Reds down to 3 games back

Who could have predicted after the beating the Reds took at the hands of St. Louis that the team could bounce back so quickly and look to be playing the best baseball? The Pirates and Cardinals are beginning to take a fall mostly because of playing one another right now, and the Reds are taking advantage by beating the teams they should. The Reds have won seven of eight games, including a series win over San Diego on walk off Sunday fashion by Joey Votto and a sweep of the lowly Cubs. The Cubs never seem to have enough scoring prowess to beat the Reds, but they were able to battle for extra innings on Tuesday and the Reds were resilient enough to score two runs on a hit by Shin-Soo Choo and win 6-4.

The pitching has been absolutely incredible for the Reds lately. Bronson Arroyo and Mat Latos are easily noticeable in affecting the Reds in a positive way, but bullpen options like JJ Hoover and Jonathan Broxton have been pitching as well as anyone in baseball. Hoover's scoreless innings streak is starting to put him in elite Reds company. Broxton has given the Reds his classic closer stuff in a lesser role. Aroldis Chapman's fastball is still too tough to pick up for opponents and Sam LeCure is the best Red at getting out of tough spots. 

As the Reds head to Milwaukee, the team expects to continue to get stable pitching and use recent hitting spurts by Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart to guide them to more and more wins. Frazier is finally getting out of his deep slump with multi-hit games and even a homer in today's game. The three game deficit could become 2.5 with another Pittsburgh loss tonight. Watch out for a shift in the Central. This division could easily see the Reds looking down at St. Louis and Pittsburgh in a couple weeks. The team that plays best late in the season usually ends up with the best status in the standings. The Reds are defending champs of the Central and they are playing like they really don't want to give that crown up in 2013. 

Latos safest bet for consistent success in rotation

The Reds got an important opening series win by the score of 2-0 yesterday in Chicago behind the dominant arm of Mat Latos, the workhorse stud of the Reds' deep pitching staff. All Latos has done since he arrived in Cincinnati last season is win. Latos mixed all of his pitches, including two seem
fastballs with sliders and a 95 MPH four seem fastball. Latos is at his best when he is relaxed and focused on the hill.

The 6'6 twenty-five year old hard thrower is now 12-2 on the year and well on pace to surpass his career high win mark of fourteen set last season. Latos is also 4-0 with a 1.32 ERA since the All Star Break. Latos has been widely regarded as a second half pitcher throughout his career, so don't be surprised if he ends up with fifteen to seventeen wins on the year, which would make him one of baseball's elite pitchers.

There is no doubt that if the playoffs started today, Latos would be facing the St. Louis Cardinals in the one game playoff. He is the team's most talented pitcher, and the only other considerable option for starting that game would be Bronson Arroyo due to his veteran prowess in the playoffs.

The Reds relied heavily on Johnny Cueto during last season's run to the playoffs. Without Cueto, Latos has become the most notable option for Bryan Price and Dusty Baker. Latos, unlike Cueto, brings a little bit of attitude to the hill, intimidating hitters that haven't had success off of his pitches. The Reds took a gamble by trading top prospects Yasmani Grandal and Yonder Alonso along with an established starter in Edinson Volquez to acquire the young Latos, but the trade worked out extremely well for Cincinnati with Volquez continuing to show inconsistency and Grandal unable to stay on the field because of suspension.

Latos blamed the Reds' final disappointment of the season, a playoff loss to the Giants, on himself for not pitching as well as he has when he's at his best. If Latos gets another opportunity as the primary option to start games in the playoffs, he will use last season's disappointments as fuel to turn his playoff luck around.

After last night's victory, Latos also brought his ERA down to 3.04 with eight shutout innings of baseball along with nine strikeouts. Latos also threw less than one hundred pitches in the effort, setting himself up for plenty of rest and less fatigue for his next start against Milwaukee. Latos' 154 strikeouts lead all pitchers on the Reds. His 1.24 shows a better control over his location as his evolution as a pitcher continues under the tutelage of Price.

The sky is the limit for Latos over the next few years. That is why Walt Jocketty took a chance on the trade two years ago. Latos was a streaky pitcher as a kid with the Padres. He even let his temper get the best of him sometimes, which is probably why San Diego let him go. Now, Latos is more mature in his mid-twenties and is eyeing players like Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander to rival in the coming years. His pitching stuff is that good. If Latos finishes strong in the postseason, he will begin to get the national attention he deserves.

Ludwick's return comes with team's best chance

Even though it is still only August with over a month of regular season baseball left to play, there are few chances like the upcoming seven games for a team to feast on lower level opponents. The Reds have a chance to get on a roll against the Cubs and Brewers, two division rivals with just over fifty wins. The Pirates and Cardinals are faltering right now, and the Reds find themselves within five games of the first place mark. The Reds have had trouble getting over fifteen games above .500 this season, but they have a good chance to do so by executing in two winnable series.

The Reds are going to insert Ryan Ludwick back in left field tonight in the sixth spot in the order. Ludwick is an explosive bat even when he is not necessarily hitting well. Even the threat of a power hitter like Ludwick will change the way pitchers approach the Reds' lineup. Ludwick will probably need multiple at bats to hit like he did in the second half of last season, but he allows the Reds to shift their order to benefit the top of the lineup.

The Reds are now rejuvenated by the likes of Ludwick, Jonothan Broxton, and Ryan Hanigan, three players who are now ready to insert their veteran sway into the clubhouse. Broxton provides another security blanket for Aroldis Chapman to help close out tight leads. Hanigan is just the ideal catcher as a pitcher's best friend. He hasn't hit all season long, but that's not why the Reds need Hanigan. Hanigan just provides a comfort level that is unmatched behind the plate. Homer Bailey will benefit most from having his no hit catcher back in action.

The Reds came up with an extra inning win against the Padres on Sunday. The Reds haven't had clutch victories really since the beginning of the year when Shin-Soo Choo and Todd Frazier were hitting the cover off of the ball. Yes, that was a long time ago. However, Joey Votto is starting to find the gaps in his hitting once again, rather than accepting walks. Brandon Phillips is also regaining his stroke after a forty plus game slump. All of these factors are contributing to the Reds now having a final chance to make a push for the division. Things are really starting to come together nicely for the heavily favored Reds, a team that was expected to break through and dominate in 2013.

The Reds get to turn to their best stretch of the rotation against the Cubs with Mat Latos, Homer Bailey, and Bronson Arroyo all taking the hill. Latos and Bailey are the two hard throwers of the staff, and both have been impressive against Chicago. Latos is 4-2 with a 3.28 ERA against the Cubs, while Bailey has collected seven wins against Chicago. Bronson Arroyo is the best of them all against the Cubs with twelve wins and a 3.04 ERA with over one hundred strikeouts.

Reds injury report

The Reds are missing a total of six players who have participated in games at the Major League level for the team due to relatively serious injuries. This has forced Cincinnati to call up minor league subpar talent such as Curtis Partch, Pedro Villareal, and Corky Miller to fill innings and buy time to get the regulars healthy. The Reds would be lucky to get a majority of these players back before September call-ups in order to make a run at the end of the season. It isn't always the best team that wins the World Series. It is usually the hottest team that makes the playoffs at the end of the year that carries its success over to the late rounds of the playoffs. The Reds could use some reinforcements to make that run.

Ryan Hanigan: Hanigan has missed almost a month now as he tries to regain his starting catcher form after a sprained wrist. Hanigan is the best catcher in the league with the exception of Yadier Molina at handling pitching staffs. Devin Mesoraco has stepped up at the plate for the Reds with some home runs and a .253 batting average, but he was behind the plate when the Reds gave up almost thirty runs in two games against the Cardinals. Hanigan is a steady presence in the bottom part of the order and a solid veteran. The latest reports say Hanigan is set to return either tomorrow or Friday in the second game against Oakland or in the opener of the Padres series. The Reds will probably hold off Hanigan until that game Friday because of Mesoraco's sudden hitting burst.

