Arroyo cruises to 15th win as Reds roll

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By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

09/30/09 11:29 PM ET

CINCINNATI -- Bronson Arroyo's career-high tying 15th victory came smooth and easy -- and fit perfectly with his second-half model of consistency.

Arroyo worked 8 1/3 innings and allowed just one run on two hits during the Reds' 6-1 win over the Cardinals on a frigid Wednesday evening at Great American Ball Park. A two-run second inning and Laynce Nix's grand slam in the third provided ample run support.

"We really wanted to get this win for Bronson," Nix said. "He's been so solid for us all year, especially the last two months. He could have easily had 20 wins the way he's pitched. We're happy he could finish out this way and get the win."

Arroyo retired his first nine Cardinals batters in a row until Skip Schumaker led off the fourth inning with a double that landed in front of a diving Nix in left field. Schumaker scored on Albert Pujols' one-out single to center field.

"He threw about 15 different pitches tonight," Cardinals third baseman Mark DeRosa said. "I looked on the board, and since June he's had a big season. He's able to throw that Frisbee slider for strikes and incorporate his changeup that's got good action on it and keep you off-balance."

After the Pujols hit, Arroyo retired 10 in a row and 14 of his final 17 batters and just missed a chance to go the distance. Troy Glaus started the top of the ninth with a walk before Arroyo got a flyout with his 111th pitch. Manager Dusty Baker was booed loudly when he left the dugout to remove Arroyo for reliever Nick Masset.

It turned out that Arroyo was strongly supportive of the decision, especially with the dangerous Pujols at the plate.

"I just figured Masset coming in the game, it would be a little easier for him to power these guys with a strikeout or double-play ball," said Arroyo, who walked one and struck out six. "I figured I'd give it up to him."

Masset gave up a single to Pujols and a Colby Rasmus walk but struck out Ryan Ludwick to end the game with the bases loaded.

As Cardinals starter John Smoltz labored with five walks and complained about the baseballs being too slick, the Reds took advantage. Nix's grand slam gave Arroyo a 6-0 lead to work with after three innings.

"Everybody saw [Smoltz] throw out a number of balls," Baker said. "I don't know what the problem was. Bronson said the balls weren't bothering him."

Coming off of winning 15 games for the first time in 2008, Arroyo finished 2009 with a 15-13 record and a 3.84 ERA in 33 starts, including a team-leading 23 quality starts. His 220 1/3 innings marked his fifth-straight 200-innings season.

"For me, it's the one thing that keeps me going," Arroyo said of working 200 innings again. "I've had more pride in that than anything else in the game. Physically, I'm not a dominant guy and I never will be. For me to take the ball every fifth day and be, not one of the aces of the game, but to give my team an opportunity to win twenty-something times a year with a good start, I pride myself on that. I've always been thin and skinny and had people tell me I couldn't handle the pounding of a long season. I enjoy going out every year and pitching."

Although Arroyo has had some nice hot streaks since he joined the Reds in 2006, none in his career match what he's done since the All-Star break this season. He has a 2.07 ERA since July 10, which is second-best in the Majors behind St. Louis' Adam Wainwright and his 1.98 ERA.

Arroyo's ERA was 1.91 over his final 12 starts -- all of them were at least seven innings pitched with three or fewer runs allowed. No big league pitcher has broken off a streak like that since Curt Schilling in 2002. No Reds pitcher has done it since 1900.

"I'm happy with my season," Arroyo said. "Team-wise, we didn't have the kind of year we wanted. To pitch 220 innings and get 15 wins on a club that's under .500 is nice."

And to think when the season started, Arroyo was battling carpal tunnel syndrome in his right wrist. He struggled in the early going and twice coughed up nine-run outings, and his ERA was over 5.00 well into August. Yet he never missed one start.

"It's turned around since I got that other cortisone shot," Arroyo said. "I got a second one right before the Mets start [on July 10] and haven't had a bad [outing] since. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have even made it through the year."

The first cortisone shot came before the regular season. That second shot wasn't previously known publicly until now. In each of the three starts before July 10, he was clobbered for at least six runs and didn't make it six innings.

Unfortunately for Arroyo, after he started rolling, the offensive support usually didn't roll with him. He had only five wins over those final 12 stellar starts. With better run support, he might have been seeking his 20th victory Wednesday.

"His record isn't really indicative of how well he's pitched," Baker said. "There was one time his ERA was up around six or seven. He had a fabulous year."

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.