Cruising Crew

After falling to FC Dallas 2-1 last saturday, the Columbus Crew were able to get back on the winning track Saturday night against New York in what was a rematch of last season MLS Cup Final.

The Crew took a 1-nil lead in the first half on a goal headed in by defender Chad Marshall and were able to hang on to lead for the rest of the game. With the win, the Black and Gold climbed within one point of first place D.C. in the Eastern Conference standings.

The goal was the second of the season for Marshall, and the third assist for Guillermo Barros Schelotto. The win extended the Crew's home unbeaten streak to eighteen games, and also marked the return of Goalie William Hesmer and captain Frankie Hejduk to the lineup after both missed an extend amount of time.

Before the game, the club recieved their 2008 championship rings commerating their 3-1 win over the Red Bulls in the MLS Cup Final last November. Now, the Crew are finally starting to look like the team that claimed those rings last fall.

The Crew will face Rochester of the USL in Open Cup play on Tuesday. It is the first time Columbus has participated in the cup since 2006. The Black and Gold won the cup back in 2002 when they defeated Los Angeles 1-nil at Crew Stadium.

The Crew will return to league play July 4th against D.C. United in Columbus.

Reds Defend Cup

With an 8-1 victory Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field in Cleveland, the Cincinnati Reds were able to claim their second straight Ohio Cup, and more importantly, take four of six games from the Indians.

After losing game one to the Tribe on Friday night, the Redlegs were able to take the final two games in the series culminating in the win Sunday afternoon. The return of Joey Votto to the lineup had a positive impact on the team as Red's hitters torched Indian's pitching for eight runs on fifteen hits. It was a sign of life for a offense that has been struggling as of late.

Brandon Phillips did work against his former team, going 3-5 with three runs and three RBI.

Hernandez and Taveras also both went 3-5 with Hernandez adding three RBI of his own. Micah Owings improved to 5-8 with the win, pitching six innings and allowing one earned run while David Huff was credited with the loss for the Tribe, going five innings allowing six earned runs.

Since the reinstatement of the Ohio Cup in 2008, the Reds have gone 9-3 against the Indians, claiming the cup both years. With the win, the Reds were able to push their all-time record against Cleveland to 31-32 and ran their all-time interleague record to 83-104.

In other news, the Indians traded away third baseman Mark DeRossa to St. Louis in exchange for right-handed reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later. Perez, who will turn 24 on Jult 1st, is 1-1 with a 4.18 ERA and one save in 29 appearances with the Cardinals.

Welcome to Cleveland

After much speculation , it is official; Shaquille O'Neal is now a Cavalier. Cleveland acquired the future Hall of Famer from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, their 2nd round pick at the 2010 entry draft along with cash considerations.

In the 37 year old center, the Cavs receive the dominant inside presence they lacked last year. In the conference finals loss to the Orlando Magic, Orlando big man Dwight Howard pounded the Cleveland forwards for 40 points and 14 rebounds in the deciding game of the series.

O'Neal is a fifteen time All-Star, and a four time world champion. Since being the first selection in the 1992 NBA Draft to the Orlando Magic, he has average 24.7 points, 11.2 rebounds in 1117 career games.

It appears to be a good deal for Cleveland because they didn't give up much to get him. Ben Wallace has been frequently injured lately and even hinted at retirement after the Cavaliers third round loss to the Magic. Pavlovic wasn't seeing much playing time with the Cavs and will be a better fit in Phoenix's offense. For Phoenix, the deal provides much needed relief from O'Neal's multi-million dollar salary.

For the first time in his career, LeBron James will get to play with a player as well known as himself. The two stars relationship goes back to James' playing days at St. Vincent-St. Mary where Shaquille attended games to watch LeBron play.

“It is a really unique and rare opportunity to bring in a player of Shaq's caliber," said GM Danny Ferry. "We are excited to see how his presence, experience and play positively impacts our team. We truly appreciate all that Ben and Sasha gave to this team and community in their time here. They were good teammates and we wish them nothing but success.”

Shaq has only one year remaining on his contract, but according to his Twitter, he does not plan to retire after the '09-'10 season. "My numbers are not good enough to retire 3 more yrs left," he tweeted.

John Moore

After trading away the 16th and 26th picks, the Jackets finally decided to pick at slot number twenty-one on Friday night at the 2009 NHL entry draft in Montreal. With that pick, the Jackets selected defenseman John Moore out of Chicago.

