Timely hits keep Reds afloat

[missionhockey21]

But so far, it's feast or famine
By Marc Lancaster
Post staff reporter

The correlation between baseball statistics and their relevance in pinpointing what a team is or isn't doing right can be murky at times.

Sometimes, though, the connection is clear as can be.

The Reds return to action at home tonight following a brief road trip to Houston and St. Louis with their record at 4-4. In their four wins, the Reds hit .424 (14-for-33) with runners in scoring position. In their four losses, they hit .114 (4-for-35) in those situations.

For the Reds or any other team to be successful, they have to be doing more right than wrong in all three phases of the game - hitting, pitching and fielding. But the simple fact is, you can't win games without scoring, and there's no easier way to score than by collecting hits with runners at second and/or third base.

It helps that the Reds have excelled in the other disciplines. Their team ERA is 4.37 - unspectacular, but an improvement from last year's stomach-churning 5.19. And they remain the only team in the majors that hasn't committed an error.

Even this early in the season, the Reds have already demonstrated that they can win playing small ball. Witness the six runs they scored against the Mets last week despite collecting only three hits. They'd rather not walk that line every night, though, and the first four games of the just-completed trip reinforced that message nicely.

Sure, the Reds faced quality opposing pitchers in that stretch, including Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt, but they had enough success against both Astros stalwarts to put themselves within striking distance. When it came time for the big hit, though, the Reds rarely delivered.

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[CincyRedsFan30]

Good story that shows the importance of clutch hitting.

[redsrbetter]

Timely hitting! That's what this team needs to focus on completely. I am glad that Miley and Chambliss are expressing interest in this. We would be 8-0 if we had it going. I do not expect it to just happen every night. But this team needs it more than the next one. The only way to wian a game is through scoring and if not for Randa we would be hurting. Miley and Chambliss need to help get something going.

Also great to see that the Reds are getting it done with the glove. Only team in the baseball with 0 errors. I wonder how long it will last. Again, Randa is a huge part of that as well. He has been fantastic with his glove every night.