The latest calamity came in the form of losing its ace Johnny Cueto eight pitches into the National Leauge Division Series in hostile territory to back spasms.
With a heroic effort by the best bullpen in the National League and an equally heroic effort by fellow starter Mat Latos, the Reds pitching held the San Francisco Giants in check on Saturday night.
Bronson Arroyo shut down the Giants Sunday night.
Very early in spring training, the Reds lost its key off-season signee, Ryan Madson, who was supposed to be the team's closer. The Reds lost it's lefthanded specialist, Bill Bray, for most of the season and Bray was mostly ineffective when he did take the mound. Nick Massett, the Reds' top-of-the-line setup man, missed the season trying to rest a weak shoulder.
If patching a bullpen together wasn't trouble enough, the team lost 2010 MVP Joey Votto for a quarter of the campaign.
They lost their leader manager Dusty Baker with an irregular heartbeat and a mini stroke just before the playoffs. Oh yes and cleanup hitter Ryan Ludwick and Gold Glove leadoff hitter Brandon Phillips limped down the stretch with nagging minor injuries.
Reds' country fretted over a team batting slump that saw the team have its worst scoring month of the year. They scored just 14 runs over the last seven games.
"There was a lull after we clinched with guys for whatever reason," Hanigan said. "But we've been winning games with pitching and defense. It is good to see the bats come alive, top to bottom."
To top it off they had to start on the road against one of the better starting rotations in the league.
Could this playoff experience match the bitter 2010 trip to the postseason? The team suffered the indignity of a no-hitter and a two-hitter on the way to being quickly swept by Philadelphia.
Gloom and doom did not show up in the Reds' clubhouse.
The bullpen and Latos picked up Cueto. The Reds bats led by Phillips and Ludwick picked up the Reds' offense that won a 5-2 decision in the opening game and blanked the Giants 9-0 before flying home to attempt a sweep of their own.
Cueto and game three starter Homer Bailey, author of a no-hitter on September 28, flew home this morning; Cueto to get treatment for a possible return and Bailey to avoid an overnight flight to make sure he is well rested.
Arroyo allowed just one hit in seven innings to dominate San Francisco. Ludwick started the scoring with a home run. Ryan Hanigan and Scott Rolen reached Baumgardner for run-scoring singles. Hanigan later added a two-run single and Bruce laced a two-run double. Light hitting Drew Stubbs drove in a run with a triple. Votto had three hits and scored twice. Phillips added two hits.
"It seems that when one guy starts hitting. It's contagious," Baker said. "Sometimes you can't buy a run and other times you score at will. If I knew why, I'd really make a lot of money."
Many questioned Arroyo's use in the second game rather than Latos, who was a shade below Cueto as the team ace.
"He's been throwing the ball well. I just thought this (bigger ballpark) was just right for him," Baker said.
"This game was as big as any in my career," Arroyo said. "For those of us who were here two years ago, getting off to a good start is big. Getting the ball club to believe and the fan base to believe is something that will help us out later in the playoffs."
The Reds realize the job isn't done. Baker managed the Cubs that had a comfortable lead in a clinching game of the 2003 NLCS against the Florida Marlins with six outs to go. The famous Steve Bartman interference game allowed the Marlins to make a comeback and take the series.
His team is taking a lesson from that.
"You're not comfortable at all until it's over," Baker said. "We've been there before. It's hard to take that last breath out of anything. So, we're trying to keep them from getting any kind of momentum."
"Without question it's going to be a long, happy flight. We couldn't have put ourselves in a better position," Arroyo said. "But that being said, we have to calm down a little bit and keep to the task at hand. Baseball is a crazy game."
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