News
Reds look to avoid rough August
Cincinnati (45-59) vs. Chicago (55-47), 7:10 p.m. ET
By Steve Gartner / MLB.com
08/02/09 6:37 PM ET
CINCINNATI -- The month of July couldn't have gone much worse for the Reds. With just an 8-19 record during the month, Reds manager Dusty Baker can only hope for a better month of August. "We've got two more months, man," Baker said. "I don't see two more months of last month's misery." Baker said Reds hitters are making contact, and during stretches like this -- the Reds have lost six in a row and 12 of 13 -- the team has to ride out the bad times. "From upstairs and everywhere else, there's holes everywhere," Baker said. "That's what Lou Brock told me when he started announcing. When you're down on the field, there's not a hole in the ballpark." Baker tweaked the lineup Sunday against the Rockies, placing catcher Ryan Hanigan second in the order after he had put Alex Gonzalez in the two-hole for the first two games of the series. Gonzalez, who is just 1-for-21 this homestand, hit eighth. "We're tweaking it a little bit," Baker said. "Maybe we can do some things. Gonzo doesn't have the hits that Hanigan has, but Hanigan doesn't have the RBIs that Gonzo has." Baker has said that he has held more team meetings this season than he can ever remember. He's also said Reds CEO Bob Castellini has been down to speak with him during the losing streak. "I'm sure nobody's happy," Baker said. "You don't bring your work home, but it's tough in this situation." Ultimately, the meetings can only go so far. "Talk is cheap. Just action," Baker said. "The other team feeds on what you have or don't have. You can't feel sorry for yourself." Pitching matchupCIN: RHP Aaron Harang (5-12, 4.50 ERA)
Harang had a rough first inning that he couldn't recover from last Wednesday against the Padres. He gave up five runs, including two homers, to put his team in an early hole. With the loss, Harang now hasn't won a game since May 25 when he beat the Astros to improve to 5-4. Over the 12 starts since then, Harang has gone 0-8. CHC: RHP Randy Wells (7-4, 2.84 ERA)
Wells gave the Cubs exactly what they needed in his last start against the Astros. The bullpen had been worn out in two straight games, and the rookie went eight scoreless innings, his longest start of the season, for the win. It helped that the Cubs scored six runs in the first so he could relax. Wells gave up six hits and walked two. He kept the ball on the ground as the Astros hit into three double plays. He has won seven of his last eight starts. Tidbits
Francisco Cordero pitched two scoreless innings of relief Sunday. It was the first time he pitched two innings since May 25, 2008. ... The Reds matched their season-high losing streak of six games. Tickets
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• Tuesday: Reds (Johnny Cueto, 8-8, 4.06) vs. Cubs (Tom Gorzelanny, 3-1, 5.19), 7:10 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Reds (Justin Lehr, 0-0, 5.40) vs. Cubs (Rich Harden, 7-6, 4.50), 7:10 p.m. ET
• Thursday: Off-day
Steve Gartner is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
