Reds Bats Were Out of Gas Padres Win 7-3

Dontrelle Willis and his Reds teammates were off their games for different reasons.

Willis, who pitched six very good games since his recall, had tightness in his left forearm and had to leave in the third inning. He breezed through the San Diego lineup in the first two innings but labored in the third, getting just two outs while four runs scored.

"I felt some discomfort warming up but I wanted to compete," Willis said.  "You're never going to be 100 percent.  I tried to compete and came up short."

Baker saw Willis talking to the trainer after the second inning.

"I asked him if he was ok.  He said he was so we sent him back out there," Baker said.  "It was one of those things you don't anticipate.  They said he threw pretty well in the bullpen.  He was throwing well in the first two innings."

Willis is going to rest his arm.

"No excuses but it's August.  I've only been up here a few weeks but I've been grinding all year," Willis said.  "I'm going to rest it.  I've been doing too much, long toss, hitting.  I am going to work smarter, not harder."

The Reds pounded San Diego pitching less than 24 hours before the start of the game today.  They looked sluggish at the plate but that had more to do with the San Diego starter, Matt LeBlanc than fatigue.

"LeBlanc was changing speeds and spotting his fastball," Baker said.  "He was getting a lot of ground balls.  The first two hits were from lefthanders.  Red hot Jay Bruce hit a three-run home run after Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips, who returned after missing four games, walked.  Bruce extended his hitting streak to five games and established a career high with his 26th home run.  Bruce was a .440 hitter for the week with five home runs and 15 RBI, most in the National League.

The only other hit off LeBlanc, who worked six innings, was Joey Votto's single leading off the sixth.  Votto was quickly erased when Phillips hit into a double play.

"It's one of those things where when I'm good I'm good but when I'm not, I'm not," said Bruce, who struck out in his other three at bats..  "LeBlanc was very good.  He happened to make a couple of mistakes to me.  One I missed and I hit the other.  He struck me out on a pitch that was unhittable."

San Diego added onto the lead with single runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth off Jose Arredondo, Nick Masset and Aroldis Chapman.

The run in the seventh came when Phillips could maintain his grip on a double play relay.  Instead of ending the inning, Jason Bartlett scored on a triple to the next hitter, Orlando Hudson.  A hit batter by Masset led to a run in the eighth.  A wild pitch put Cameron Maybin in scoring position with a wild pitch.  He scored on a hit by Bartlett.

The Reds had one chance to get back in the game.  Dave Sappelt and Edgar Renteria hit one-out singles off Luke Gregerson.  Votto hit a long fly to deep center while it was raining slightly.

"I couldn't believe that ball didn't go out," Baker said.  "Last night it would have.  The rain may have knocked it down."

The loss snapped the Reds four-game winning streak.

The Reds are off tomorrow.  I am going to Louisville to check up on the Bats.  I have interviews set up with Devin Mesoraco and Chris Valaika in addition to Bats' manager Rick Sweet, who is always great to talk to.