nine of 10 overall.

Up next: Reds vs. Marlins

When: Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. EDT

Where: Marlins Park, Miami

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Ohio/700 WLW

The Skinny: After a day off, the Reds head to Miami to face the Marlins, the game's worst offensive team. The first up for the Reds against the Marlins is Homer Bailey, who earned a no-decision against Florida, despite allowing just two runs in six innings in a 10-6 Reds win at Great American Ball Park on April 21. He faces Ricky Nolasco, who is 3-1 with a 5.02 ERA in 10 career games and nine starts against the Reds.

Pitching matchup: Reds starter Homer Bailey (1-2, 3.83 ERA ) vs. Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco (2-4, 3.72 ERA)

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...eakingnews

Jake Westbrook put on disabled list
Updated: May 12, 2013, 7:24 PM ET
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- Jake Westbrook has been trying to ignore elbow pain since spring training. The St. Louis pitcher and the team finally decided it was time for a break.

"I've pitched through a lot of stuff through my career," Westbrook said Sunday. "It just kind of got a little more inflamed than I would have liked my last start."

The Cardinals will place the right-hander on the 15-day disabled list with elbow inflammation and plan to select the contract of left-hander John Gast in time for Tuesday night's game against the New York Mets.

"I'm 35, so I probably have more problems," Westbrook said. "I don't think it's anything to be super-alarmed about."

General manager John Mozeliak said Westbrook likely would miss two starts after complaining about the elbow in his last outing, but emphasized it was a minor injury. He said after the 35-year-old pitcher got a cortisone injection on Friday that he'd certainly not be able to make his next start.

"It's really not that big of a deal," Mozeliak said. "It's just something that we didn't want to push it, didn't want it to become a big problem."

Mozeliak bristled at the mention of reconstructive elbow surgery for Westbrook, who missed the postseason last year with an oblique injury.

"Don't put words in people's mouths," Mozeliak said. "He's fine, all right? We knew he couldn't start Tuesday."

Westbrook's last outing was his shortest of the season. He allowed three earned runs on nine hits in 5 1-3 innings and got no decision in a 5-4 win.

To make room for Gast on the major league roster, the team said injured closer Jason Motte will be moved to the 60-day disabled list while rehabilitating from reconstructive elbow surgery.

Westbrook is 2-1 with a 1.62 ERA in seven starts. His DL move is retroactive to May 9.

The 24-year-old Gast was the team's minor league player of the month in April, going 3-1 with a 1.16 ERA in six starts at Triple-A Memphis. He began the season with 32 consecutive scoreless innings.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/926721...-15-day-dl

Nice combination of hitting and timely pitching in the sweep of the Brewers.

I hope they are starting to take off.