Ryan Ludwick: Everyone wants to see Ludwick back in action playing left field for the Reds. The Reds played their best baseball last season with Ludwick in the fourth spot in the order in the second half of the year. Ludwick is working on his third week with a rehab assignment, currently sporting a 2/28 line for the Louisville Bats. Ludwick is working the rust off and can't be expected to start off with a hot streak when he returns this weekend, but just having a proven commodity in left field and a revamped batting order should kickstart the offense. Ludwick's freak shoulder injury on Opening Day is now behind him and he should be able to focus on helping to get the Reds back to the playoffs.

Sean Marshall: It's a mystery as to whether or not Marshall will return to the bullpen this season. Marshall, Jonathan Broxton, and Aroldis Chapman made up the best 7-8-9 bullpen stretch team in the league, and one of the best trios the league has seen. Marshall had been progressing in his bullpen sessions and probably would have been sent on a short rehab assignment if not for a setback on his shoulder and re-examination on July 30 after throwing. Marshall is the most far off from a comeback besides Johnny Cueto and obviously Nick Masset. Marshall shouldn't be counted on until September, although he may not find his way back at all this year.

Jonathan Broxton: Broxton last threw in a game on August 3 and now the big news of the day is that Broxton will return tomorrow and be available to pitch. Broxton has been missed while the Reds have covered for him with a mixture of Alfredo Simon, Sam LeCure, and JJ Hoover. Despite a tendency to pitch himself into trouble at times, Broxton has a career 3.17 ERA and was an outstanding setup man after coming over at the trade deadline in 2012. Pedro Villareal is the most likely candidate to head back down to Triple A with the Broxton move, which will instantly upgrade a shaky bullpen.

Johnny Cueto: Cueto still hasn't started throwing again since his last start and re-injury of the lat muscle that has plagued him since Game 1 of the NLDS in 2012. Once Cueto does start to throw off the mound again, he might need to rethink his approach and change his windup. Cueto has been missing from the rotation since June 28, and although Tony Cingrani is 5-1 with an ERA in the low 3's, Cueto is the best pitcher on the team. Much like Marshall, Cueto won't be counted on until right before the playoffs. It will take some time before Cueto can make it back to pitching in the big leagues, so he will need multiple bullpen sessions and a second rehab assignment. Cueto is 4-2 with a 3.33 ERA despite his inability to pitch in multiple consecutive starts.

Nick Masset: Will Masset ever reach the MLB and pitch again? It's a fair question after Masset's surgery on his shoulder last September. Masset looked like he would be back with the Reds before that surgery in 2012 and even this year before he was shut down in June after a bullpen session. The bottom line is Masset cannot stay healthy after pitching with his best stuff in trial runs on the mound. He hasn't been with the Reds since 2011 and won't be back until Spring Training in 2014. That might be his last shot to regain his position in a MLB
bullpen with the Reds where he pitched 75 innings with a 3.71 ERA in 2011.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Reds' division chances slipping away

The Reds finished a disappointing opening series of the home stand by losing two out of three games to the St. Louis Cardinals. Losing two out of three wasn't the primary disappointment in the series. The shocker was how the Reds lost those games. The team gave up thirteen runs in game one and fifteen in the series finale. Mike Leake, who has been a money pitcher for the Reds all season, got shelled and couldn't even last six innings against the Redbirds.

As the Pirates and Cardinals continue to climb over twenty games above the .500 mark, the Reds slip to a bottom of the Wild Card battle with the likes of Arizona and Washington. This team would have no chance at the playoffs if this situation had presented itself last season. The Reds are lucky to be playing ten games above .500 and still have a comfortable lead in the chance at a one game playoff with a division rival. The weaknesses of this team are starting to stick out and haunt the Reds in games.

The Reds are missing four of their top players in Ryan Ludwick, Johnny Cueto, Jonathan Broxton, and Sean Marshall. No doubt if the Reds were playing with these four, they would be closer to the division lead. The main issue with these injuries is that there is no end in sight for a couple of the players. Ludwick and Broxton are encouragingly coming along and may both be ready for a return in the next week. Broxton will revert to his eighth inning role in the bullpen and Ludwick will eventually bat cleanup in the lineup. This will help the Reds re-familiarize with the core of last season's NL Central Championship team, but how much will two players really help?

Marshall and Cueto are by the looks of it from a spectator's eye out for the season. This is purely speculation and there are no reports that back this up, but Marshall suffered a setback during one of his last throwing sessions and Cueto hasn't picked up a baseball since his injury. Cueto has been on and off the DL throughout the season so much that the Reds may just concentrate on getting him fully healthy for 2014. If Marshall and Cueto are expected to be back at some point this year, I wouldn't count on either to be activated on the roster until late September.

What the Reds really need right now is more production out of left field and third base. Xavier Paul, Chris Heisey, and Derrick Robinson are just average players starting in the two hole in Dusty Baker's lineup. No doubt these three deserve to be on an MLB roster, but none of them can be expected to win the Reds games with their bats. Ludwick will help defray some of the pressure Baker's lineup is being put under with a less than ideal two hole hitter, but that might take some time. The good thing about the Reds' hitters right now is that Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips seem to be finding the gaps again.

Todd Frazier has been the biggest disappointment of the entire season for Cincinnati. He is undoubtedly a great clubhouse teammate and one of the most promising prospects on the team after a prominent rookie season, but his .235 average and 0/28 hitting slump have really put a damper on one of the players the Reds expected to drive in runs. In all seriousness, if Scott Rolen is in playing shape and wants to take on the challenge of playing in the majors again, I think it would be a good idea to bring one of the greatest leaders in Reds history back and try a proven bat and glove at third base to at least platoon with the young Frazier like in 2012. When Rolen was with the Reds, the Reds won more times than not. That should count for something. I have no idea whether Rolen is enjoying his retirement or if he is itching to play again in the MLB, but it would be worth giving him a call.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Key home series can open up Wild Card race

The Reds and Cardinals are both reeling as Cincinnati opens up a three game home series against its biggest rival. St. Louis has a chance to come into the series with an eight game losing streak, and the Reds just finished a 5-6 trip out West against teams that haven't performed to their level. If the Reds finish the series with a sweep against a team that has underperformed lately, they can make a push to only trail Pittsburgh in the Central.

-Shelby Miller faces Bronson Arroyo in game one on Friday night. Miller has as many wins as anyone on the Reds' roster, and has become one of the best pitchers in the NL with a 2.79 ERA. Despite that ERA, Miller still has suffered seven losses this season. He comes into the matchup unscathed against the Reds with seven strikeouts. Arroyo is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA in his last three starts, but has a 4.49 ERA in the past ten years against the Cardinals and has lost fifteen games. Arroyo is looking for his tenth win on Friday.

-Two of the back of the rotation starters take the field Saturday in a matchup of Tony Cingrani and Jake Westbrook. Cingrani is the Reds' best post All Star Break starter with a 1.53 ERA and eighteen strikeouts. He stuck out eleven against the Dodgers and his fastball reached 96 MPH in his last start. Jake Westbrook has been a damaging pitcher against the Reds over the past few seasons with four wins and an ERA almost a run lower than his career average. Losing the opener against Pittsburgh earlier in the week certainly will bother the veteran as he looks for a quality start. The Cardinals lost in low scoring games in the Braves' sweep of St. Louis and were almost blown out in each game versus the Pirates. Good pitching by proven commodities will be key for the Cardinals to win on the road in this damaging road trip for them. 

