Reds unable to sweep away Cubs
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
CINCINNATI — Bronson Arroyo was cruising through the first three innings, but one error and back-to-back home runs by the Chicago Cubs kept the brooms in the janitor's closet at Great American Ball Park.
The Cubs made Cincinnati pay with third-inning home runs by Carlos Pena and Aramis Ramirez, taking a 4-1 win back to the windy city.
"We had a chance for a sweep. We really didn't want to end (the homestead) like that," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "That three-in-a-row is eluding us, but we'll get it. We are real close, so perhaps we'll turn around on this road trip."
Arroyo is 2-4 (nine starts) since April 25, as he was charged with his sixth loss of the season Wednesday. Arroyo (4-6) gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits and one walk. He finished with three strikeouts on 98 pitches, 65 for strikes.
In the nine-game home stand, Cincinnati went 5-4, with two wins against the Cubs, two against Milwaukee and one against L.A.
Now the Reds have a two-city, seven-game road trip on the West Coast, facing the San Francisco Giants in a four-game series starting Thursday and the L.A. Dodgers in a three-game set.
"The last road trip was a bad one, so now we'll looking for a excellent road trip," Baker said.
The inning that eventually set the tone for the entire game was the third, where one error, along with two simple swings of the bat, cost the Reds dearly.
In the three-run third by the fifth-place Cubs, Blake Dewitt took the bases on an error by Paul Janish. Then the game went into a domino effect for Arroyo as he gave up a home run to right field that traveled 443 feet, putting the Cubs up 2-1. For good measure, Ramirez hit a 342-foot home run to left field on the very next pitch for a two-run lead. Chicago had two more base hits in the inning.
"I was trying to get in on Pena, and he kept fouling off cutter after cutter, and I just wanted to move it up three or four inches closer to him, but I moved it three or four inches away from him and he hit the ball out of the park," Arroyo said. "Aramis is a great breaking ball hitter, and he sees the ball so well. He parked it too, that's how it goes.
"It was just too much for us to overcome."
Chicago added another run in the seventh when Kosuke Fukudome, who doubled to lead-off the inning, scored on a balk by Jose Arredondo. Arredondo threw 11 pitches, five for strikes.
"Somebody's got to tell him (Arredondo) that (Joey) is playing behind him on that situation, because Aramis (at the plate) has hit too many RBIs over in that spot," Baker said. "We were just trying to cover that hole, but we just didn't communicate, and tell him we were playing off the bag at 3-2.
"We have to tighten up our game in all departments. We do that, then we'll be great."
The Reds (32-31) threatened in the bottom of the first, putting three runners on the bases with one out. Phillips reached first after being hit in the hand by a pitch, followed by Votto getting a base hit and Bruce drawing a walk. They were all left stranded with a pop up by Miguel Cairo and line out to first by Fred Lewis.
Cincinnati, again, put a runner on third in the third inning, with Stubbs singling, stealing second (with no outs), and taking third on a ground out by Phillips.
In their second opportunity, the Reds didn't leave the runner at third, with Bruce singling to right field, scoring Stubbs for the first run of the game.
That would be all the scoring for the home team.
Cincinnati struggled at the plate with Dempster striking out six batters in the ensuing three innings after the Reds scored their run. In the sixth, Votto, Bruce and Cairo went down in order via strikeout.
With Kerry Wood on the hill in a relief appearance for the Cubs in the seventh inning, Janish kept all 31,367 Reds fans' hopes alive with a two-out triple to left-center field, sliding head-first to the bag, beating out the throw. Those hopes quickly disappeared with a called third strike on Jonny Gomes to end the inning.
Dempster, who leads the NL in earned runs, was the winning pitcher, going six complete innings. He gave up just one earned run on three hits, a hit batter and one intentional walk. Dempster tallied eight strikeouts on 113 pitches (64 for strikes).
Cincinnati struck out a total of 12 times, including three times from Votto, two being of the called third variety. Lewis and Stubbs each struck out twice.
Arroyo said it was disappointing not to get the sweep against the Cubs.
"The way we've been playing lately, we just can't really afford to have a lot of close games get away from us," he said. "Once we've been giving up the lead, it's been tough coming back from that, and right now were are just fighting to get every win we can. We just can't catch a nice streak where they seem to come easy … and it's not going to get any easier coming up the next two weeks."
The four-game set against San Francisco starts Thursday, where the Reds are scheduled to face Madison Bumgarner, Ryan Vogelsong, Tim Lincecum and Jonathan Sanchez.
Cincinnati will send Johnny Cueto, Travis Wood, Mike Leake and Edinson Volquez.
"This is going to be a tough stretch for us, especially playing in L.A. (next week)," Arroyo said. "Plus, the Giants have a great ball club and pitching staff, so this is going to have to be a test for us. We can't really afford to get beat up out there, because when we get back home it's going to be a dogfight with the American League East."