Earlier this year, Moore was named United States Hockey League Defensman of the Year. Moore scored 14 goals and posted 25 assists for 39 points with the Chicago Steel last season. He was also forth among defenseman in goals.

The club was originally in place to pick at number sixteen but traded that pick along with their third round selection to the New York Islanders in exchange for picks 26, 37, 62, and 92. The Jackets then sent the 26th and 37th picks to Anaheim in order to select Moore at 21.

"We are very excited to add John Moore to the organization," said Gerneal Manager Scott Howson. "He is an outstanding skater that moves the puck well and he will add to the skill level on our back end."

Nash a Major Impact On, Off Ice

With only one year remaining on his five-year, $27 million dollar contract, the Columbus Blue Jackets will be looking to resign captain and NHL all-star Rick Nash come July 1^st. Nash is the face of the franchise in Columbus and was the primary building block for the current team.

Nash was drafted number one overall back in 2002 when the club decided to trade up to the first spot in order to obtain the Ontario native. He has been reminding Jackets management why they selected him ever since.

Nash has been a star since the moment he put on the Jackets sweater. In his NHL debut on October 10, 2002, Nash scored a goal in a 2-1 win over Chicago and went on to make the NHL All-Rookie team at the conclusion of the '02-'03 season. In only his second year, Nash tied Jerome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk for the league lead with 41 goals and, along with the other two, was awarded the Rocket Richard Trophy as the leagues most prolific goal scorer. At a mere 19 years of age, Nash was the youngest player to lead the league in goals.

After scoring what many commentators called “the goal of the year” on January 17, 2008 vs. Phoenix, Nash went on to sore three goals in the 2008 All-Star Game including the fastest goal in all-star history only twelve seconds into play. On March 7^th, 2009, Nash recorded an unassisted hat trick in an 8-2 rout of the Detroit Red Wings in Joe Louis Arena. It was the first time a player recorded three unassisted goals in a single game since Maurice “Rocket” Richard scored 4 back in 1948.

In only six seasons, Nash has scored 194 goals, and recorded 161 assists for a total of 355 points. He is also a four time NHL all-star and was named MVP at the 2007 World Championships with team Canada in Moscow.

Although his impact on the ice is undeniable, his impact off the ice is even greater. At the NHL awards last week, Nash was named 2008-09 NHL Foundation Player of the Year. An award that is presented annually to a player “in recognition of his commitment and service to charities in his community.”

Since his arrival in Columbus, Rick Nash has always been one of the most active Blue Jackets in the community. Nash established the #61 club, which according to bluejackets.com encourages kids to make good choices and develop healthy habits and rewards those that do. “Through the #61 Club Good Health Challenge, he provides more than 30 tickets to every Blue Jackets home game to students who make 61 healthy choices in a month.”

Nash also gave $100,000 to The Ohio State University Athletics Department to finance a student-athlete scholarship and donated $25,000 to the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund in memory of the Jackets founder.

"Being a professional hockey player is a privilege and I am extremely fortunate, as it has afforded me many opportunities to give back. I am honored to be this year's recipient of the NHL Foundation Player Award and am grateful that this honor will directly benefit the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation, the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund, Tim Hortons Children's Foundation and the Pelotonia Tour," said Nash.

Nash also donates $15,000 annually to Santa’s Silent Helpers, an organization that provides holiday meals and gifts for 350-400 central Ohio families experiencing financial difficulties. These are just a few of the things Nash has done since becoming a Blue Jacket.

In his honor, the NHL has pledged to donate $25,000 to the charitable organization of Nash’s choice.

Draft Preview

With the NHL draft less than one week away, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at the likely candidates the CBJ will be looking at drafting.

For the first time in the teams history, the Columbus Blue Jackets will pick out of the top ten at number sixteen. The latest the club had ever previously drafted was eighth in '01 and '04. Here is a look at recent number sixteen picks:

2008: Joe Colborne - BOS

2007: Colton Gillies - MIN

2006: Ty Wishart - SJS

2005: Alex Bourret - ATL

2004: Petteri Nokelainen - NYI

2003: Steve Bernier - SJS

2002: Jakub Klepis - OTT

2001: R.J. Umberger - VAN

2000: Marcel Hossa - MTL

1999: David Tanabe - CAR

1998: Eric Chouinard - MTL

As you can see, the number sixteen pick has not faired well over the past ten years. The only notable name in the group is current Blue Jacket and former Buckeye R.J. Umberger. The Jackets will be looking for better fortune coming out of the spot in 2009.

