I won't be using the basket baby any more when something good happens. Baseball is a superstitious game, internet blogging doubly so. I do think "Sated Richard Schiff" has promise though.

I was hoping the Reds wouldn't lose ever again, so I could use a script to auto-fill these game threads: "It's __/__/__ and I can't believe it's a __ game win streak. This is an amazing ongoing event."

The team can't get afford to get complacent. They've only spent two days in first place and not only are the Cards just a half game back, but three teams are within 4 games. They also have an offense that, despite the recent home run binge, is still below league average and only fourth in its own division. In the NL, the Reds rank ahead of just the Pirates, Cubs and Padres for wRC+ - a stat that adjusts wOBA for league and park.

They're going to have to do some work with the bats, especially since Johnny Cueto isn't going to be holding teams to one or none runs all the time. Luckily, they've got an extra bat in the lineup: Mike Leake and his .333/.333/.533 slash line. Ignoring minimum PAs (Leake has only 17), that's the third-best OPS+ on the team. It also surprised me to learn that Todd Frazier was #2.

Lineups and all that after the jump. It's baseball night in America, no one seems to be saying.

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Since the Reds are riding a 6-game win streak (their first since August 2010), I tried to come up with an antidote to our losing streak mascot:

Credit for shopping out the baby goes to Gapper (I think).

Maybe it needs to be a departure from babies, laundry hampers and bricks. In any case, SIX WINS WITHOUT A LOSS.

Christian Friedrich is making just his fourth major league start tonight. I don't want to make too much of that, because Friedrich been a highly-regarded prospect and misses a lot of bats. Then again, he's given up a good number of liners/fliners/flyballs so far. This is of interest to the the home team because: temperatures are up and 10 seeds* found purchase** for the Reds during the Braves series.

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After the game-winning brap that Todd Frazier clarked last night, the Reds are looking looser than they have in a long time. But since at least the middle of 2011, if not my entire life, I haven't been able to tell an empty cliche from a legitimate turning point.

The Reds' run differential says they should have lost a couple more games, but their strength of schedule is among the toughest in the NL. Personally, I think the eyeball test is as good as any to judge whether a team is overachieving. Homer Bailey, for one, looks to be right where I'd expect.

Bailey and Delgado matched up 10 days a go. Homer got the better end of the deal, though they both pitched 6.2 innings and had very similar lines. One notable nugget: that game was Jay Bruce's last multi-hit affair. He had two hits off Delgado, including a double (he's had just two hits since). Any port in a storm.

Homer es delgado, but Delgado is no Homer. Go Reds!

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The last time the Reds were four games above .500 was exactly one year a go yesterday. Knowing how last season turned out (winning records = 0), maybe this is a cautionary tale about not reading too much into the Reds' current success. But where that team was on its way down from an early peak (and in the midst of a 6 game losing streak) - this team is upwardly mobile and beating good competition.

You might argue that last May's sweep of the future World Champs could easily be the equivalent to this May's good showing against the Yanks and Braves. Still, the talent level on this team is higher. Right? I mean, it would suck if it wasn't. We can't know yet whether this team will be like 2011, 2010, 1995 or something even more special, but I don't think staying in the race is a passing fad.

Bronson Arroyo's success might not be either. By all accounts, he's healthy - which makes a world of difference. His home run rate and HR/FB rate are back down to career average. His stuff, especially his curveball and slider, looks confusing again.

By commanding his trick bag better than he ever has, he's striking out more while walking less. That's reflected in his peripherals, which he's outperforming less than he has in years. While he's getting stung on balls that are staying in the park, he might also be unlucky with a BABIP 30 points higher than his career average.

GoRoyo, Go Rojos.

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In case you hadn't noticed, Mat Latos is beginning to look a bit more like the Mat Latos we all wanted when the team made the Mat Latos trade. Since his bad outing against the Cardinals back on April 18th, he's posted an ERA of 2.76 while striking out a batter per inning. He's still walking more hitters than you'd like, and he's only pitched seven innings once, but you have to like the way things are trending.

Opposing him is Brandon Beachy of Kokomo, Indiana. He leads the league with a scintillating 1.33 ERA and is coming off an impressive complete game shut out of the Miami baseball club. He is no doubt a good pitcher, but so is Mat Latos. As a fan of the Cincinnati Reds (they are my favorite team, you know), I will be rooting for Mat Latos to pitch better than Brandon Beachy tonight.

Lineups and bullpen log after the jong:

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Not a bad little road trip for your Redlegs, yeah? Winning four of seven against the Braves, Mets, and Yankees is definitely something to come home smiling about. Unfortunately, those very same Braves are coming back with them for a four-game set. If you read JinAZ's series preview from earlier today, then you know the Braves are one of the best teams in this here National League. Given the pitching matchups for the series though, I think our boys have a sporting chance at taking three of four.

Mike Leake (Mike Leake!) looks to build upon his efforts against the Mets last Wednesday when he threw six solid innings and limited the Mets to three runs. That's not great, but baby steps. This Braves lineup is far more dangerous than the one the Mets put out there, so he has his work cut out for him.