GAME NOTES: The Reds used five pitchers … Chicago brought four pitchers to the mound … Cincinnati pitching combined for five strikeouts … The 5-9 spots in the Reds order went a combined 1-for-17 … Fukudome, Pena and Koyie Hill each had two hits for the Cubs … The Reds left five runners on base … Janish had an error.[[In-content Ad]]
The Cubs made Cincinnati pay with third-inning home runs by Carlos Pena and Aramis Ramirez, taking a 4-1 win back to the windy city.
"We had a chance for a sweep. We really didn't want to end (the homestead) like that," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "That three-in-a-row is eluding us, but we'll get it. We are real close, so perhaps we'll turn around on this road trip."
Arroyo is 2-4 (nine starts) since April 25, as he was charged with his sixth loss of the season Wednesday. Arroyo (4-6) gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits and one walk. He finished with three strikeouts on 98 pitches, 65 for strikes.
In the nine-game home stand, Cincinnati went 5-4, with two wins against the Cubs, two against Milwaukee and one against L.A.
Now the Reds have a two-city, seven-game road trip on the West Coast, facing the San Francisco Giants in a four-game series starting Thursday and the L.A. Dodgers in a three-game set.
"The last road trip was a bad one, so now we'll looking for a excellent road trip," Baker said.
The inning that eventually set the tone for the entire game was the third, where one error, along with two simple swings of the bat, cost the Reds dearly.
In the three-run third by the fifth-place Cubs, Blake Dewitt took the bases on an error by Paul Janish. Then the game went into a domino effect for Arroyo as he gave up a home run to right field that traveled 443 feet, putting the Cubs up 2-1. For good measure, Ramirez hit a 342-foot home run to left field on the very next pitch for a two-run lead. Chicago had two more base hits in the inning.
"I was trying to get in on Pena, and he kept fouling off cutter after cutter, and I just wanted to move it up three or four inches closer to him, but I moved it three or four inches away from him and he hit the ball out of the park," Arroyo said. "Aramis is a great breaking ball hitter, and he sees the ball so well. He parked it too, that's how it goes.
"It was just too much for us to overcome."
Chicago added another run in the seventh when Kosuke Fukudome, who doubled to lead-off the inning, scored on a balk by Jose Arredondo. Arredondo threw 11 pitches, five for strikes.
"Somebody's got to tell him (Arredondo) that (Joey) is playing behind him on that situation, because Aramis (at the plate) has hit too many RBIs over in that spot," Baker said. "We were just trying to cover that hole, but we just didn't communicate, and tell him we were playing off the bag at 3-2.
"We have to tighten up our game in all departments. We do that, then we'll be great."
The Reds (32-31) threatened in the bottom of the first, putting three runners on the bases with one out. Phillips reached first after being hit in the hand by a pitch, followed by Votto getting a base hit and Bruce drawing a walk. They were all left stranded with a pop up by Miguel Cairo and line out to first by Fred Lewis.
Cincinnati, again, put a runner on third in the third inning, with Stubbs singling, stealing second (with no outs), and taking third on a ground out by Phillips.
In their second opportunity, the Reds didn't leave the runner at third, with Bruce singling to right field, scoring Stubbs for the first run of the game.
That would be all the scoring for the home team.
Cincinnati struggled at the plate with Dempster striking out six batters in the ensuing three innings after the Reds scored their run. In the sixth, Votto, Bruce and Cairo went down in order via strikeout.
With Kerry Wood on the hill in a relief appearance for the Cubs in the seventh inning, Janish kept all 31,367 Reds fans' hopes alive with a two-out triple to left-center field, sliding head-first to the bag, beating out the throw. Those hopes quickly disappeared with a called third strike on Jonny Gomes to end the inning.
Dempster, who leads the NL in earned runs, was the winning pitcher, going six complete innings. He gave up just one earned run on three hits, a hit batter and one intentional walk. Dempster tallied eight strikeouts on 113 pitches (64 for strikes).
Cincinnati struck out a total of 12 times, including three times from Votto, two being of the called third variety. Lewis and Stubbs each struck out twice.
Arroyo said it was disappointing not to get the sweep against the Cubs.
"The way we've been playing lately, we just can't really afford to have a lot of close games get away from us," he said. "Once we've been giving up the lead, it's been tough coming back from that, and right now were are just fighting to get every win we can. We just can't catch a nice streak where they seem to come easy … and it's not going to get any easier coming up the next two weeks."
The four-game set against San Francisco starts Thursday, where the Reds are scheduled to face Madison Bumgarner, Ryan Vogelsong, Tim Lincecum and Jonathan Sanchez.
Cincinnati will send Johnny Cueto, Travis Wood, Mike Leake and Edinson Volquez.
"This is going to be a tough stretch for us, especially playing in L.A. (next week)," Arroyo said. "Plus, the Giants have a great ball club and pitching staff, so this is going to have to be a test for us. We can't really afford to get beat up out there, because when we get back home it's going to be a dogfight with the American League East."
GAME NOTES: The Reds used five pitchers … Chicago brought four pitchers to the mound … Cincinnati pitching combined for five strikeouts … The 5-9 spots in the Reds order went a combined 1-for-17 … Fukudome, Pena and Koyie Hill each had two hits for the Cubs … The Reds left five runners on base … Janish had an error.[[In-content Ad]]