The Blue Jackets have had a history of using their first round pick to select highly skilled forwards such as Rick Nash, Derrick Brassard, Jakub Voracek, and Nikita Filatov. In fact, each one of their first round picks since 2002 has been a forward. Now that the team is loaded with talented wingers, some expect the club to select a defenseman in the first round.

Possible defenders the team may have interest in include Ryan Ellis, Simon Despres, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and David Rundblad. Here is what SI and had to say about the guys:

Eyan Ellis, D, Windsor Spitfires

Some have concerns about his size (5-10, 175), others his defensive reads. But every team would love to employ Ellis and his offensive savvy on their blueline. He'll be an elite power play quarterback.

Simon Despres, D, Saint John Sea Dogs

The first overall pick in the 2007 QMJHL priority draft, Despres has seen his hype muted while playing behind a stacked blueline in Saint John. That may change as the season wears on. Scouts love his pro size (6-3, 208), skating, responsible defensive play and hints of an emerging offensive game.

David Rundblad, D, Skelleftea (Sweden)

He's struggled with the adjustment to the men's league, but showed enough in juniors to suggest that he'll be a solid top-four option. His appearance at the WJC could have a tremendous impact on his selection.

According to Hockeysfuture.com

Oliver Ekman-Larson, D (Sweden)

A late riser on draft boards, Ekman-Larsson is a dynamic, offensively-minded defenseman. Known as a mobile skater capable of crisp tape-to-tape passes, the 17-year-old also plays with maturity beyond his years.

Another option for the Jackets would be to trade the pick. Some experts predict that the Jackets will try to trade their pick for a later first round pick and an additional second round pick. We saw this two years ago when the jackets traded down to the eighth slot and still were able to get the guy they wanted, Jakub Voracek. If the team thinks they can move down and still get one of the guys they are interested in, don't be surprised to see them do so.

Who Wants It?

With the influx of injuries the Cincinnati Reds have experienced this season, many of the younger guys have had an opportunity to step up and play a lot of innings and get a lot of at bats. Extended stints on the injured list to names like Joey Votto, Edwin Encarnacion, Alex Gonzalez, and Willy Taveras have allowed guys like Ryan Hanigan, Chris Dickerson, Laynce Nix, Jerry Hairston Jr, and Adam Rosales to show what they can do, and many of them have performed. In fact, some of them have performed so well that manager Dusty Baker is eventually going to have to make a decision on who gets the starts at each position.

With the absence of Joey Votto at first base and the lack of another first baseman on the big league roster, starting catcher Roman Hernandez was forced to move over to first. Subsequently, the move allowed rookie catcher Ryan Hanigan to become the everyday guy behind the plate. Hanigan responded well. Through 39 games, the rookie has compiled a .316 batting average, which leads the league among all rookies, along with one home-run and eight runs batted in. That is compared to Hernandez, who's average currently sits at .246.

When Joey Votto returns later this month and reclaims his spot at first base, Baker will have to make the decision as to who will remain as starting catcher. Baker has proven to be very loyal to the vetern players, so don't expect the young Hanigan to get the nod just because he has the higher average. Instead, expect Baker to run a platoon system behind the plate in which both guys see a good amount of time at the catcher position.

Baker has been running that same platoon system in left since the start of the year with Nix and Dickerson. Both players have been seeing a good amount of playing time with Nix getting the slight edge due to recent success behind the plate. But now that center fielder Willy Taveras is struggling with the bat, could we see Taveras be replaced in center by Dickerson who is playing much better as of late?

And what will happen to Jerry Hairston once Ediwin Encarnacion reenters the lineup? Encarnacion has been on the disabled list with a fractured wrist since late April and is expected to return sometime later this month. In 19 games played this season, Encarnacion batted a mere .127 with one home-run and six runs batted in. Hairston has batted .246 with seven home-runs, nineteen RBI and five stolen bases. Adam Rosales, who was called up from triple-A Louisville earlier this year, has also seen significant time at third base, playing in 38 games and compiling a .216 average. With the return of Encarnacion, Rosales is likely to return to the role of primarily a pinch hitter/runner, but what will happen to Hairston? Will he be pushed out of the regular lineup into a utility man position?

