Joey Votto will not be in the lineup again tonight. This makes me sad. Nonetheless, our Reds must move on.
Trevor Bauer is a 21 year old rookie (he was born in the '90s!) making his 4th career start tonight. He was roughed up in his first two outings but managed to shut out the Dodgers over 6 innings last time out. Bauer was the 3rd overall pick in last year's draft and his stuff is very good. He has a good fastball that sits around 94 MPH. His curveball is described as "outstanding" by scouts. He mixes in a good slider and deceptive changeup to keep hitters off balance. His weakness is control, as he is prone to high pitch counts and walks (Before his call-up he was walking 4.6 batters per nine innings this year in the minors). The Reds hitters should take a page from their fallen hero's book and take a patient approach to the plate.
Cueto's blister is reportedly "just fine," but it's hard to ignore. After Bronson Arroyo's short outing last night, and Votto's surgery, the Reds need Cueto to be the pitcher we've grown to know and love this year. The Diamondbacks who have faced Cueto in the past have combined to hit just.185/.280/.446 against the diminutive Dominican.
Bruce gets the day off. You've got to love a lineup without a single left-handed hitter... Or not... It will be interesting to see how Baker tweaks the lineup with Votto out. My guess is that Bruce will hit third against RHP, with Phillips filling the spot vs. LHP.
LINEUPS
| REDS | DIAMONDBACKS |
| STUBBS CF | DREW SS |
| COZART SS | BLOOMQUIST 3B |
| PHILLIPS 2B | HILL 2B |
| LUDWICK LF | MONTERO C |
| ROLEN 3B | UPTON RF |
| FRAZIER 1B | GOLDSCHMIDT 1B |
| HEISEY RF | YOUNG CF |
| HANIGAN C | PARRA LF |
| CUETO P | BAUER P |
After Homer Bailey gave the pen some rest on Sunday, Arroyo made sure that they got their work in yesterday. Still, Simon is likely the only guy who is truly "unavailable" to pitch tonight. I imagine Baker will try to avoid Ondrusek and Bray. Todd Redmond hasn't pitched since 7/12, so he should be available for the long haul if needed.