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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2011 > June > 18
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Volquez reverts to the ‘bad times’
CINCINNATI — So much for the resurrection and resurgence of Cincinnati Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez.
And it looked as if it would be such a great night for him when he went 1-2-3 in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays, with two strikeouts.
“He was sharp, on his game, in that first inning,” said Manager Dusty Baker.
With his past catastrophic first innings, this one was like pitching a perfect game.
But it was a mirage, a mirage with no fig trees or watering holes included in the imagination.
Volquez pitched five innings and gave up four runs and seven hits, walking two and striking out eight. And he tossed in a balk and a hit batter to complete his resume on a night the Reds were helpless in a 4-0 loss. But it all unraveled and as Baker said, “He got a pitch up and out over the plate to Jose Molina, a pitch up and out over the plate to Rajai Davis and a pitch up to Corey Patterson and they all hurt him.
“Actually, they took it to us more than we took it to them,” Baker added. “I don’t think we got our leadoff man on base in any inning.
The offense was no help on a night when Volquez needed help. They had seven hits and left the bases loaded in the seventh when pinch-hitter Edgar Renteria lined to right. They put two on with one out in the ninth against 6-foot-10 closer Jon Rauch, but Ramon Hernandez lined hard to the wall in left for the second out and pinch-hitter Jonny Gomes took a called third strike to end it.
The big question, though, is what to do with Volquez. Homer Bailey will have at least one more start on rehab in Louisville on Tuesday. Do the Reds keep Volquez in the rotation until Bailey is ready? There aren’t many options.
But one thing is certain — when Bailey is ready, Volquez and his clean-cut head are vulnerable to a drop to the bullpen or a deeper drop back to Louisville.
It was a doubly painful night in that both Milwaukee and St. Louis won, so the Reds dropped three games behind first-place Milwaukee and two games behind second-place St. Louis.
So the Reds have lost two straight to the Blue Jays and to avoid a sweep the Reds are putting the ball in the hands of Bronson Arroyo, who has pitched in the past against Toronto as if they were a slow-pitch softball team.
In his last three starts against the Jays, Arroyo has given up 23 earned runs and 26 hits in only 7 2/3 innings. The last two were for the Reds and in Toronto — one-plus inning, 10 runs and 11 hits, then exactly one year later to the day, 3 2/3 innings, six runs eight hits.
DUSTY BAKER WANTED to know if Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind is from Anderson, Ind.
“Yes, he is,” Baker was told.
“That’s where Carl Erskine is from and where he owns a bank now,” said Baker, referring to the former Dodgers pitcher who averaged 15 wins over his 12-year career. “I’ll bet Lind is putting his money in Carl’s bank.”
If Lind continues his current pace, he’ll have a lot of money to entrust with Erskine. After hitting a game-winning home run against the Reds Friday night, Lind is hitting .413 with eight homers and 17 RBIs over a 13-game period since coming off the disabled list.
Funny thing. Baker didn’t ask me if I’m related to Toronto infielder Michael McCoy, who played eight years in the minors before getting a chance last year.
He is hitting .224 with one homer and four RBIs in 67 at bats — and, no, we’re not related.
JOEY VOTTO doesn’t display outward humor very often, but it surfaced the other day in the clubhouse. A group of media were congregated around Scott Rolen’s dressing stall when Votto walked by and said quietly with a smile, “Don’t you guys know who the MVP is?”
ROLEN, BY THE WAY, appears to be healthy again and his batwork is proof enough.
Over his last eight games, he has at least one extra-base hit in six of those games (five doubles, a triple and a home run Friday). His home run Friday was his first in 157 at-bats, the longest dry period of his career. And he entered Saturday’s game with an RBI in five straight games (seven RBIs).
When a writer asked Baker about Rolen’s recent power surge, Baker said, “Health. The guy has had power his whole career and you just don’t get at age 35. The main thing is he is healthier. He is still strong. He was healthy and then he got sick.”
ONE OF BASEBALL’S rarest occurrences is an inside the park home run, especially in the tight quarter that is Great American Small Park.
But Drew Stubbs hit one Friday, even though he hesitated between first and second, believing the ball would be caught. The right fielder Jose Bautista and center fielder Corey Patterson both stopped just when they both reached the point where the ball was coming down. When they pulled up, the ball struck the wall and rolled away from both.
Stubbs is so fast he turned his jets back on and finished his tour standing up.
“I had one in college (Texas) and one in spring training in Arizona last year,” said Stubb. “Honestly, I’d rather hit one out of the park so I can trot rather than have to sprint around he bases. It is tough to hit one in this park, something different has to happen. In this case the ball kicked way from the outfielders and they were both stunned.”
THE PHONE in Baker’s office rang at 4:30 and without skipping a beat, Baker smiled and said, “Probably my wife with an update.”
“Hello,” he said. (Pause). “Ah, OK, 3-0 in the first. All right, good-bye. I knew that was her.”
The update was on how Baker’s son, shortstop Darren, and his team were doing in a Tournament of Champions event in Sacramento. “Single eliminat,” he said. “They’re up 3-0 in the first, but that doesn’t mean nothing.”
DOWN ON the farm, Louisville’s Daryl Thompson allowed only one run on six hits over six innings while walking one and striking out nine in a 2-1 victory over Toledo. Dave Sappelt had two hits and the game-winning RBI in the tenth inning. Jeremy Hermida and Chris Valaika each had two hits.
The baseball adage is good pitching beats good hitting, but Louisville manager Rick Sweet disagrees and says, “Goo0d hitting will beat good pitching. We’ve got the best hitting team in the league and the numbers back that up.”
The Bats are second in the standings with a 39-30 record, but they are 7 ½ games out of first place. They have a team batting average of .281 with five players batting over .300 (Dave Sappelt .361, Jeremy Hermida .354, Devin Mesoraco .323, Zack Cozart .323, Yonder Alonso .316).
AROLDIS CHAPMAN pitched two perfect innings at Class AA Carolina Saturday. He gave up no runs, no hits, no walks and struck out three during a 5-1 win over Jackson.
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