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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy is in his 36th year of covering the Cincinnati Reds, the longest tenure for any active writer covering one team. Counting spring training and postseason games, McCoy has covered more than 7,000 major-league baseball games, written close to 18,000 baseball stories and eaten enough hot dogs to give Babe Ruth indigestion.Home > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > September > 16 > Entry
A win for EE and JTM
For most of last season, Edwin Encarnacion was Mr. Clutch — put runners in scoring position or fill the bases and he would drive in some runs, usually sweep the bases clean.
But the man who hit .360 last season with runners in scoring position went into a witness protection program this year.
The St. Louis Cardinals found him Tuesday night, standing there in the batter’s box in Great American Ball Park in the sixth inning with the bases loaded.
Encarnacion drilled a three-run double that turned a one-run deficit into a two-run lead and the Cincinnati Reds turned that into a 7-2 victory over the fast-disappearing Cardinals, losers of six straight games including three straight in Pittsburgh before arriving here.
The Reds put it away in the eighth with a two-run bases loaded double by Corey Patterson.
It also helped Bronson Arroyo win for the 15th time, most in his career, and his 11th victory in his last 14 decisions since giving up 11 runs in one inning at Toronto June 24.
“Sometimes you are not proud of how you’re pitching and sometimes it wakes you up,” said manager Dusty Baker. “Dick Pole (pitching coach) told me at that time that Arroyo is capable of a heck of streak, capable of running off a lot of wins. And that’s what he has done — Dick was telling the truth.”
Fifteen wins is a major deal for Arroyo, who twice won 14, including his first year with the Reds in 2006.
“I’ve said for a long time that 15 wins, 20 quality starts and 200 innings is a goal,” said Arroyo. “I’ve had the 200 innings a few times and 20 quality starts a couple of times, so 15 wins finally puts me over that plateau.”
Arroyo, though, does agree that the Toronto debacle was an alarm clock going off on the mound. It is more the sinker that he is now throwing, one with a new grip Pole showed him.
“That enabled me to command the inside part of the plate on righthanders better than I ever have in my career,” he said. “It keeps hitters from sitting on my breaking pitches and always looking for me to throw pitches away.
“After hitters see you for such a long time, it becomes a big ol’ chess match,” Arroyo added. “You can see them guessing if it is going to be a breaking ball away or a fastball away. Bringing something new to the table — I can see the looks on faces when they swing and miss on a sinker because I haven’t thrown that pitch on a consistent basis since 1996 or 1997 in the minors.”
Arroyo went seven inning, giving up two runs (both homers) and five hits, walking none and striking out four.
Encarnacion took the first three pitches during his big at-bat, taking two for strikes and the third was extremely close.
“He (Looper) threw me two very good pitches on the first two and he finally threw me a split and I saw it perfectly and put a good swing on it,” said Encarnacion.
Of his prowess with runners in scoring position last year and his problems this year, Encarnacion said, “Last year I was lucky with runners in scoring position because when I hit the ball it wasn’t right at anybody. I’ve tried to do the same thing this year, be aggressive, but I haven’t been as lucky.”
So now the Reds are 41-39 against teams over .500 and 28-42 against teams under .500. Go figure.
The Cardinals grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second when Troy Glaus, out a week with a right shoulder strain, returned to the lineup and crashed his 24th home run leading off the inning.
The Reds had only one hit off Braden Looper through five innings, a single by Chris Dickerson — and he was the only baserunner.
Arroyo started the sixth with a single. After Chris Dickerson’s single single and a walk to Joey Votto, Encarnacion unloaded his 1-and-2 two-out three-run double.
St. Louis drew to within 3-2 in the seventh on a home run by Aaron Miles, but the Reds retrieved that run in the bottom half on pinch-hitter Danny Richar’s fielder’s choice.
