Belisle deserves the start/ Coffey or Simpson to be called up

[redsrbetter]

Belisle an easy choice for start after Ortiz goes on DL

By Marc Lancaster
Post staff reporter


Perhaps, if Matt Belisle had bombed in his emergency spot start last week in St. Louis, the decision would have been a bit more difficult.

Considering how well the young right-hander threw against the Cardinals, though, the Reds felt confident in giving him the ball again tonight while placing Ramon Ortiz on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 9, with a strained right groin.

"Obviously, he did a good job for us the last time out," Reds pitching coach Don Gullett said of Belisle. "We have all the confidence in the world in Matt to go out there and be consistent and give us a good outing."

He probably will need one to keep the Reds in the game with Kerry Wood on the mound for the Chicago Cubs. Then again, Belisle out-pitched Cardinals ace Mark Mulder his last time out.

Belisle allowed four hits, one walk and one run in five innings Wednesday at Busch Stadium, striking out six. He threw 72 pitches, 51 of them for strikes. That total was at the upper limit of what the Reds wanted from him, considering he hadn't built up any sort of endurance while working out of the bullpen.

Manager Dave Miley said he expects Belisle to be able to go a bit deeper into the game tonight. Belisle said no one had mentioned a possible pitch count to him, and he didn't seem concerned about it in the least.

"All I know is, I'm in there to start, and I'll be going at them as long as I can," he said.

On the call up on Coffey or Simpson:

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs....504180318/1035

[redsrbetter]

Hopefully we hear come game time who got called up. I think Coffey really deserves the opportunity, and I would like him to get a look at major league hitting. Should be interesting.

Belisle is going to have to have a go at it tonight. Wood is a tough opponent that can really beat up on our lineup. So we need more of the same from Belisle. He did well against the STL lineup, he could do better against the Cubs.

[missionhockey21]

Wood owns the Reds, much more so than Prior.

I am confident in Matt to give us a quality AB though. Glad to see him getting another chance.