Reds Play Devils Advocate Bury Angels

Forest Snow through a pitch he'd regret to Jose Peraza leading off in the Reds' 14-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Christian Colon hit a three-run home run off Zac Ryan in the second inning.  The Angels didn't have a prayer after that.

http://www.wiedemannbeer.com/

Taylor Trammel scored in the third after his second single following hits by Juan Gaterol and , Colon. Peraza hit his third single, then was removed for Alfredo Rodriquez. Blake Trahan hit a ground ball up the middle. Angel second baseman Luis Rengifo dropped it.  Second base umpire Nic Lentz ruled that Rodriguez interfered.  That brought rookie manager David Bell out of the dugout for his first argument of his career.  Bell's protest was mild and he accepted Lentz' explanation.

While the Reds' offense flourished, Vladimir Gutierrez, the Reds Cuban pitching prospect allowed a single to Albert Pujols.

"This was my first outing. I feel good," Gutierrez said through interpreter Julio Morillo. "I'm used to pitching in Cuba with a lot of people in the stadium."

Gutierrez allowed the single to Pujols but got a weak ground ball on a change up that Pujols beat out at first base, bad knees and all.  Pujols needs 19 RBI this season to be the fourth player to drive in 2,000 runs. Only Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Alex Rodriguez have reached that mark.

Cody Reed pitched a scoreless second inning before Gaterol hit with the bases loaded.  His double cleared the bases. 

ht[[s://amazon.com/

Sal Romano entered in the third inning.  He is being stretched out by Bell to either start in Louisville or pitch out of the Reds' bullpen.

Romano has been working to regain his slow curve.  Since he was 12-years old he's thrown his curve with a grip taught to him as a kid.

"As I got bigger and stronger it started to flatten out," Romano said.  "I needed to get the loop back in it to change the eye level of the hitters because the rest of what I throw is hard."

His work is showing progress.

http://donatelifeohio.org/

"It was pretty good," said Romano, who lost 28 pounds this off-season.  "After the first guy (Rengifo who walked) I settled down a little bit.  It's hard to settle down when you have the best hitter in the game coming up."

Romano went after Mike Trout.

"I was able to make a pitch," said Romano, who got Trout to hit into a double play.  "I went after him with a sinker down and away and he did what I wanted him to do."

The Reds had 17 hits and walked 12 times.  Scott Schebler walked three times in as many plate appearances.

MattWisler gave up two runs in his inning but Anthony Bass, Lucas Sims, Alex Powers, Jimmy Herget and Rob Wooten pitched scoreless innings.

There was no Gatoraid shower for David Bell for his first win as a manager but with a smile on his face, he said. "Guys threw strikes, attacked the zone and made pitches when they had too.  They did a great job of getting ahead."

It was the same offensively.

"We had really good at bats.  Think of the highlights.  There were a lot of them.  Guys were patient but aggressive in the zone.  We got into a lot of deep counts.  We had good situational hitting.  There were good days by a lot of guys.  Schebler had three walks.  Peraza had three hits.  Brian O'Grady hit two rockets."





.