3.23 Reds vs. Toronto Blue Jays

The weather in Sarasota at game time was overcast, cool and blustery. There had been light sprinkles of rain all morning, and more fell during the baseball game.


The PA announced the temperature during the game as 67º, which is fairly cold by these standards. One of the people sitting next to me said "I wouldn't have come if I had known it was going to snow!" Ed Smith Stadium looked about 2/3 full.

Notes for Toronto

Not too much to write about the Blue Jays. They didn't score a run and only played a few of their regulars.

Alex Rios - Rios struck out, walked and made a great throw nailing Jay Bruce as he attempted to go from first to third on a base hit to right field.


Scott Rolen - hit a deep triple to right center field that looked like it was headed over the fence.

Notes for the Reds

First, the winds of change have arrived. Your new look Reds were on display today - built on speed in the OF. Chris Dickerson made a great play on a pick up and throw from LF gunning down a runner at the plate, and in the second inning, Jay Bruce saved a run by an excellent catch on a ball in front of him. I don't think Adam Dunn or Junior Griffey make those plays.

Next, you can't lose if the other team doesn't score. For the second straight day Reds pitching shut out our opponent. Today it was Volquez, Burton, Herrera, Cordero and Viola holding down the Jays. It's getting obvious that the Reds are likely to pitch well this year. Also, for the second consecutive day, the Reds played great defense behind the pitchers.

Chris Dickerson - Dickerson looks like a blooming star to me. He had two more line drive hits (against a LHP, which is supposed to be his weaker split), another stolen base (6 for the spring), and the great throw I mentioned above. I hope he can play every day. I'd like to see him play CF instead of weak-hitting, bad-baserunning, low-on base average, Willy Taveras. Then we could play Jerry Hairston and Johnny Gomes in LF. Dickerson is hitting .357 with a .404 OBP.


Joey Votto - Votto struck out twice but did line a sharp base hit, scoring a run late in the game. He has also looked pretty good in the field so far this spring.

Adam "Pete" Rosales - Rosales played 3B again today in place of banged up Edwin Encarnacion. I don't know what more he could do to make the team. He has been solid fielding his position (3B and SS). He got anther hit today, a 2-out RBI. He is third on the Reds this spring in RBI, with one more than Joey Votto. And he stole another base. If it's true, as has been reported, that he's in a competition with Jeff Keppinger for the utility infielder spot, the competition has been completely one-sided so far.


Jeff Keppinger - Keppinger did hit the ball out of the infield twice today, both times flying out on line drives to the centerfielder. And he grounded out in his first AB. He's now hitting .140 for the spring, with 6 hits, all singles.

Alex Gonzalez - Gonzalez made the big news today, leaving the game in the third inning with a reported hamstring pull. He had hit a ball deep into the hole at shortstop and after he narrowly beat the throw to first base I saw him wince a little bit as he pulled up. I wrote "possible injury" in my notes right away. He did subsequently run to second base (without limping) so maybe the injury isn't serious. I'd say Jerry Hairston Jr. is getting back to health just in time. Zach Cozart who replaced AGon today had two hits.


Ryan Hanigan - Hanigan had two more hits today and is hitting .367 for the spring. Ramon Hernandez, back from his duties for Venezuala's WBC team, is scheduled to start catching for the Reds on Wednesday. Hanigan has given every indication that he could do a great job catching a few days a week.

Edinson Volquez - Volquez had a nearly dominating 5-inning performance today. He was rarely threatened and seemed to have the Toronto hitters off-balance. He definitely had more control over his fastball today compared to his last start. He is yet to give up an earned run this spring. Three of the four hits against him today were ground balls through the IF. He also made two good defensive plays. One he fielded a bunt and made an accurate throw to first base. The second was covering first on a high hopper hit to deep first base. He really had to run full speed to beat the hitter to the bag.


Johnny Gomes - Gomes didn't start today, but did single later in the game, driving in a run. He leads the Reds in HR and RBI. He made a nice (but failed) effort to track down Scott Rolen's long triple in the RCF gap. Gomes is going to play LF for the Reds but had taken Jay Bruce's place in RF this afternoon when Dusty rested the starters.

Paul Janish - Janish also didn't start but blasted a triple deep over the centerfielders head (on the very pitch in this picture). Out of his 8 hits this spring, 3 have been doubles and 2 have been triples. Willy Taveras has one extra base hit.


The Bullpen - Jared Burton looked sharp in the 6th, Daniel Herrera seemed to confound the hitters with his off-speed stuff in the 7th, Francisco Cordero had three Ks in the 8th and flame-throwing Pedro Viola pitched his fourth shutout inning of relief (no hits, 1 BB, and 6 Ks over those 4 innings).


The Reds cut Daryle Ward and Aaron Fultz tonight. I thought Ward had an outside chance of making the club as a pinch hitter with power. The Reds probably see Johnny Gomes as filling that role most of the time.