-The two winningest pitchers on both sides take the field on Sunday. Lance Lynn has twelve wins this season and was the last pitcher to win for St. Louis at home against Philadelphia. Lynn has never lost to the Reds, and on the other side, Mike Leake has struggled against the Cardinals. His ERA against St. Louis floats up around five, although he has been masterful since the All Star Break and really all season long. Leake is a true All Star snub and may play his way into Cy Young consideration with his bounce back season this year. He is playing his way to more and more begin to live up to the Greg Maddux comparison he was given coming out of Arizona State. Leake needs to come up big and pitch scoreless innings to defeat an NL powerhouse in St. Louis. 

Rich Hidy

Cincy Sports Spot

Bottom part of Reds' order heating up

When the Reds are able to get hitting out of the bottom of their order, they tend to dominate games. This phenomenon has been on display over the past few games with the 6-8 spots in the order being able to make solid contact and find the gaps off of the opposing pitchers.

In game one of yesterday's doubleheader, with the Reds' regulars on the field against former Moeller pitcher Eric Surkamp, Todd Frazier, Zack Cozart, and Devin Mesoraco were each able to get at least two hits. Frazier looks like he is swinging the bat very well recently. He is now nine for his last twenty-one with six RBI's and four doubles. Frazier has had a hit in eight of the last nine games, and has multi-hit games in the last three outings, including three hits in game two of the doubleheader with Cozart and Mesoraco starting the game on the bench.

Devin Mesoraco is the hottest hitter on the team since the All Star Break. He is hitting .474 in his last nineteen at bats with two homers and six RBI's. Mesoraco is getting more of an opportunity to play with Ryan Hanigan on the shelf with a wrist injury. Mesoraco certainly is on track to become an everyday catcher at the Major League level, and he may have earned some of Dusty Baker's trust by raising his batting average to .258 and still handling solid pitching performances by Bronson Arroyo and Tony Cingrani. There aren't many catchers in the game who can hit like Mesoraco. Joe Mauer and Buster Posey are the exceptions to the rule that catchers aren't usually able to excel at hitting. Mesoraco can join that elite club of top hitting catchers if he becomes the normal starter.

Zack Cozart may finally be getting out of his slump and feeling more comfortable batting lower in the order. Cozart always is consistent in the field, but now he is stringing together some impressive hitting performances and is a big reason the Reds have scored so many runs against the Giants. Cozart is hitting .350 in his last twenty at bats, and was 4/4 with a homer yesterday in the early matchup. Cozart will get less and less grief from the fans if he can raise his batting average up to where it was in the .250-.260 range last season. The Reds don't need as much production from the seventh spot in the order with a good glove like Cozart, but if a player like Cozart continues to get hits, it is a bonus that can lift an entire team up to playing at an advanced level.

The Reds have averaged 5.83 runs per game in the six they have played since the All Star Break. These runs have come off of some notable pitchers on successful teams in
Pittsburgh and San Francisco. Yes, Joey Votto and Shin-Soo Choo are finding their strokes and returning to their elite form, but young players with bright futures such as Frazier, Cozart, and Mesoraco are really giving a boost to Dusty Baker's lineup.

Road trip observations and doubleheader preview

The Reds began a treacherous road trip against West Coast teams on Monday starting with the defending World Series Champs on Monday and following with four games against the red hot Dodgers and three against the Padres. The road trip began on a high note with a dominant 11-0 complete performance by the Reds against Tim Lincecum. The Reds have to now move on to a doubleheader today as one of the games will feature the Reds as the home team because it is a makeup game of a previous rainout.

-The post no hit struggles continue for pitchers in the MLB. Tim Lincecum was the latest pitcher to falter after throwing a no-no in over 140 pitches before the All Star Break just like Homer Bailey before him and Johan Santana last season. Bailey gave up ten hits and four runs in less than six innings after his no hitter, and Johan Santana ended up with a fatigued arm that shut him down for possibly the remainder of his career. Everybody in the Reds lineup was making contact against Lincecum, who gave up nine hits and eight earned runs in not even four innings of work. Lincecum has been up and down this season, but mostly down. He is not the same pitcher that won the Cy Young a few years ago. Lincecum's ERA bloated to 4.73 and the Reds gave him his tenth loss of the year.

-Every position player the Reds put into the game yesterday with the exception of Neftali Soto earned at least a base hit yesterday. The Reds got on the Giants pitchers early, scoring eleven runs in seven innings, and were even able to rest Joey Votto, Shin-Soo Choo, and Brandon Phillips late in the game. Derrick Robinson showed some promise as a center fielder with a slick grab to end the game by robbing Jeff Francoeur of a homer in the ninth. Playing Robinson in center field might be the best primary option when giving Shin-Soo Choo a day off from time to time.

-Robinson, Devin Mesoraco, and Todd Frazier were the stars of the game. This shows the potential the Reds have when their secondary players get on base and help drive in runs. The stars can't do it all game in and game out. Robinson not only flashed some standout defense, but he also had three hits and scored three times to raise his average back to .266. Robinson is a solid contact hitter so it was surprising to see his average dip so much during his recent slump. Mesoraco also had three hits, including a long homer and two RBI's. The more Mesoraco is in the lineup, the better he is becoming both behind home plate and with the bat. Mesoraco is the type of hitter who needs to see as many pitches as possible and get used to the way MLB pitchers locate pitches. He is at the plate to swing the bat, and his strikeouts come from an unfamiliarity with the players he is facing. Mesoraco's stock is definitely on the upswing. Frazier really broke the game open with three RBI's in the first inning to make the score 3-0. The Reds never looked back and the early runs helped Bronson Arroyo display cool confidence and settle into a groove.

-Arroyo pitched his best game of the year on Monday. The rest from the All Star Break seemed to help Arroyo return refreshed on the mound with a masterful complete game shutout in which he didn't walk anyone and struck out six hitters. Sure, the Giants hitters looked disinterested at times with the large deficit, but for Arroyo to key in and pitch nine spotless innings of baseball is extremely impressive. Arroyo could have a monster second half with his contract situation looming in the offseason. If Arroyo wants an extension, he needs to help carry the Reds into the playoffs and win when he gets there. It wouldn't be surprising if Arroyo tied his career high in wins of seventeen in 2010.

-A split of the doubleheader today would be fine for the Reds, but a sweep is highly possible and I would even say the Reds are favored in both games today. Tony Cingrani has a 2.70 ERA in his last three starts and has become one of the top young pitchers in the league with his nasty lefty fastball. Cingrani today faces a pitcher who hasn't pitched in the MLB this season in Eric Surkamp, who is coming off of Tommy John Surgery last season. Greg Reynolds will get the call in game two of the doubleheader against a staple of the Giants' rotation, Barry Zito. Zito is 3-5 with an ERA of six against the Reds, and he has struggled in his last three starts with an ERA up over seven. Reynolds is a Triple A All Star and the best pitcher on the Bats this season. Reynolds is a terrific success story, and his resiliency after struggling with Colorado is commendable. Reynolds has the ability to have staying power in the big leagues after being selected in the first round in the second spot overall, and he will finally get his shot to start again in Cincinnati. Reynolds is not on the 40-man roster, so a move will have to be made to bring Reynolds up. Justin Freeman, Pedro Villareal, and Josh Ravin are candidates to be taken off of the 40-man roster. Reynolds is 10-2 with a 2.54 ERA in his Louisville starts, and now pitches in the majors for the first time since 2011. He may be able to stay on the club as a long reliever like converted starter Sam LeCure a few years ago. The Reds have had success with converted starters like LeCure and Alfredo Simon in the past, so I wouldn't be surprised if Reynolds takes the spot of Curtis Partch on the roster permanently.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Ludwick's rehab assignment creates anticipation for complete lineup

Ryan Ludwick is entering a rehab stint with the Dayton Dragons on Wednesday and will move up the ranks of the minors during that rehab period in order to be integrated back with the Reds in the next twenty days. Ludwick will probably be back before those twenty days are through. I would guess the Reds will take it pretty slowly, but I could see him coming back as soon as the Cardinals series from August 2-4.

