Pitching kills Reds' road trip

[CincyRedsFan30]

Pitching kills Reds' road trip

By Sean McClelland

Dayton Daily News

MILWAUKEE | Starting pitching sets the tone, managers always tell you.

Best way to lose seven of nine games on a road trip? Get starting pitching like the Reds had in these past nine games, that's how.

Including Ramon Ortiz's contribution Sunday, the starters combined to go 2-7 with a 6.09 ERA and eight home runs allowed against the Marlins, Cubs and Brewers.

That's 30 earned runs in 441/3 innings, with the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals in town to start a three-game series tonight at Great American Ball Park.

As a staff, the Reds have given up 37 home runs in 24 games, still gaining momentum toward eclipsing the major-league single-season record of 246.

Casey seeing gray

Aaron Harang is being groomed to take over the job, but for now, Sean Casey remains the team's union representative.

And after a night to think about it, Casey continued to have reservations about baseball Commissioner Bud Selig's latest steroid-punishment proposal, which includes a lifetime ban for a third offense.

A first offense would carry a 50-game ban under Selig's plan, with a second positive test drawing a 100-game penalty.

"Fifty or 100, all right," Casey said. "But a lifetime ban? The testing better be pretty accurate. You don't want a supplement ruining a guy's life."

That's the players' biggest fear — that something other than a steroid might be mistaken for one. A few around the majors called the lifetime-ban concept "ridiculous" Saturday mainly for that reason.

Said Casey, a bit more diplomatically than some, "I think there are still some gray areas."

Short hops

• Despite receiving medical clearance, outfielder Wily Mo Pena (stiff quad) remained absent from the starting lineup Sunday. As a pinch hitter in the fifth inning, he slammed a solo homer off Doug Davis, pulling the Reds within 7-2. It was the third pinch-hit home run of his career.

• This is the Reds' worst road start (3-11) since 1997.

• Davis had three hits in 99 career at-bats before his fifth-inning single off Ben Weber, which explained the rousing ovation.

Contact Sean McClelland at 225-2408.

[missionhockey21]

• This is the Reds' worst road start (3-11) since 1997.

Whatever happened to the 'Big Road Machine'?

[CincyRedsFan30]

Yeah, really. The road/home difference for both the Reds/Astros so far is AMAZING...especially for the Astros. (9-3) at home, (1-10) on the road...LOL.

[NEILYNG]

Yeah, really. The road/home difference for both the Reds/Astros so far is AMAZING...especially for the Astros. (9-3) at home, (1-10) on the road...LOL.

Fire them all -- just like you said CRF