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Comments
By Red_in_ky
September 18, 2008 5:38 PM | Link to this
Ross, Yes, like I said, right by the Reds Community Fund Booth (if you have ever to been to Great American, if you haven’t, I guess that reference is useless, haha.). I agree, there is no face…maybe Arroyo or Harang…guys that do their work and do not complain about things. I just thought it very classless of Phillips to be doing such a thing. From what I know, players aren’t restricted from being in the dugout when they are on the DL are they? I would just think someone wanting to step up and be the leader of the team would be doing a little more to be a leader. I really just don’t know who to put as a leader of the franchise. Until they figure it out, I think it’ll be real mess.By ross
September 18, 2008 3:35 PM | Link to this
red in ky..Phillips was out by the concourses? wow if not him who is the face of this franchise..Dickerson…a 4th OF at best, Edwin, Bruce, Votto..good players but not franchise guys, Hanigan what a joke, my vote is a vet like Javy..just kidding but he is my favorite player because theres not much left…good insight red in kyBy timb
September 18, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this
Thank you, Jim for clarifying my remarks (especially because you did it correctly!)By Red_in_ky
September 17, 2008 5:37 PM | Link to this
Hal, I think it was you who was commenting about Brandon Phillips wanting to be the “leader” of the team…I’ve got a story about that. I was at the game last night, and saw Brandon out in the commons talking to a couple employees around the community fund booth. I know he’s on the DL, but if he wants to be the leader of the team, shouldn’t he be in the dugout? Secondarily, a girl of about 8 came up and asked for an autograph, and he raised his recently operated on hand and laughed at her, not giving her the autograph or making any effort to do. It was a really disappointing night for me. For someone that wants to be a leader and face of a team, he shows up at the park and isn’t with the team during the game, and then can’t give an autograph to a kid, or at least make an effort to scribble something? Great move from the “New face of the franchise”. What a jerk.By Y-City Jim
September 17, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this
It isn’t luck that James and the sabermetrics guru cite in accounting for hitting with RISP. It is probability. The probability of hitting with RISP is the same as hitting in any other situation. This accounts for why lifetime averages correlate with lifetime averages for hitting with RISP. Case in point: Tony Perez BA-.279, RISP-.284, Pete Rose BA-.303, RISP-.310, Johnny Bench BA-.267, RISP-.262By timb
September 17, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this
You know, these new statistical guys (Baseball Prospectus, Bill James, etc) note that hitting with runners in scoring position is not a repeatable skill. it is a matter of luck. No player wants to make an out and no pitcher wants to allow a hit. That doesn’t change when a runner is on second. RBI’s are a matter of luck and getting people on base in front of you. The Reds have had neither this season, although I thought all along that Votto and EE should be batting 3-4 and Dunn and Griff should have been batting 5-6. But, as it has been proved a million times statistically, hitting with RISP is not repeatable [links available upon request].By Florida Buckeye
September 17, 2008 9:17 AM | Link to this
Hal, I’m glad you pointed out the difference in winning percentage between teams with a winning record, and teams without. The question that arises in my mind is: WHY?!? To me the answer is two fold. First off, this is a relatively young, inexperienced team, and it’s difficult to realize that the wins against the ‘have-not’s counts just as much as the others. Secondly, I think it comes down to lack of leadership. Not just among the players, but from the Top Down…and mostly from Baker. He seems to have found a way to light a fire under their butts w/r to being a spoiler: But, where was that spark from Spring Training until we were out of it?!? I dont get it…By AP-FLORIDA
September 17, 2008 8:19 AM | Link to this
Boy, Rusty is blowing smoke when he says “pole” knew Arroyo was capable of going on a long winning streak. They were both trying to figure out how to get rid of him after he pitched against Toronto. Once again rusty taking credit for something he had no hands in…..Let him go play golf with Yost!!!!By AP-FLORIDA
September 17, 2008 8:18 AM | Link to this
Boy, Rusty is blowing smoke when he says “pole” knew Arroyo was capable of going on a long winning streak. They were both trying to figure out how to get rid of him after he pitched against Toronto. Once again rusty taking credit for something he had no hands in…..Let him go play golf with Yost!!!!By AP-FLORIDA
September 17, 2008 8:18 AM | Link to this
Boy, Rusty is blowing smoke when he says “pole” knew Arroyo was capable of going on a long winning streak. They were both trying to figure out how to get rid of him after he pitched against Toronto. Once again rusty taking credit for something he had no hands in…..Let him go play golf with Yost!!!!By Gary Maloy Jr.
September 17, 2008 1:41 AM | Link to this
Micah Owings and Bronson Arroyo. We’ve got two pitchers who can put a swing on a ball. On average, Arroyo gets nearly a hit a game (hitting around .200, I may be exaggerating just a bit, but still…), and we know what Owings is good for. Hal, I’m just wondering - how much BP do the pitchers take, how many take it seriously and isn’t hitting something they should work on in the off-season? If nothing else, they could visit high schools and colleges and leave their gloves at home. Hit, hit, hit. I mean, with the money these players are making in the modern game, the pitchers should take hitting more seriously. Shouldn’t they?