Reds Notes 4.21.06

First and foremost: absolutely no lead is safe with this team. The Reds led 12-6 in the 6th inning and I felt marginally comfortable.

- Dunn is a strikeout machine. He chases that tailing fastball/curveball from left handers EVERY TIME. The pitches are so outside that no legal bat could hit them. He swings right through them. It's comical. Going into Thursday's game, his last 6 hits were HRs. He singled last night.
- Out of nowhere, Brandon Phillips is playing like the 2nd basemen of the present/future. He has some legitimate pop in his bat. His HRs Thursday night were gone in any park.
- Dave Williams. The Dead Fish. 3 innings. 8 hits. 6 earned runs. 4 walks. That's a nice effort there, Williams. His ERA is 10.50. He's one bad start from being in Louisville. Or maybe getting one of those phantom 30 day-DL assignments for 'shoulder problems'. The pitch he threw to Bill Hall that he crushed for a HR was batting practice. Tommy Lasorda's heater has more action on it.
- The bullpen was solid last night. When your starter only completes 3 innings, and it only takes 3 relievers to complete the game, that is good stuff (and Shackelford only faced 1 guy, so he doesn't really count). Belisle's effort was fantastic. The Reds desperately need another long reliever. He did not allow a run for 4 innings. His arm went dead in the 8th.
- Hot Coffey. He was a little shaky but went 1.2 and got out of the bases loaded, 1-out jam in the 8th. His ERA is 0.96
- EE-6 (Edwin Encarnacion) had another miserable throw from his knees. Hatteberg MUST have seen it coming because that throw was WAY off line and he was able to corral it. Instead of setting up for the 1st basemen stretch, he was like a punt returner waiting to receive a boot in swirling winds. But hey, that HR was sweet.

- The Reds average 8 runs/per game in their 10 wins. 4.5 runs/per game in their 6 losses.
- The Reds are 5-3 and average 6.9 runs/per game since Griffey went out 4/13

ADAM DUNN HATE CAMPAIGN '06:

Dunn is batting .143 with runners in scoring position. He left 4 men on base last night. I am trying to find his total LOB for the season but cannot find it.