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Remember when Paul Daugherty wanted to trade Homer Bailey and Jay Bruce for Joe Blanton? Remember that? That was awesome.
Mike Leake is going today on a couple of extra days of rest. Hopefully we'll see the fruits of that move both immediately and over the long term. We want Mikey to stay healthy, and honestly, I don't think anybody really knows the best way to make sure that happens, but I appreciate the Reds trying to be proactive. It's weird to say this, but if they are going to stay out in front in this race, it's probably going to require a good Leake every 4 out of 5 outings. That means that he needs to stay fresh enough to show up, but not get too rusty either with too much rest. It'll be interesting to see how the Reds manage him through the remainder of the season.
The Reds showed last night that they are not going to be content just to get by over the next two weeks. They came out and took it to the Phillies last night. We'll need to see that again tonight as the pitching match up tomorrow favors the Phillies strongly. Scott Rolen is out of the lineup tonight. Kudos to Dusty Baker for realizing that if Rolen is going to need a day off, it makes sense to do it on a night when there is a weaker pitcher than when your team is going to face Roy Halladay. Hopefully the forethought pays off for the Reds.
If the Reds goal is just to win series, a win tonight does that and takes a lot of pressure off for tomorrow's game. Let's get it done!
Go Reds!