Ludwick's presence alone presents the Reds with a more appealing lineup for the final two months of the season. The Reds can shift Ludwick in the fourth spot in the order when he comes back and let him gradually work the rust off of his swing. Shin-Soo Choo and Brandon Phillips would then become the first two hitters with Joey Votto remaining in the third spot. Phillips is a natural fit in the second spot in the order just as Ludwick fits in the cleanup spot. Ludwick will take some time to get back to hitting like he did late last season. In fact, he said he might not be one hundred percent for the rest of this season. I do believe Ludwick can hit about ten to fifteen home runs before the season ends because of his resiliency and experience with injuries in the past. Ludwick has been around the league for quite some time now. He fractured his hip coming up to the majors with Texas in 2002, so he knows his body well and can adjust to the ups and downs of coming back from major surgery.

Ludwick's freak injury from sliding into third base during the first game of this season threw the Reds off of their plan for the season. Chris Heisey then struggled at the plate and consequently stepped up when he came back off the DL from an injury himself. Derrick Robinson and Xavier Paul have hit well at times this season, but both can be streaky at the plate. Adding Ludwick to the plethora of left fielders available to the Reds right now will stabilize the position and add competition. Paul will probably remain on the team as a lefty bat although Robinson offers his switch hitting and dynamic speed. The Reds never steal bases under Dusty Baker as manager, however, so Robinson's speed only goes so far in Cincinnati. Ludwick and Heisey could even platoon at the left field position, giving Ludwick time to catch up and Heisey more opportunities to raise his batting average back to a respectable number. Here is what the lineup will look like in a few weeks and how it helps the Reds.

1. Shin-Soo Choo-No changes here. Choo has been an expert all season long at getting on base and earning timely hits, so he will deservedly remain leading off.
2. Brandon Phillips-Phillips hits best batting second, according to GM Walt Jocketty in an AP story. "He has been all over the lineup and has been great about it, but we think his best spot in the order is second," Jocketty said earlier this year. Phillips should be applauded for his work in the cleanup spot with over seventy RBI's already, but he can focus at getting on base and moving runners over in the two hole.
3. Joey Votto-Much like Choo, Votto deserves to hit third, although batting him second right now without Ludwick in the lineup is an appealing option. Dusty Baker will never move Votto out of the third spot in the order.
4. Ryan Ludwick-The catalyst of the Reds' lineup. When he is in the lineup, he brings the Reds stability and a consistently productive group from top to bottom. When he is injured, the Reds tend to be inconsistent. Even though Cincinnati is twelve games over .500, the team can and will improve with a healthy fourth hitter.
5. Jay Bruce-Dusty Baker won't move Bruce in the order because he is one of the team's best power hitters and Baker doesn't want him in the fourth spot with back-to-back left handers. Bruce will have more opportunities for RBI's with Ludwick hitting in front of him.
6. Todd Frazier-Frazier was best last season with Ludwick excelling a couple spots ahead of him in the order. Both Frazier and Ludwick had career seasons and spectacular second halves last year, and they were two of the key reasons the Reds won the division crown.
7. Zack Cozart-Cozart is a quality player in the seventh spot in the order. The problem comes about when the Reds try to bat a shortstop who struggles to make contact second in the lineup. Cozart continues to exceed expectations with his impact fielding ability and has shown an ability to go through hitting surges. His main problem is consistency and putting together a string of productive hitting performances. That will come with more and more at bats. For now, let Cozart get through his troubles hitting seventh.
8. Devin Mesoraco-Right now, it seems that Mesoraco has surpassed Cozart as the best young player getting playing time in the Reds' batting order. Mesoraco is hitting .241 this season, a respectable mark for a catcher, and has shown some power with four homers and twenty-one RBI's in his 179 at bats. Mesoraco could see an increase in playing time with Ryan Hanigan struggling to stay healthy and get hits this season.
9. Pitcher-Mike Leake and Mat Latos are the two best hitting pitchers on the team. However, there is no Micah Owings on this Reds team hitting wise.

Baker botches Reds' chance for sweep

The Cincinnati Reds had a tremendous opportunity over the weekend to earn a three game sweep over the Pittsburgh Pirates, one of two teams ahead of the Reds in the division standings. Cincinnati took care of business over the first two games of the series after standout performances by Chris Heisey and Brandon Phillips in five run outbursts by the offense in each game. Game three was totally in reach to pull out a victory for the Reds, but the pitchers duel between Pirates ace Jeff Locke and Homer Bailey went south in the seventh inning with the game tied at one.

Dusty Baker elected to leave Homer Bailey in the game after six solid innings where he consistently reached 95-99 MPH on the radar gun. The only problem with leaving Bailey in to face the Pirates in the seventh was that Bailey had already thrown about one hundred pitches for the game. Bailey went up against the bottom part of the Pirates' order and clearly was laboring after getting Garrett Jones to strike out swinging. He gave up a double and a couple singles to make the score 3-1, putting the onus on the Reds' offense to make up a large deficit in just a few innings.

Baker really should have just taken Bailey out after Michael McKenry's double. McKenry is one of the worst hitters in the Pirates' lineup, and for him to hit the ball sharply in that situation showed that Bailey needed to be relieved. Plus, the way the bullpen has been pitching lately from top to bottom has taken a lot of pressure off of a previous issue on the team. The Reds aren't even worried about getting Jonathan Broxton and Sean Marshall back anymore. After McKenry's double, Bailey was at the 110 pitch mark and did not need to throw any more in his start. Baker claimed that he was trying to get Bailey the win in the game, but one win for a pitcher doesn't warrant a possibility of a tired arm or blowing a tie game due to a starter's fatigue, which is exactly what happened. I don't blame Bailey for the loss; I blame the manager who had JJ Hoover ready to go in the bullpen and could see the trouble brewing. Bailey is now set back for a start because he threw over 120 pitches in the game. Bailey will have to throw less pitches in his next start just a week and a half after the All Star Break because of Baker's blunder.

Dusty Baker has the reputation of leaving pitchers in game about an inning too long. Baker's reputation held true in Sunday's game. A manager should be the reason a team wins, not the reason a team loses. The manager's job is to monitor his players and know when enough is enough. Bailey had thrown a great game up to that point in the seventh, but sometimes, a standout performance doesn't always net a victory. Baker should have been content with six dazzling innings in which Bailey displayed his best stuff on the mound.

There is nothing wrong with going to the bullpen in the latter part of a game. That's why those pitchers are on the team. The Reds ended up putting one more run on the board in the eighth inning, but fell back in the standings once again with a 3-2 loss. The team is five games back of St. Louis again and three back of the Pirates. Who knows what could have happened if Baker took Bailey out of the game before the seventh or after that double with one out. The Reds could have limited the damage to no runs or just one run, and it could have resulted in a pivotal sweep. A sweep would have meant the Reds would be within a game of the Pirates and a manageable four back from the Cards. Baker should be respected as a top notch manager and one of the winningest of all time, but he made a key mistake yesterday that cost the Reds a big game.

Top Reds at the break

The Reds have had a 2013 season to remember. Cincinnati is now used to the Reds' winning culture that the Dusty Baker and Joey Votto era has cultivated for the first time in decades. The team is positioned in a decent spot eleven games over .500 and five games back from the first place Pirates. There are still many doubters as to whether the Pirates can maintain consistent winning and capture a division title. The Reds and Cardinals are the more proven teams, and with the Cardinals and Reds about to get healthier before the pennant race, it could come down to the last few weeks of the season for the MLB's most competitive division. The Reds have many contributors all across the infield, outfield, on the bench and in the bullpen, and on the mound, but there are five players that have stood out above the rest this season.