It is anticipated that when all the aforementioned players do return, that for the most part, we will see the big name and big contract players return the their positions in the lineup, and the other guys such as Dickerson and Hairston return to a utilty/pinch hitter role. Although, if they continue to perform, do not be surprised to see the non-regulars on a more regular basis, or to see manager Dusty Baker run a platoon system not unlike what may happen at the catcher position.

But for the most part, we have seen that Dusty Baker is very loyal to the veteran ballplayers. Take for example what happened last year with Corey Paterson. Paterson, who played under Baker in Chicago, struggled all year but Baker continued to pencil his name in on the lineup card each night. I don't expect this year to be any different, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Mason, Nash Honored at NHL Awards

In his first year in the NHL, Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Steve Mason took the league by storm, and Thursday night in Vegas he was recognized for it. Mason took home the 2009 Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie beating out Chicago’s Kris Versteeg and Anehiem’s Bobby Ryan.

In only his first year, the rookie phenom lead the league with ten shutouts, was second in goals against at 2.29, and compiled a team record 33 wins while playing in 61 games.

Mason’s ten shutouts set a team record and were also the most shutouts recorded by a rookie since Chicago’s Tony Esposito posted 15 goose eggs back in 1969-’70. Mason recorded three straight shutouts between December 27^th and the 31^st when he consecutively blanked Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Anaheim respectively. Mason also set a franchise record for consecutive shutout minutes at 199:19.

Mason started the year in the minors with the Syracuse Crunch, but was quickly called up when then starting goaltender Pascal LeClaire and back up Fredrick Norrena both experienced injuries early in the season.

Mason is the first Blue Jacket to ever receive this honor, and joins team captain Rick Nash as the only Jacket to ever receive a post-season award. In 2004, Nash received the Rocket Richard Trophy as the leagues top goal scorer.

Steve Mason was also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given to the league’s top goaltender, but was beaten out by deserving Boston goalie Tim Thomas.

Rick Nash joined his fellow Blue Jacket in the award category Thursday night when he was honored as the 2008-2009 recipient of the National Hockey League Foundation Player Award, presented annually to a player "in recognition of his commitment and service to charities in his community,” as per bluejackets.com. In his honor, the NHL will give $25,000 to the charity of Nash’s choice.

Nash beat out Montreal Canadien’s forward Alex Kovalev and Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown for the award. Previous recipients of the award include Trevor Linden, Vincent Lecavalier , Joe Sakic , Marty Turco and Jarome Iginla.

Don't Apologize for the Division

After being one of the better divisions in baseball a year ago, a year where two of its members qualified for the playoffs, statistically as far as wins, the National League Central is one of the worst divisions in baseball in 2009.

With one hundred games to play, the Reds have compiled a 32-31 record and currently sit 3 games back of division leading Milwaukee. Although sitting a game above .500 at this point in the season is respectable, it would usually not be good enough to keep you within three games of first place. But, for the Reds, it is, and no one's complaining.

The only division currently in worse standing than the NL Central, is the American League Central. The Indians, who stand at a meager 29-38 sit only six and a half games out of first place.

The fact that the Redlegs sit a mere three games out of first gives them a hope the rest of the season. With one of the top pitching staffs in all of baseball, the Reds look like a real playoff contender. The Reds currently have the forth best team ERA in the National League at 3.86 and are only .04 behind the Cubs in that category, the only other NL Central team in the top four.

In the past, while the Reds have been close to the top of the league in terms of batting and home runs, they have struggled as far as pitching. This year, the club has solid pitching, and if they can get the bats working, could be a definite threat in the Central.

The team has been without superstar Joey Votto for a large portion of the year and has also played much of the season without third baseman Edwin Encarnacion and shortstop Alex Gonzalez. The Reds should expect to see a big boost in offense When Votto and Encarnacion return to the lineup.

Also, if the Reds are still in the division and/or wildcard race come July 31st, don't be surprised to see them make a move for that reliable right-handed they were looking for last off-season. Playing a poor division isn't a bad thing, and if the Reds can lose the injury bug, keep pitching well, and get the bats going, it could really pay off come October.

On the Rise

It's official: the Columbus Crew have turned things around. After the team got off to the worst start of any defending Major League Soccer champion, in which it took them eight games to finally record a win, at last it appears they have turned things around and are again playing at championship level.

