Game 6: Reds 8, Phillies 2

For the second time in a week, the Reds were treated to a sensational debut from a Dominican starter.

Edinson Volquez more than lived up to the hype, allowing one run and striking out eight in five-plus innings of work, and the Reds (4-2) downed the Phillies 8-2.

Lots of positives to take from this one:

Edinson Volquez was superb in his five-plus innings of work. I can see the comparisons between Volquez and Cueto; both can pound hard fastballs with tons of movement on either side of the plate in any count, and mix in effective changes and breaking balls. Volquez showed more control issues than Cueto, but if the Reds can get consistently good starts from he and Cueto along with the usual from Harang and Arroyo, they're going to contend for the division deep into the 2008 season. It's amazing how different it feels to have Reds pitchers with really great stuff, instead of retread nibblers and guys that, let's face it, just didn't have much talent. Every inning hasn't seemed like disaster about to strike, and it's really refreshing. Let's hope it keeps up.

The bullpen again pitched really well. Philadelphia mounted a threat in the sixth, putting two on, but Jeremy Affeldt got Geoff Jenkins to ground out, and Jared Burton got a huge K on Pedro Feliz to end the threat in what was then a 4-1 game.

In the bottom of the inning, Philadelphia reliever Clay Condrey had the inning from hell, allowing a walk, single, wild pitch, double driving in two, walk, infield single, and a single driving in a run before getting an out. An Edwin Encarnacion double play brought home the Reds' fourth run of the inning.

Mike Lincoln gave up a run in two innings of work, and Todd Coffey finished with a scoreless ninth.

Griffey hit his first homer of the year, 594 on his career, in the first. It was a picture-perfect no-doubter on a ball that sunk right into his wheelhouse from Myers. I watched the game with Marty on audio on the web, and they speculated Myers wasn't locating his fastball properly today, which would explain all the offspeed stuff he threw in later innings. He definitely didn't have his best stuff.

The Paul Bako lovefest continued with Marty today. He's been talking about how Bako should start whenever he is physically capable even when David Ross comes back pretty much every time the subject of Bako is brought up. I don't have a lot of insight as to how much Bako held Cueto and Volquez's hands through their starts Thursday and today, but I would argue it is more the skill and stuff the pitchers have shown so far that accounts for the Reds' success than it is having Bako behind the plate. Bako has hit so far, but history tells me eventually he will prove to be a zero with the stick, and I don't think the Reds can afford to have many of those in the lineup. Despite all this, the Reds got another great performance from the pitching staff, and Bako was 1-3 with a walk and a run scored.

I really hate to say this, because I cringed when the Reds signed him, but so far, I like what Corey Patterson brings to the table. He's looked like a decent hitter, he's played a pretty good center field and he's shown a little pop. He had a bunt single to kickstart a rally and drove in a run. The bunt single, especially, is what will make Reds fans really take to him. It's when he starts to depend on bunt singles to get hits at all (*coughNorrisHoppercough*) that we should be worried. Always frustrating, though, to have Marty/Thom (whichever one it was) talk about how the bunt single really showed the new approach Patterson talked about in Spring Training. Yes, let's try not to hit home runs and instead bunt. This has been articulated much better by other bloggers, but it boggles the mind when people who should know better talk about home runs like they're a bad thing.

Adam Dunn hit the ball hard, despite only having a single to show for it. He struggled through all of spring and hadn't looked comfortable at the plate so far in the regular season, but looked today like he's coming out of it.

On the negative side, Joey Votto showed absolutely no indications of coming out of his season-long funk in his three at-bats. He struck out with bases loaded in the fifth, when the outcome was still very much in doubt, and looked pretty bad in his other at-bats. Brett Myers was not good today, and it would have been nice to see Votto break out of the slump a bit. He certainly isn't giving Dusty any reason to play him at the moment, but it is difficult to get your rhythm as a hitter when you're only playing every other day or so. Later in the game he was removed as part of a double switch.

The only other negative I can really think of is Edinson Volquez's bunting; he bunted foul and it was caught by Phils catcher Carlos Ruiz in his first at-bat, and the second AB he had a really lame attempt at just jabbing the bat at the ball before getting it down successfully with two strikes. Looked like he very much was not used to having to lay one down.

But when the starting pitcher's bunting is one of the two big negatives you can think of, it was a pretty good day. Weekend afternoon wins are always really fun because the game's over, you won and you have an entire day to think about how awesome your team is. The Reds have assured a split in the series, and go for three of four tomorrow in a Businessman's Special at 12:35. Bronson Arroyo takes the hill for the Reds against Phillies lefty Cole Hamels. Arroyo's last start came Wednesday in the last at-bat win against Arizona. He went five innings, allowing four hits and two runs but walking three, earning him an early exit. Hamels went eight and allowed one run in getting the hard-luck 1-0 loss to Washington this past Wednesday. The Reds will have their work cut out for them; Hamels is about as tough as they come.

EI has the game, but I won't even start watching it til around 5 PM eastern or later, so it'll be a late update from me. I'll try to keep blinders on to keep from spoiling the result.

UPCOMING GAMES AND REDS PROBABLES
Tomorrow Bronson Arroyo vs. Philadelphia, 12:35
Tuesday Johnny Cueto at Milwaukee, 8:05
Wednesday Josh Fogg at Milwaukee, 8:05
Thursday Aaron Harang at Milwaukee, 1:05