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Game 24: Reds vs. Cubs (12:35 EDT). Bailey v. Dempster.


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Chicago Cubs
@ Cincinnati Reds

Thursday, May 3, 2012, 12:35 PM EDT
Great American Ball Park

Ryan Dempster vs Homer Bailey

Coverage

TV: CSC-HD; RADIO: WLW, WGN; WEB: MLB.tv, Gameday Audio, Gameday

Weather

Partly cloudy. Winds blowing put to left field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 85.

Complete Coverage >


It hasn't been good enough yet to be any kind of storyline, but Homer Bailey has had a decent start to the season. Not nearly as good as his first four starts last season (which took place in May), but by far the better of two Aprils he's pitched in the big leagues so far. It's easy to forget that this is just the second season Hoss has started on time. (2011, at 132, is his career high in innings).

If he can somehow continue to pitch in roughly the "3rd starter" neighborhood, it will go along way to shoring up the improvements in the pitching staff that were seen in April. His stuff, which has included peak velocities much higher than he was hitting in early-2011, suggest it's at least possible.

The odd thing about Bailey - and the rest of the Reds' pitching staff - is the low strikeout rate. He's never been below 6.8 K/9 since he's been making regular starts in the big leagues. He's currently at 5.8. And no Reds' starter is above 6.1 (Johnny Cueto's current mark). The optimistic take is that pitching still has room for improvement, where it's already significantly improved over last year (even adjusted for run environment).

Need moar batz?!?

Homer Bailey
Stats Ryan Dempster
3.60 (106)
ERA (ERA+) 1.33 (284)
1.360 WHIP 0.934
1.78 K/BB 2.88
4.30 FIP 2.50
4.11 xFIP 2.94
4.46 SIERA 3.10
25.0 IP 20.1

Lineups

Reds cubs
Chris Heisey CF
David DeJesus RF
Willie Harris 3B
Darwin Barney 2B
Joey Votto 1B
Starlin Castro SS
Brandon Phillips 2B Bryan LaHair 1B
Jay Bruce RF
Alfonso Soriano LF
Ryan Ludwick LF
Ian Stewart 3B
Devin Mesoraco C Reed Johnson CF
Wlison Valdez SS Geovany Soto C
Homer Bailey RHP Ryan Dempster RHP

Bullpen Log

Reliever 4/28 4/29 4/30 5/1 5/2 5 day totals
Sean Marshall 1.0, 10p - -
1.0 IP, 10 pitches
Aroldis Chapman 1.0, 31p - - 1.0 IP, 31 pitches
Logan Ondrusek 1.0, 11p 1.0, 13p - -
2.0 IP, 24 pitches
Jose Arredondo 0.2, 13p
- - 0.2 IP, 13 pitches
Sam LeCure - - 2.0, 26p
2.0 IP, 26 pitches
J.J. Hoover -
- 1.0, 12p
1.0 IP, 12 pitches
Alfredo Simon - - 0.0 IP, 0 pitches