Reds Needed the Break. Plead Guilty to Bad Play

Bronson Arroyo does not like days off.

"Traditionally, I don't like days off but this year is one year that I felt that I could use it," Arroyo said.  "I was sick for such a long time in spring training.  I never felt that I was 100 percent consistently.  Even when I was winning ballgames in the first half.  It didn't feel like I was consistent."

That could be said for the entire unit.  The Reds begin the last 70 games on Friday night against the first place St. Louis Cardinals.  They are four games out and two games under .500 at 45-47.

Arroyo stayed in Cincinnati during the break and got into the weight room.

Dusty Baker had to get away from the game to relax which he does fishing and think about what the team needs to do in the second half.

"I hung out with a couple buddies in Montana with the big horn sheep and fishing.  I watched the All-Star game but missed the home run derby but I just thought about some things that I could relate to the team," Baker said.

Baker was supposed to fish on Monday but couldn't.

"I had to take a nap, like an eight year old," Baker said.  "Sometimes you don't realize how tired you are until you get a break.  You don't realize the physical energy you're exerting especially when you're in close games and losing close games.  They don't let you sleep."

Baker's solution to the Reds first half shortcomings is simple in theory.

"We need to get a little bit better in a lot of categories.  We're so close and that's what makes it so tough," Baker said.  "The keys are we need to stay healthy, get good starting pitching.  We have to get some clutch performances out of some guys.  We have to close out some games.  That's big.  We are right there.  We have to get better at the little things, getting runners over and turning double plays we're supposed to.  We need better defense.  We need more aggressive, smarter baserunning.  We need to just tighten up our total game."

The last seven games of the first half were against division rivals ahead of them and the first six of the second half are also against division rivals ahead of them.  They play three with St. Louis at home, then three with Pittsburgh on the road.

"We were pressing hard for wins in the last week before the break, and even if we'd have won a couple of those games, the break would do us some good.  It's good to get back to start the second half against someone from our division.  The days off have done everybody some good mentally," Arroyo said.  "We're four games out which isn't totally bad for how we felt we played for the entire season.  We played bad enough that we could have been eight to ten games out in some other season.  To be where we are is not too bad."

The first half ended badly for the Reds who had some late leads slip away.

Francisco Cordero was having an all-star caliber season before suffering three blown saves in the final five games.

"I have to do a better job.  Everybody goes through tough times and you got to live with that," Cordero said.  "You have to continue and do a better job.  It's in the past.  We just have to forget about that and play better.  We're not playing that good but we're only four games out of first place.  That tells you that the other teams aren't playing that good either.  What is frustrating for me is that we could be two games out if I held those leads.  I was upset because we came from behind and gave us a lead and I blew it and we lost the games."

Whoever the Reds play it is important for them to get off to a good start.

"Nothings imperative but it's important," Baker said of getting off to a good start.  "We haven't had our hot streak yet."

"It doesn't matter that we're playing St. Louis.  It could be the Braves or anybody," Cordero said.  "We have to just pitch better, play better defense and hit and we'll get better results."