The turnaround culminated in the 2-1 victory Sunday night over league leading Chivas USA at Crew Stadium. The club came back from a 1-nil first half deficit behind the strength of reigning MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto's league leading ninth and tenth goals of the season, the game winner coming in the 87th minute of play.

The win extended the Crew's unbeaten streak to nine games at 4-0-5. The win also allowed them to climb to one win, or three points, out of first place in the Eastern Conference. It was the teams third straight win at the friendly confines of Crew Stadium.

The streak has come without Captain Frankie Hejduk who is away with the U.S. national team and starting goalkeeper William Hesmer who is out due to a back injury. "We knew this was the game that was going to stamp our season back, the one that would show everyone our record at the beginning of the season was not who we are." defender Jed Zayner said at the conclusion of Sunday's game.

In other news, the team traded away verstile and talented midfielder/forward Pat Noonan this week to the Colorado Rapids for an undisclosed amount of league allocation money and the Rapid's first round draft pick at the 2010 draft.

Noonan was not seeing much of the field with the Crew as he was stuck behind superstar Guillermo Barros Schelotto, and is likely to see much more playing time with the Rapids. The trade works for both teams. In Noonan, Colorado recieves a talented young forward and for Columbus, they are able to relieve themsleves of Noonan's $175,000 paycheck. This is a good move for the Crew because they were close to surpassing the $2.32 million salary cap.

As per the Columbus Dispatch, "Pat is too good of a player to sit on the bench," Crew coach Robert Warzycha said. "This works on both sides."

Also, Schelotto was named MLS player of the week after recording two goals in the team's win over Chivas USA on Sunday. Schelotto leads the league with ten goals.

Arena Situation

A little more than one month after the completion of the greatest season in Columbus Blue Jacket history, the team announced that it had lost over $80 million since the 02-03 season. The apparent cause of the losses is the deal that the Blue Jackets Organization has with Nationwide and the arena.

Since the arena is owned privately by Nationwide, rather than a piece of public property, the Jackets have more costs to account for and do not receive some of the same revenue flow as do other teams. As part of the deal to let the team use the arena, Nationwide kept the naming rights without paying for them, receives all parking revenue, and retained a few suits.

Also, the Jackets are required to pay the following to Nationwide: rent, fee for practice facility, fees to maintain facilities, a ticket surcharge to Columbus Schools, as well as a few other secondary fees. These are all extra costs that most teams are not required to pay, and for the Jackets, have led to great losses.

The team, as well as Nationwide, has done a few things to address the problem and some solutions have been proposed. The team has asked the county to consider purchasing the building and suggested that a sin tax be instituted to cover the costs of the arena.

Nationwide has offered to sell the building and relinquish naming rights at significant loss. “We need to do whatever we can to keep this franchise in our city,” said Natiowide CEO Dimon McFerson. “Think of all the jobs that have been created. Think of the economic development. Think of how the face of Downtown has been changed.”

If the sin tax were implemented, Franklin County consumers would pay an extra 2.3 cents per beer, 4.5 cents per pack of cigarettes, 6.5 cents on each bottle of wine, and 60 cents on 5^th of liquor. Beer and cigarette companies immediately began to lobby hard against the deal, and not enough support was seen from county commissioners. Therefore, as of last week, the proposal was seemingly dead.

As of now, it appears that if the team is going to fix this problem, it is going to need the support of the public, and the county. It does not appear they can continue the private deal they currently have with Nationwide.

From 1998 to 2008, John Glenn Affairs did an economic study of the Arena District that showed just how important the district is to Columbus and its economy. According to the study, there were 172 businesses, 7000 employees, 6 housing complexes, and 800 residents in the district as of 2006. The study also recorded $850 million in visitor spending over that span of ten years.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has addressed the problem by saying "As long as (the lease) can be fixed -- and I think it can get fixed -- people should not be concerned," he said. "I was there during the playoffs. I've seen the growth of the Arena District. Nationwide Arena and this club have become an integral and essential part of this community."



“If we would somehow lose the Blue Jackets, we’d be a lesser city” said former Columbus Mayor Greg Lashutka. The former mayor is not the only one concerned about the situation, County Commissioner John O’Grady had this to say about the problem, “I don’t want to be a county commissioner when that thing closes.”