He faces off against the young man taken exactly one pick before him back in the '09 draft, Mike Minor. Minor's bobbed up and down between the majors and minors so far in his brief career, and there are perhaps some rumbles that he could be getting another ticket to Gwinnett. He's pitched pretty well thus far, with a K/BB ratio of 2.94, but a .344 BABIP and a gonzo weird strand rate have inflated his ERA to over 7.00. Thems ain't good pitchin' numbers, as they say down in Georgia.

This one's on The World Wide Leader for those of you in parts afar, so a good night of baseballin' to you.

Go Reds! They're my favorite team!

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Ryan Ludwick returns to the lineup as a designated hitter [pause for laugh] today as the Reds and Yankees square off in a matchup between their respective aces. Johnny Cueto looks to bounce back after a disappointing outing against the Atlanta Barves Braves. Granted, any outing where he gives up a run appears to qualify as a "disappointing outing" for Cueto. The Redlegs offense, meanwhile, will have their work cut out for them against CC Sabathia. CC Sabs has thus far demonstrated effectiveness as the Yankees "stopper," eating his way up to a 5-1 record for the 21-19 overall Yankees.

With the rumors flying yesterday about Scott Rolen's demise as a major league ballplayer, the Reds must realize that it is put-up or shut up time for the offense. Ryan Ludwick needs to live up to his at-bat music of the Beastie Boys, and not be satisfied with his thus far Fun.-level results. Zack Cozart needs to bust out of that slump that seems to befall so many rookies after their first month in the bigs. Jay Bruce also needs to return to his April and early May glories. And, finally, Joey Votto needs to more actively petition Major League Baseball to allow himself to bat immediately before and after Joey Votto.

Maybe Dusty Baker is right. Maybe you don't walk your way out of slumps, you hit your ways out of them. Frankly, I don't give a drat as long as we win our way out of them. Go Reds! Make the Yankees cry all the way up the Grand Councourse to Fordham Road!

Arroyo gave the Reds innings and saved the bullpen, which is what I was bitching about before last night's game. So I should be happy. While I can't get happy about a shutout loss - or any loss - at least everyone got a breather (bats included).

Maybe the Reds wore themselves out taking in the sights. Maybe Yankee Stadium lore got to their heads with Pettite on the mound. Or maybe they're one disciplined bat short of a decent offense.

Even Homer Bailey's peripherals betray him as a 4.50 ERA pitcher by nature. He draws an opposing pitcher that the Reds really should be able to get on. But that might not be how this works.

Believe it or not, a winning record for the New York trip and a winning historical inter-league record against the Yankees is still possible. You can still make it there, which by the commutative property means you can make it anywhere. Go Reds!

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The isn't a "Rewind" game. Or a tear in the fabric of spacetime. All the bad and good stuff that has happened in the last nine years has still happened. Brian Shackleford will not be coming into relieve Bronson Arroyo.

Bronson Arroyo and Andy Pettite have played in a combined 40 major league seasons, much of it overlapping. Pettite broke in with the Yankees in '95, Arroyo as a Pirate in 2000. They've faced each other three times previously: twice in 2006 when Arroyo was a Red and Pettite was an Astro, once in Pettite's first stint as a Yankee. Arroyo came in to relieve Pedro Martinez.

The two NL Central face-offs were split: one Goodroyo, one Badroyo. Pettite got the win at Fenway when Arroyo was a spunky 26-year-old long reliever. Nine years later, Arroyo is the crafty veteran trying to put together a bounce-back season. Pettite is something beyond a veteran, having recently returned from retirement. Elder statesman, maybe.

What the Reds need out of Arroyo, possibly more than anything else, is innings. They've usually been able to depend on him for that. Since Arroyo's last start (5.0 IP), Homer Bailey is the only Reds' starter to make it to the 7th inning (and he didn't finish it). BroYo has plenty of experience in Yankee Stadium to boot, including three playoff appearances. It doesn't hurt that he's currently leading the NL in walk rate and SO/BB.

Further reading

Here's the Reds' lineup from Pettite and Arroyo's first meeting in NL Central (June 3, 2006). I'm actually impressed that's there's two players still around from that team:

Brandon Phillips 2B
Felipe Lopez SS
Ken Griffey, Jr. CF
Rich Aurilia 1B
Adam Dunn LF
Austin Kearns RF
Edwin Encarnacion 3B
David Ross C
Bronson Arroyo RHP

Dewayne Wise, who starts for the Yankees tonight, was with the Reds in 2006.

This is only the 23rd regular or postseason meeting between the Reds and Yankees in history. They've played 9 times in interleague play (the Reds are 5-4) and 13 times over three World Series (Reds won one of three, going 5-8).

The Reds went 6-12 in interleague play last season. Ignore those games and win these games. Go Reds!

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The Reds faced the knuckleballing R.A. Dickey for the first time last July. Last year's edition had some success: eight hits (BP and Bruce both doubled), but 7 Ks in 6.2 innings. Ryan Ludwick and Wilson Valdez are the only Reds with more than 5 PAs against Dickey. Ludwick is the most successful, with a home run and a single in 6 ABs.

Before last year (as far as I could tell), the last knuckleball specialist to face the Reds was the now-retired Tim Wakefield. Miguel Cairo is the only Red to see him more than 4 times. Old Giza is .269/.345/.308 lifetime against Wake.

With the possible exception of Cairo, we really have no idea how the Reds handle the knuckleball, but you know without looking that Ludwick will be in the lineup.

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