Good time for a break. Next: the Mets

After a nine-run outburst today, including seven home runs, three by young star Joey Votto, the Reds are due for a day off. The boys need some time to collect their thoughts and get ready to move forward strongly.

Next up is a weekend series with the Mets featuring the following probable pitching matchups:

Friday 5/9: Matt Belisle (1-2, ERA 6.91) v. Mike Pelfrey (2-2, ERA 5.27)

Saturday 5/10: Bronson Arroyo (1-4, ERA 8.63) v. Johan Santana (3-2, ERA 2.91)

Sunday 5/11: Johnny Cueto (2-3, ERA 5.27) v. Oliver Perez (2-3, ERA 4.63)

Friday and Sunday look winnable, if Belisle and Cueto can continue to improve and if the offense can string together a few consistent games, which we all know has been a problem. Saturday's matchup is one to be afraid of, I think, but you never know.

GO, REDS!!!

Friday's game is key.  Hopefully Belisle will have what he did the first 5 innings in his last outing. I'm not counting on a good game from Arroyo.  I hope he gets his stuff back, but he doesn't look like he has his stuff.

Hoos -- I'm with ya. None of Arroyo's pitches are working. He has poor to non-existent speed on his fastball, and his breaking stuff just hangs. His "offspeed" pitches are gopher balls. He's not mixing up his pitches effectively, which would help, so he's not fooling anybody. It's just plain painful to watch him right now.

It's hard to tell if he's struggling, or if he just doesn't care for some reason. When he was pulled from that game Sunday against the Braves, he walked off the field with a smile on his face. I couldn't tell if he was happy to get the hell out of there, or just being sarcastic.

I'm not sure how the Reds can realistically keep him in the starting rotation if he continues to pitch the way he has, but they have a load of dough committed to him, so I'm sure they will wait as long as they can to pull the trigger and put him in the bullpen, if it comes to that.

How bout this instead...

Skip Bronson "Beef Pattie" Arroyo...throw Johnny Cueto against Johan. Dare the kid to be great. He'd be on his regular 4 days of rest.

Then throw Aaron Harang against Oliver "Mapquest Me To The Strike Zone" Perez.
(you can tell Perez is on my fantasy team huh?)

After todays offensive explosion and taking 2 of 3 from the Cubs, I would hate to kill our momentum by throwing Matt Belisle and Bronson Arroyo two days in a row. I give that about a 20% chance at best of winning either of those games.

Plus, I really like the idea of challenging Johnny Cueto and let him duel Johan. Our boy is a gamer, lets let him prove it.

I like the matchup against Pelfrey, but only Dunn, Griffey, Freel, Hatteburg, Phillips and Ross have ever faced him. They went a combined 4 for 18 against him.

Johan Santana vs the Reds. Ouch! Arguably the best pitcher, and definitely the bast lefty starter in the league. This could be tough. Here again only 7 Reds have ever faced him. Of those seven, only three have hits, Hatteburg (4), Phillips (1),  Patterson (3). Most Reds have never faced his nastiness. I don't give the Reds lefty laden lineup much of a chance in this one. I think Dusty needs to break out the RH scrapper lineup for this game.

Freel, Hairston, Kep, Phillips, Edwin, Valentin, Ross, Votto.

Game 3 Oliver Perez.  Perez has 23 walks and 29 K's in 35 innings this year. BE PATIENT! The Reds only hit .199 against this guy all time. Again due to the lefty lineup. Phillips and Freel have hit him well, so if we can get leadoff guys on, we need to produce. Perez was tough on the Reds when with Pitt. Could be a low scoring game with Cueto opposing him,

I agree with the post that said skip Arroyo's turn.  With an off-day Thursday, keep Cueto, Harang & Volquez on normal days rest. 

I don't like the Reds against left hander not named Barry Zito, so this could be another tough weekend.  The Mets have a lot of talent (but not playing like it), even more so than the Reds.  Let's just hope the Cubs series gave our guys some confidence.

Ohhh...we might not want to be trailing in the 9th.  Wagner has given up only 3 hits in 13 innings this year.

GO REDS!!! 

I really dont see the point of running Bronson Arroyo out there on Saturday. Thats just asking for an ass kicking. Let Cueto test his grit against one of the best in the game. But then again, if Bronson gets crushed again, maybe that will expedite his removal from the rotation.

And lemme take a second to say this, yes, I have mercilessly bashed Edwin Encarnacion, Corey Patterson, Todd Coffey, Mike Stanton, Dusty Baker, Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey, AND David Ross on this message board but none of it, well except maybe Adam Dunn, wasnt warranted. I would love to have nothing to bitch about my Reds but the reality is, we got a number of overpaid under producing people on this team. Bronson Arroyo is front and center on this. Yes, I would much rather him figure it back out and be a steady pitcher than for him to get removed from the rotation. But I dont feel like waiting another 4 bombed out starts for him to get there. This team needs to start making some inroads so these youngster have somoe confidence and know how to win ballgames moving forward. I would hate this crap attitude that Griffey, Dunn, and Arroyo seem to have to seep in and infect the youth of this team.