5. Aroldis Chapman-The closer has been lights out almost all season long. With the exception of a couple negative games, Chapman has been dominant in the closer role once again in 2013. He can still fire fastballs 103 MPH, and he has built upon his success with the slider this season. There have been reports recently that the Reds should trade Chapman. I don't care who the Reds could get in return, including Miami left fielder Giancarlo Stanton; Chapman should be untouchable this season in Walt Jocketty's mind. He is too valuable when the game is on the line and when something isn't broken on a team, don't try to fix it. I think the Reds organization is much more comfortable with Chapman in the ninth inning than with Francisco Cordero in 2010 when the Reds made the playoffs.
Stat Line: 3-3 2.79 ERA, 21 saves in 24 opportunities, 64 strikeouts, 1.12 WHIP, .175 opponent batting average

4. Brandon Phillips-This spot is really a toss up between Phillips and Jay Bruce, but I went with Phillips because of his quick adjustment to batting cleanup and his off the charts fielding ability. Phillips  is the ultimate adaptor to any lineup Dusty Baker puts out, and he has adjusted to the fourth spot perfectly by leading the Reds in RBI's and being near the top of the NL in that category. Phillips is on pace to easily set a career high in RBI's. Phillips has also embraced the city of Cincinnati and played the game with pure joy and enthusiasm. Phillips is a clutch hitter and playmaker in the field who has molded his game to rival what Joe Morgan did for the franchise in the 70's.
Stat Line: .266 AVG, .320 OBP, 12 home runs, 74 RBI's, 44 double plays turned

3. Mike Leake-It's surprising to see Leake as the top performer in the Reds' rotation, especially after a mediocre 2012 when his ERA was in the mid fours. Leake is tied for the team lead in wins, and is second on the team in ERA by pitcher who has pitched in more than eleven games right behind Sam LeCure. Leake has resurrected his reputation as a rising young arm in the game. Many have compared his savvy baseball mind and ability to hit the correct spots while pitching to Greg Maddux. Leake is well on his way to making All Star appearances and becoming at least a third pitcher in the rotation.
Stat Line: 8-4, 2.69 ERA, 117 innings pitched, 26 walks

2. Shin-Soo Choo-Choo is the best leadoff hitter Dusty Baker has ever had, and he has helped the top half of the batting order tremendously. Choo is one of the best all around players the Reds have in terms of fielding, running, hitting for average and power, and getting on base. Choo is a five tool player and his addition to the club along with the trade for Mat Latos last season has led to the Reds' resurgence to a playoff caliber team. Choo gets on base almost as much as Joey Votto, and his transition to center field has been virtually seamless with his cannon for an arm and above average tracking range for fly balls. Choo may be playing his final half of baseball for the Reds, but even if that's true, fans should just enjoy the remainder of his time in a Cincinnati uniform.
Stat Line: .287 AVG, .425 OBP, 13 home runs, 31 RBI's, 64 walks, 11 stolen bases

1. Joey Votto-Votto has returned to All Star and MVP form after being thrown off his rhythm with a knee injury in 2012. Votto has been the best in the big leagues at getting on base, and when he is locked in and seeing the ball well, no pitcher can get him out. Votto hit .388 in the month of May and it wouldn't be surprising if he was able to pick his average back up in August when the games really begin to decide who remains in the playoff race. Votto leads the Reds in average, on base percentage, and walks. He is seventh in the NL in batting average this season.
Stat Line: .318 AVG, .434 OBP, 15 home runs, 42 RBI's, 71 walks

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Cincy Sports Spot Awards: Part 2

Best Breakthrough Player: Todd Frazier-Frazier finally got his shot at third base in the MLB in 2012 when Scott Rolen went on the disabled list, and became one of the top rookies in the National League by flashing power and a consistent glove. Frazier hit .273 with nineteen homers and almost seventy RBI's. Frazier was the second best option the Reds had late in the season with Joey Votto out besides Ryan Ludwick. Not many fans expected Frazier to be more than a bench player in 2012 with the leader of the team at third base in Scott Rolen, but the native of New Jersey proved to be extremely valuable and the franchise third baseman for the next several years.

Best Fighter: Adrien Broner-The twenty-three year old who stands at 5'7, 147 pounds from Cincinnati is quickly becoming one of the best lightweight boxers in the world. Broner is currently unbeaten at 26-0 with 22 knockouts, and he is coming off of a big victory over Paul Malignaggi in late June. Broner has the skills to continue to move up the ranks of boxing as a three time world champion, and he is bringing the sport of boxing back to relevance in the city of Cincinnati with his ties to the area.

Best Play: Brandon Phillips double play-Phillips made one of the greatest defensive plays of all time on May 9 against the Brewers when he turned two by himself. Phillips grabbed the ball bare handed, fell to his knees tagging the base in fluid motion, and firing the ball to Joey Votto. Pure wizardry and something you will never see again in the game of baseball. Phillips continues to build his resume as a top three defensive second baseman of all time.

Best MLB Player: Johnny Cueto-Cueto was the workhorse of the Reds' rotation in 2012, pitching over 200 innings and earning nineteen victories, a career high. Cueto made a bold case to be the best pitcher in the majors and finished just short of his first Cy Young. Cueto also pitched in each of his scheduled starts throughout the year and finished with an ERA under three for the second time in his career at 2.78. Cueto was the reason pitching wise that the Reds were able to win the NL Central.

Best Record Breaking Performance: Marvin Lewis-Lewis returned for his tenth season as the Bengals' Head Coach, a franchise record, and led the team to a 10-6 record with wins over Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Lewis was masterful handling a team that started the 2012-13 season 3-5. He isn't the best in-game manager with his overly conservative game plans and questionable challenge calls, but Lewis knows how to run meetings and get the most out of his players. Lewis did a great job making Andy Dalton and Rey Mauluga team captains, and the team responded extremely well by winning seven of the last eight regular season games. Lewis is looking to make his third straight playoff appearance this upcoming season.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Cincy Sports Spot Awards: Part 1

The ESPY Awards show takes place tonight on ESPN heralding the best players, teams, and moments of the past year. Although there are no players from any of the Cincinnati sports teams nominated to receive awards on tonight's show, there are plenty of deserving players on professional and collegiate teams in the local area. Many players have risen to stardom and teams in the city like the Bengals and Reds have accomplished more than in the past twenty years with back to back playoff appearances and almost one hundred victories respectively. Now, Part 1 of Cincy Sports Spot's first annual awards for Cincinnati teams and players.

Best Athlete: Geno Atkins-Atkins collected 12.5 sacks to lead defensive tackles this past season, and could have easily been the Defensive Player of the Year if it wasn't for the amazing year JJ Watt had for the Texans. Atkins is already probably the best nose tackle the Bengals have ever had. Yes, that includes Tim Krumrie. He brings a rare skill set with his speed rushing and unbelievable leg strength. Atkins is almost impossible to block for an entire game.

Best Upset: Cincinnati over Marquette 71-69 (OT)-The Bearcats needed a signature win in mid January to make March Madness, and a victory over twenty-fifth ranked Marquette fit that bill. Sean Kilpatrick hit the game winning shot in that game with less than five seconds left during a dynamic scoring performance of thirty-six points. Kilpatrick hit five three pointers in the game for Cincinnati, who went on to make the tournament and lose to Creighton in the first round.

Best Male College Athlete: Semaj Christon-Christon was largely left to lead the rebuilding Xavier Musketeers in 2012-2013. The Musketeers had to play two walk-ons throughout the season, and Top 100 recruit Semaj Christon was the standout as a freshman. Christon almost single handedly willed his team to victory against ranked teams Memphis and St. Louis with thirteen and twenty points respectively. Christon became the nation's second best point guard heading into the offseason right behind Marcus Smart after he averaged 15.2 points, almost three rebounds, and 4.6 assists. Christon can easily play his way into the top ten in next year's NBA draft.

