The Reds ended a 3-3 week with a tough 10-8 loss at Arizona. But it's games like this that will show just how tough this team is the rest of the season.
Scoring runs is not going to be the problem. But how a very young pitching staff holds up under pressure will be. Cincinnati got very good outings from Travis Wood and Mike Leake to open the season at home, but both got roughed up on the road against the Diamondbacks. And to top it off, Nick Massett got hung with two losses as he could not hold a tie against Houston and a lead tonight in Arizona. The Sunday loss will be the one that hurts the most.
Up 5-0, Mike Leake couldn't hold the lead and after a Jonny Gomes homer put the Reds up in the seventh, Massett gave up 4 runs to let the game slip away. A ninth inning rally only produced one run, and the Reds came up on the short end of a 10-8 score.
But how will the defending NL Central champions rebound? They now go to San Diego for three games before returning to Cincinnati for three against the Pirates next weekend. If the pitchers can put the games away, keep runners off the bases and most importantly, stay away from the walks, the wins are going to come. The starters are going to get 5-7 quality innings, and the bullpen has to set them down 1-2-3. If not, that thought of 'here we go again' is going to creep into their minds, and instead of throwing strikes, they will be trying not to throw balls. You always play to win instead of playing not to lose.
Next up are the Padres. Two out of three in San Diego, then head home for Pittsburgh. Let's Go Reds!!!
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