Last Resort

After two full weeks of the season, the Reds are dead last in the National League in the following offensive categories:

Hits (71), Batting Average (.210), Doubles (15), Total Bases (114), Extra-Base Hits (25), and Slugging Percentage (.337).

Yet somehow they're 4-2 on their longest road trip of the season. Gotta love it. The fact remains, however, that until someone in the middle of the lineup NOT named Joey Votto starts to produce, this team will have an excessively difficult time scoring runs. Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, and Edwin Encarnacion between them have 17 hits in 100 at-bats. That's a collective .170 batting average for all you math majors out there.

Edinson Volquez was better today, but not much. He still needs to command his fastball or else it doesn't matter how good his change-up is. Yes his stuff was more formidable today, and yes he lowered his ERA more than three full runs... but he (and not Aaron Harang) needs to be the Reds stopper. Kinda hard to earn that distinction when you walk five in six innings of work.

One more game in Houston tomorrow... Bronson Arroyo versus Mike Hampton (yes, THAT Mike Hampton). He's the kind of pitcher I referred to yesterday that always seems to look way better than actually he is when facing the Reds. Let's see if my theory holds true in the series finale.