Best Coach/Manager-Dusty Baker-As much as fans like to give Baker grief for some of his decisions in regards to lineups and pitching changes, not many people can argue with the results of a manager who has become one of the winningest managers in the history of baseball. The Reds finished with 97 wins in 2012, making the playoffs and winning the first two games before losing the next three to the World Series Champions. Baker currently has the Reds in a Wild Card spot with the Reds sitting pretty comfortably in third in the NL Central eleven games over the .500 mark.

Best Moment: Bengals defeat Steelers 13-10 in Week 16-Just before Christmas, the Bengals got an early present by clinching a playoff spot with a win over the Steelers. The game decided a Wild Card spot and clinched the Bengals' second straight playoff appearance for the first time since 1981-82. The game was extremely ugly and low scoring as the Bengals rushed for just fourteen yards, but Andy Dalton hit AJ Green near the sidelines at the right time with under a minute left in the game to set up a game winning field goal by kicker Josh Brown. What an exciting victory for a historically playoff starved Cincinnati Bengals franchise.

Best Comeback-Leon Hall-Hall suffered a season ending Achilles injury after playing in nine games in 2011, and made it back after a commendable rehab period to play in fourteen games in 2012. Hall collected two interceptions, including one for a touchdown against the Steelers, and also earned a pick against the Texans in the playoffs. Hall has become a marquee cornerback in the league, and he does it the right way by being a consummate professional. Look for Hall to only improve after a full year back from the injury.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Reds All Star Game predictions

Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto will be representing the Reds in the top third of the batting order when the All Star Game begins tonight at Citi Field in New York at 7:30 with Phillips in the leadoff spot making his first start and Votto hitting his usual third. Aroldis Chapman will be waiting for the latter part of the game before he gets a call from the bullpen. All three Reds should play major roles for the National League team whether the team wins or loses. This is a big game for the three Reds players because if the Reds make the playoffs and their ultimate goal of the World Series, they will certainly need the home field advantage heading into the later games in a playoff series. Here is what fans should expect from the three Reds players in the midsummer classic tonight.

Joey Votto: Votto is hitless in his three prior All Star Games. He went 0/3 last year including a strikeout, so look for Votto to try and get his first hit early in the game. I think Votto will have a hit this year in one of his first two at bats after being considered the best hitter in the order due to his positioning in the lineup by Bruce Bochy.

Brandon Phillips: Phillips went 0/1 in the 2011 All Star Game after Rickie Weeks started above him for the NL that year. Phillips is now expected to be the table setter for the roster in an unnatural spot in the order for him right now. Phillips is probably most comfortable batting in the two hole, but his competitive juices and the adrenaline will certainly be flowing in his first start in the game. I'm not sure Phillips will be able to focus enough against top pitchers to get a hit tonight, but he will make some flashy plays in the field at second base. Mark that down.

Aroldis Chapman: Chapman was in the All Star Game last season when he pitched a third of an inning with a strikeout and a walk. Chapman might get more than just one out this year as one of the top five closers in the MLB. The NL will want to
display its power arms in this game, and Chapman, who reached 103 MPH against the Braves last weekend, can wow the New York crowd. Chapman will probably be given a full inning tonight, and if his fastball and slider are working right, he will rack up a couple strikeouts.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Neftali Soto next Chris Davis?

Chris Davis has surged to an astounding first half of the MLB season with thirty-seven homers and almost one hundred RBI's. Most hitters would be pleased with those numbers by the end of a season, but it is only July 15, the official end of the first half of the 2013 season. Davis' rise to the top of the hitting world has been remarkable and very surprising. Davis has been in the majors since 2008, when he came up with Texas and hit seventeen home runs that year and twenty-one in the following season. Davis bottomed out to single digits in the home runs category until 2012 when he hit over thirty with Baltimore.

Reds Triple A first baseman Neftali Soto has the potential to provide the team with a Davis-like impact in the next several seasons. Soto has been with Louisville for the past two seasons, and one of his greatest attributes is his power hitting ability. Davis consistently was able to collect over twenty homers three times in the minor leagues, and Soto is well on his way to accomplishing that same mark this season.

The twenty-four year old is the best hitter at Louisville right now, and his 6'1, 215 pound frame still has room to add on more muscle weight. Soto hit thirty-one home runs in 2011 between Carolina and Louisville, and his average has never dropped below .245. He currently hits .278 with eleven homers and forty-five RBI's after knocking fourteen homers out into the bleachers last season. Soto even played in two games with the Reds this year, and is 0/1 in his only at bat.

The top twenty prospect on the Reds has many of the same tools as the star first baseman on the Orioles. Who knows if Soto can ever put those tools together fully and showcase his immense power potential at the major league level. Soto is close to earning a job with the Reds, but he may have to eventually move to the outfield to truly make an impact. Much like Yonder Alonso, Soto is just too strong a hitter to keep off the field once he reaches Cincinnati. Every team has a player that it thinks could turn into a Chris Davis or Jose Bautista after some coaching, but Soto, unlike many prospects, is a talent that has succeeded at every level thus far.

Reds fans have known about Soto for a while now, and it is getting close to the time when Soto will be ready to leave the minors and receive the opportunity to earn a spot with the regulars with the Reds. If he succeeds in impressing the Reds front office and bench coaches either in September call-ups or in Spring Training next year, he could be a fourth hitter in left field or at third base next season. Maybe fans will even see Soto in the All Star Game and Home Run Derby next year or in 2015.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Interview with legendary Reds writer Hal McCoy

If there has been one staple in Cincinnati Reds baseball over the past few decades, it is Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News and Fox Sports Ohio. McCoy rivals Marty Brennaman as the most recognizable figure covering Reds baseball in the media, and his knowledge of the team and the game makes him widely respected around the league.

McCoy began covering the Reds at the right time in the midst of the great Cincinnati teams of the 1970's. McCoy invented the nickname of one of the most recognizable teams in the history of baseball, "The Big Red Machine," featuring Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, and Joe Morgan. Almost every casual baseball fan has heard of that saying to describe the unstoppable force that was the Reds in the 70's, and McCoy is the man responsible for the fitting phrase.

McCoy was also elected to Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame in the Class of 2003 when he was honored with the J.G. Taylor Spink Award by baseball writers across the country. He has seen and covered a large majority of the great triumphs such as World Series victories, and the downfalls of the organization like the Pete Rose gambling scandal throughout his illustrious career.

Today, Hal McCoy still covers the Reds for the forty-first time after going into the baseball writing business out of college at Kent State where he also played the sport of baseball. McCoy updates his blog with the Dayton Daily News, The Real McCoy, quite frequently by documenting his analysis on Reds games and other developments across baseball such as the All Star Game. One of McCoy's latest pieces is about the final All Star vote and how baseball fans got it right by not electing Yasiel Puig to the NL roster. 

McCoy also devotes his time during Reds home games to answering fans' questions on Fox Sports Ohio's website in the Game Day Center. He will answer all questions about the Reds thoughtfully and honestly. McCoy hasn't allowed an optical stroke that has partially blinded him since the early 2000's to impede his ability to produce top notch journalism. I recently had the chance to ask Hal McCoy some questions about the Reds at the halfway point in the 2013 season as well as a few other topics on the minds of Reds fans.

Rich Hidy: How would you compare the 2013 Reds at the midway point to last year's team and other Reds teams you've covered in the past?

Hal McCoy: That's a tough one due to the fact I've covered 41 Reds teams. And every team is different, so you can't slot them into a comparison with another team. As for last year's team, well, other than Joey Votto being out so much of the second half, last year's team was healthier. Votto was the only one missing and the rest of the team stepped up and filled the gap. With so many guys hurt this year it will be more difficult to cover all the holes.

