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I am a freelance writer. I've covered the Cincinnati Reds, Bengals and others since 1992. I have a background in sales as well. I've sold consumer electronics, advertising and consumer package goods for companies ranging from the now defunct Circuit City to Procter&Gamble. I have worked as a stats operator for Xavier University, the University of Cincinnati, the College of Mount St. Joe and Colerain High School.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Cleveland Protects Home Soil






The Indians 7-1 win over Homer Bailey and the Reds was the ninth straight time they have beaten the Reds at Cleveland's Progressive Field.

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In fact the home team has won the last 11 games in the series in which the Indians hold a 44-41 all-time edge.

Homer Bailey was sailing along until the Indians scored all of their runs in the fourth inning.  Six straight Indian batters delivered two-out hits off Bailey.

The inning started with Bailey hitting Asdrubal Cabreras in the foot.  Bailey struck out Nick Swisher.  Carlos Santana singled.  Bailey threw a very good 3-2 splitter to powerful Mark Reynolds. Then got ahead of Michael Brantley 0-2.

"Brantley did a pretty good job of hitting," Dusty Baker said.  "The Cleveland Indians can hit.  It's been a long time since I've seen a team get six straight two-out hits.  We just couldn't turn the fawcet off."

Bailey has tough since he allowed seven runs to the St. Louis Cardinals on April 10.  His ERA was 5.73 after that start.  In the eight starts since, Bailey had a 2.53 ERA coming into the game.

"I was pitching pretty well until then," Bailey said.  "It happened so fast.  They hit a couple of pitches that I couldn't have placed any better to put it in play; then they hit some pitches I couldn't place any worse.  I couldn't stop the bleeding.  The pitch to Brantly was at his ankles.  Hanigan was set up out there and I put it there."

Before Alfredo Simon was called on to pitch to Cabrera, who was up for the second time, the Indians had six runs and Jason Kipnis on second. Cabrera doubled and the Indians scoring was finished for the night.

Scott Kazmir, who is making a comeback after pitching in the independent leagues last year, pitched seven innings on eight hits.  It was the first time Kazmir has pitched at least seven innings since May 22, 2010 at St. Louis as a member of the Angels.

For the second night in a row the Reds had the Indians starter in trouble with the bases loaded.  On Wednesday night, Justin Masterson got Xavier Paul to hit a ball back to the mound with the bases loaded and started a 1-2-3 double play.   Kazmir faced Joey Votto, who had a rare 0-for-4 night, with the bases loaded and one out in the third inning.  Votto bounced into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.

"For the second night in a row we had the bases loaded with a dependable hitter at the plate," Baker said.  "That's the way baseball goes sometimes.  If we get a key hit like the Indians got these two games would have been completely different."

The Reds scored a run in the sixth off Kazmir.  Brandon Phillips doubled and Jay Bruce drove him home with a single.  Bruce also doubled in the second inning. He leads the National League with 18 doubles.



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