The team has stated it has not been contacted by Canadian Billionaire Jim Balsillie. Balsillie has attempted to purchase the Penguins, Predators, and Coyotes all within the past three years with plans on moving a team to Southern Ontario. According to Puck-rakers, an attorney that represents Balsillie has stated that he has never had any interest in purchasing the Jackets. “They’re not portable. They’re not moving. The market’s too good.” Said the attorney.

You don’t have to be a hockey fan to see the impact the team has had on this city. “For a place obsesses with college football, Columbus owes much of its revival to pro hockey” wrote Jason Cowen in his May 2008 article, Columbus, Ohio’s happening side. “When Nationwide Arena opened in 2000 people not only came to see the Blue Jackets but they began to spend more and more time and money in the once gritty Short North Area” continued Cowen.

The teams needs public support to resolve this issue, and is urging the public to contact their commissioners about the dilemma asking them to take action and make sure the problem get resolved.

If you would like to contact a Franklin County Commissioner regarding the issue, their contacts are listed below.

Board President Paula Brooks

Commissioner Brooks Contact Information:

RJ Sontag,

Aide to Commissioner Brooks

614.462.5729

rjsontag@franklincountyohio.gov

Commissioner Marilyn Brown

Commissioner Brown's Contact Info:

Laura Stehle,

Aide to Commissioner Brown

614-462-3461

ljstehle@franklincountyohio.gov

Commissioner John O'Grady

Commissioner O'Grady's Contact Information:

Sharon Keels,

Aide to Commissioner O'Grady

614.462.5589

skkeels@franklincountyohio.gov

Trade Talk

Major League Baseball's trade deadline is July 31st, which for many teams means changes on the roster. For Ohio teams, it could have two distinctly different meanings. For the Reds it may mean acquiring that big bat to that can carry them into the playoffs, for the Indians however, it may mean unloading some salary cap, and looking toward the future.

The Indians have had success in the past dealing away big name pitchers in order to recieve young talent. In 2002, the club traded away Bartolo Colón to the Montreal Expos for 3 young prospects. Those kids go by the name Grady Sizmore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips and seven years later they have four all-star selections, three gold gloves, one Cy Young, and one Silver Slugger between them...in other words, great trade. Last year it was CC Sabathia, but what big name could we see the Tribe trade away this year? One posibility is the aforementioned Cliff Lee. With Lee's contract expiring after the 2009 season, he is due for a raise, and this seems like it would be the perfect time for him to get dealt if the team is looking to dump off some salary come July. Look for his name to be a big one come July if the Indians do not rejoin the playoff race.

If the Reds are gonna make a move to help them down the stretch, it is likely to come from somewhere on the farm. The club is still missing that right-handed power bat that they tried to acquire over the off-season, and it is unlikely they would trade away any of their pitching to come by the aforementioned bat. If the Reds are still in it come late July, don't be surprised to see them deal away some of the young talent in attempt to find that big bat that could push them into the playoffs down the stretch.

Streaking Reds

Sweep one series, get swept the next. That is how it has been this season for the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds took three straight games from the Arizona Diamond Backs May 11th through 13th, then proceeded to get swept by the Padres four days later on the 17th. Last week the Reds completed a three game sweep of the Houston Astros in Great American Ballpark on Wednesday only to get swept this past weekend in Milwaukee by the Brewers. How can a team go from playing well enough to sweep a team to playing poor enough to get swept? In the Reds case, it's all about run support. In those six games, three times the club did not manage to score more than 2 runs, and never did they score more than five. In the six games they won, the Reds lit up opponents pitching by scoring an average of nearly eight runs, and only once scored less than six.

For the most part, the pitching has been solid from front to back, starters and relievers, but if the Reds expect to compete for the Central, they will need to see more consistency from their hitters. Some may attribute these cold streaks to the fact that the team has not really had a consistent starting nine from game to game all season. This is in part due to injuries and missed time to such big names as Joey Votto, Edwin Encarnacion, Alex Gonzalez, and Brandon Phillips. Also because we have seen manager Dusty Baker run a platoon in Left Field between Lance Nix, Chris Dickerson and Johnny Gomes. If the team can get healthy, watch for bat production and run support to increase. Until then, the Reds will simply need a solid pitching performance every night to keep them in the game even if the bats are not working that night.