RH: Zack Cozart has been struggling in the two hole going 2 for his last 25. Is there a quick fix on the roster? What do you think about Votto batting in the two spot?

HM: If there was a quick fix, manager Dusty Baker would implement it. There isn't. No true No. 2 hitter on the roster. Despite what the guy in Sports Illustrated said (and too many people have grasped this idea), Joey Votto is a No. 3 hitter. You try to have your best hitter in the three-hole to drive in runs and Votto clearly is the team's best hitter. He would be wasted in the two-hole.

RH: When this team gets healthy, how much of an impact do you expect Ludwick and the two relievers to have on the Reds in trying to climb up the division standings?

HM: I fear with all the time he has missed that Ludwick might not have much of an impact. But even if he doesn't produce, it will enable Baker to put him back in clean-up and put Brandon Phillips back in the two-hole. That, alone, should help. As for Sean Marshall and Jonathan Broxton, well, as of this writing the bullpen has gone 11 straight games without giving up a run. And I'm not a big Broxton fan. I believe the bullpen is fine without him, but the Reds have a big investment in him and will slip him right back into the set-up role.

RH: How do you judge Mesoraco this year in the big leagues? Do you think his ceiling as a young player is still high?

HM: Mesoraco is still young and still learning. Catching is probably the hardest position to learn because there is so much involved. I've been disappointed a bit in his defense, he has taken a step back. But he will improve on offense and has enough pop to be a productive player.

RH: What's one thing fans might not necessarily know about this year's team and how they get along in the clubhouse?

HM: While there is no true clubhouse leader like Scott Rolen, the clubhouse is outstanding. All the players get along and support each other - even the extra guys like Xavier Paul, Derrick Robinson, Cesar Izturis and Jack Hannahan. They all know their roles and accept them. Todd Frazier could eventually be a leader, but this is only his second season and needs to become a better player to take a leadership role.

RH: How have you enjoyed covering the Reds this season especially? What's the best part about your job?

HM: I just love covering baseball in general - the Reds and every other team. I love getting to see all the great players come through. And I enjoy interacting with players on the Reds like Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, Homer Bailey, Bronson Arroyo and Mat Latos. They all have different personalties and they are fun to interview.

RH: How did Homer Bailey's no hitter stack up to some of the others you've seen like Browning's perfect game?

HM: Homer was probably even more dominating than Browning's because Bailey is a power pitcher and Browning was a finesse pitcher. I got the feeling that both teams just wanted to get the game over when Browning pitched. Because of rain the game didn't start until 10 p.m. and it drizzled most of the game and there were few fans in the stands. The opposing pitcher, Jerry Reuss, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Bailey only walked one, so was one batter away from a perfect game, too, and he totally dominated the Giants.

RH: As one of baseball's most distinguished writers, how do you feel about the direction the game is headed?

HM: I have loved baseball all my life - it has been my life. So I won't bite the hand that fed me and fed me well. The game is great, even with the DH, which I abhor, and the two wild cards. I don't like wild card teams winning the World Series when they didn't even win their divisions, but it does make it more exciting for the fans and keeps interest longer. That's a good thing. To me, though, the game is so great that it is tough for anybody to mess it up too much. 

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Reds Home Run Derby Candidates

The Home Run Derby is the best part of All Star Week in the MLB. Not only do you have Chris Berman on the mic with his classic call, "back, back, back," but the event also gives the league a chance to showcase its best power hitters. This year's Home Run Derby team includes Chris Davis of Baltimore, who already has over thirty homers, Bryce Harper, and Prince Fielder, among others. The Reds have a multitude of power hitters on their roster, and in 2015 when Cincinnati hosts the All Star Game, one of those players might get the call to participate in the Home Run Derby. 

Jay Bruce is the likeliest candidate to succeed in the Home Run Derby. Bruce is still just 26 years old, not yet in his prime as a hitter, and has seen his home run totals climb each season in the big leagues. Bruce has hit over thirty homers in each of the last two seasons, and has eighteen heading into the last series against the Braves before the All Star Break. Bruce would excel in the contest, especially in Cincinnati where he can hit baseball's past the right field fence with relative ease.

When Ryan Ludwick is healthy, he has an unbelievably powerful swing. Ludwick's resurgence with Cincinnati last season proved he can still be a long ball hitter after he crushed twenty-six home runs in 2012. Ludwick's career high in homers came in 2008 in St. Louis, when he hit thirty-seven while hitting a career high .299. 

Joey Votto and Todd Frazier are the two next best power hitters on the roster. Frazier has the potential to be the best home run hitter on the Reds with the exception of Bruce, but he is inconsistent with his power swings. When Frazier gets ahold of a pitch, the ball travels huge distances. He can even hit home runs with a one-handed swing. Frazier hit nineteen home runs in his rookie year, but can definitely be responsible for thirty in each of the next few seasons. 

Votto has developed himself into a hitter who thinks about just getting on base above all else, but he is a very clutch power hitter who knows when to swing with force. Votto hit thirty-seven homers his MVP year in 2010, and followed up that season with twenty-nine. Based on Votto's competitiveness and drive to succeed, it wouldn't surprise me if the star first baseman won a Home Run Derby.

Potential deadline trade targets for the Reds

It's that time of year again. With only one series between the official first half of the year and the All Star break, teams are starting to distinguish themselves as buyers or sellers for potential deals at the July 31 trade deadline. The Reds have been both active and inactive in the recent past under GM Walt Jocketty, depending on the season. Last year, the Reds acquired Jonathan Broxton, who pitched well in the setup role with a 2.82 ERA. The Reds did nothing the year prior when they were two games under the .500 mark at that time in 2011.

The Reds have a few weaknesses even though the team enters play tonight eleven games over .500. They could use a boost in left field before Ryan Ludwick returns, and relief pitching is always a need for any team in contention. Below are some potential targets for the Reds as members of MLB teams' front offices begin to convene in order to get deals done.

Alex Gordon-Gordon is probably the best player on this list, and although it has taken him years of development, Gordon has become an extremely dangerous hitter in the AL. Gordon has been in the big leagues since 2007, and has hit close to or above .300 since 2011. Gordon is currently hitting .293 with nine homers and forty-eight RBI's. He also has a .360 OBP. The only knock on Gordon is his tendency to rack up the strikeouts over the course of the season. He has 140 and 139 strikeouts over the last to seasons respectively. Gordon also plays a solid left field, and would command some top level prospects on the Reds' part. Gordon is signed through 2016 and is making over $10 million until he is a free agent. A package of Ryan Ludwick along with Kyle Lotzkar and Nick Travieso could get a deal done.

Colby Rasmus-The former Cardinal now mans center field for the struggling Blue Jays. Rasmus is certainly one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, and a deal for the twenty-six year old could move Shin-Soo Choo to left, a more natural position for him. Rasmus is one of the more affordable options that could be up for trade, and certainly would command some solid prospects because of his age and ability to hit consistently. The lefty hits .250 with sixteen home runs and an OBP of .324. His power makes him an upgrade over Xavier Paul and Derrick Robinson. Rasmus also has forty-eight RBI's.

Alexei Ramirez-Ramirez has the ability to stabilize the shortstop position hitting wise in the number two spot in the order. He is signed for three more years, so the White Sox would have to take on one of the Reds' large contracts or give money to the Reds in a deal. Ramirez has always been a steady AL shortstop, never allowing his average to dip below .265 for the White Sox. His power numbers have receded dramatically over the past two years. Ramirez hit twenty-one homers his rookie year and never hit below fifteen until 2012. A deal for Ramirez could be very difficult to work out, but it might be worth it to provide a respected veteran approach to playing the shortstop position everyday.

Marlon Byrd-Byrd is one of the more underrated players in baseball. He has bounced around six teams in his eleven year career. Byrd made the All Star team in 2010 and finished that year hitting .293 with the Cubs. Byrd is off to his best start power wise in his career with the New York Mets. He is batting .266 and has clubbed thirteen homers as one of the few bright spots on the team. Byrd is making under $1 million this season on a one year contract, and wouldn't be too hard to acquire through trade. I think it would be worth making a deal because Byrd has proven to be slightly better than Xavier Paul throughout his career, not to mention in a much longer time period. Ryan LaMarre could headline a package to get a deal done.

Steve Delabar-Delabar is one of the most interesting stories out of the candidates to make this year's All Star team through final vote. Delabar has ties to the area as he is from Kentucky and briefly was on the Florence Freedom's roster. Delabar came out of nowhere to make the Blue Jays' roster this season and pitch lights out, posting a 1.58 ERA in forty innings, and leading league relievers in strikeouts with fifty-seven. Delabar is arbitration eligible until 2018 and is making under $500,000 this season. Dan Langfield and Neftali Soto might be enough for Toronto to let go of Delabar through a trade.

Jesse Crain-Crain has been around since 2004 when he broke into the league with Minnesota, but is having a career year with a .74 ERA and nineteen holds. Crain has only allowed three runs all season long, and would immediately become the Reds' second best right handed reliever behind Jonathan Broxton. 

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Reds weekend observations

The Reds fell back in their quest to gain control of the NL Central this weekend by dropping two of three to the lowly Seattle Mariners, a team in second to last place in the AL West and ten games under .500. As the All Star break approaches and the halfway mark in the season just completed, here are some observations on the progress of the team at this juncture.

-At just over the half way point, the Reds are still in good shape in terms of overall record. The team was nine games over .500 at the break last year and in second place, a game behind Pittsburgh. This year, the Reds are behind both St. Louis and Pittsburgh with some ground to make up. The Reds went on a long winning streak after the break last year in mid to late July, so as long as they keep pace and don't get over five games behind the first place Pirates, they should be fine going forward.

-The bullpen and starting pitching can't be blamed for the Reds' troubles right now. The offense has been flopping over the past four series. The Reds have struggled picking up AL pitching, as the team is now 6-9 on the year against AL opponents. Zack Cozart is two for his last nineteen, and Brandon Phillips is five for his last twenty-one. The top of the lineup needs to start hitting and getting on base so the Reds can generate more runs. Luckily for the Reds, they have only one series left against the AL against Oakland on August 6-7.

-A sweep of the last place Brewers could go a long way for this team. If the Reds can win three in Milwaukee, that puts them at fifteen games over .500 heading into a clash with the first place Braves. The Reds would then hope to take two of four in that series, and head into the break with one of the best records in the majors.

-The Reds will have two starters in the All Star Game for the NL roster in Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips. Phillips is getting his first start in his third appearance, and I could see him batting second on Bruce Bochy's lineup card. Votto is an experienced starter in the All Star Game, but he is hitless in his seven prior at bats in the game. Aroldis Chapman will make the team in back to back seasons and should be a nice weapon for the NL to use late in the game. Shin-Soo Choo and Jay Bruce could be considered snubs because they weren't elected to represent the Reds in the game, but with Choo's recent dip in batting average and Bruce's inconsistency at the plate, an appearance just wasn't in the cards. According to Bochy, Homer Bailey and Mat Latos were under heavy consideration for spots on the team as well.

-The second hitter in the lineup is costing the Reds a great deal of runs. Zack Cozart has found himself in a lot of favorable scoring opportunities throughout the season and hasn't been able to capitalize and extend those opportunities by getting on base or driving in runs. He has just nine RBI's and is hitting .216 in the last thirty days. The easiest solution is to move Votto up a spot in the order and shift Phillips to the third spot and Bruce to cleanup in the order. However, it is highly unlikely for Baker to move Votto, the best hitter on the roster, out of the third spot. Xavier Paul and Derrick Robinson are solid contact hitters with OBP's above .330, so another possibility is to platoon the two left fielders in the two hole.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Homer goes the distance for second no hitter

Let's take some time today not only to celebrate America's independence, but also to remember and give proper recognition to Homer Bailey's pitching performance on Tuesday night. Bailey threw his second no hitter in two years on Tuesday against the Giants. To put into perspective how rare this performance is for baseball players, all time great pitchers Greg Maddux and Roger Clements have never quite performed to the no hit level throughout their careers. Bailey has thrown the last two no hitters in the majors in his fifth and sixth years in the majors, showing just how far he has come from being the stubborn young pitcher who got himself in trouble by relying on his explosive pitches just a few years ago.

Bailey is still just 27 years old, and to have already thrown two no hitters is remarkable. Bailey joins fellow Texan Nolan Ryan as one of 31 pitchers to throw multiple no hitters. Since Brian Price has joined the Reds as the team's pitching coach, Bailey has progressed more and more and is now considered a solid number two pitcher in a rotation. Bailey has come a long way since being drafted in the first round out of high school by the Reds and entering their minor league system in 2004. He has always had the talent to become a premier pitcher in the game, but it was a matter of maturing and learning the art of pitching for Bailey to succeed. 

Bailey's fastball is his best trait as a pitcher and he certainly has relied on that pitch during his time with the Reds. When Bailey needs to throw his best pitch and locate a strike, he will dial up the fastball at speeds that reach 97 miles per hour. For a long time, that's the only pitch Bailey seemed to use. Bailey was overconfident in that single pitch, throwing it over and over to major league hitters until they caught on and started crushing the ball. Bailey's low point came in 2008, when he went 0-6 with a ballooned 7.93 ERA. Bailey was sent back to Triple A three times before he finally remained in Cincinnati on a full time basis from 2011 to present day. 

The last two seasons have initiated the resurrection of Bailey's first round potential. Not only has Bailey recorded the two no hitters, but he has kept his ERA right around three and a half. Bailey threw over 200 innings last season and won 13 games. This is thanks in large part to a self developed split finger fastball and two above average pitches, a slider and a curveball. When Bailey can locate his off speed pitches consistently, he is a tough pitcher to make contact with. 

The 6'4, 230 pound Bailey looked like a warrior on Tuesday. He was locked in and unbelievably focused throughout the game. The old Homer Bailey would get overanxious from the pressure of the last few innings with a no hitter in tact, and make a mistake by throwing an elevated fastball over the plate. The 2013 Homer Bailey was calm and collected, reassuring himself that he had already thrown one no hitter before this one and that he had the rare ability to do so again. Bailey was one pitch away from a perfect game, executing his lone walk on a 3-2 count. Bailey's pitch count wasn't elevated even heading into the final stretch of the game. He threw under 100 pitches heading into the ninth inning. He struck out nine hitters, including the Giants' star hitters Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence. The only trouble Reds fielders had to go through to preserve the no hitter occurred when Joey Votto made a heads up play to force the Giants to ground into a fielder's choice by firing the ball to Todd Frazier at third base and getting Gregor Blanco by a step. Ryan Hanigan should get a great deal of credit for Bailey's pitching as well. Hanigan is second only to Yadier Molina in handling pitchers, and has molded his game with the Reds to become an elite defensive catcher. Hanigan set up Bailey's pitches with special skill, and the catcher and pitcher were on the same page the entire night.

Homer Bailey will continue to improve to work towards consistent dominance. Bailey has just one more year before his contract runs out, and if he wants to cash in big in Cincinnati, he needs to continue to pitch like he has the last couple seasons. The city of Cincinnati certainly appreciates a pitcher who can entertain fans on any given night with a masterful pitching performance like Bailey's no hitter. Former Reds pitchers with no hitters Tom Browning, Jim Maloney, and Johnny Vander Meer would be proud of Bailey's feat. Bailey still has plenty of time to earn more no hitters. He could easily play 10 more seasons in the big leagues, and at the rate that he is throwing no hitters right now, who knows, Nolan Ryan's record of 6 could be in trouble.