And how did that work out? St. Louis 10, Cincinnati 1. Uh, not well.
The only blood flowing was what the Cardinals drew from Reds starter Bronson Arroyo — five innings, eight runs (five earned) and 11 hits.
Carpenter?
He was a real blood-chiller, holding the Reds to one run and five hits over seven innings. And when Skip Schumaker opened the game with a double and Colby Rasmus homered, they could have shooed the fans out and locked the gates. The game was over.
The second part of the equation begins tonight in Philadelphia when the Reds begin a seven-game trip before the All-Star break against the Phillies (four) and the New York Mets (three).
It is an important seven games for the Reds as they squirm to stay in touch in the National League Central, three games out of first place. Only six games separate top from bottom.
“We have some good baseball to play before the break against the hard-hitting Phillies and the Mets,” said Baker. “The Cardinals have the Brewers and the Cubs. Things can change rather quickly.”
For the good and for the bad.
“What this division means is there are no broken spirits yet,”
said Baker. “Usually by the All-Star break there are some broken spirits. All the spirits are still alive.”
That includes even last place Pittsburgh and Baker added, “It makes for good baseball.”
That wasn’t good baseball played by the Reds Sunday – not good pitching by Arroyo, not good hitting by the Reds and not good defense by third baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who made a two-run throwing error.
“When they jump you 2-0 right away and Carpenter’s ERA is only 2 ½ (2.32), that’s almost all he needs and he is one of the best around,” said Baker. “And Bronson got kicked around pretty good. He was a sacrificial lamb because my bullpen was in bad shape.”
Since pitching a complete game against Houston May 27, Arroyo is 1-5 over his next seven starts, giving up 34 earned runs in 34 innings, a 9.00 earned run average.
“I’ve been in worse stretches before and that’s the way the game is,” said Arroyo. “There’s nothing you can do but get back up every fifth day, take the ball every fifth day and pitch.
“I can’t change what happened out there today and I can’t change what happened last week,” he added. “All I can do is get prepared for a start in New York against Johan Santana.”
Ouch and yikes.
Arroyo, who thought he had carpal tunnel syndrome this spring and has taken cortisone shots, insists his health and well-being are fine and dandy. But not sugar candy.
“I’m fine and I’ve been through worse stretches,” he said. “It’s just the way it goes. I have no excuses, other than the fact that this game isn’t easy. It never has been and if it was, everybody would have a winning record for their career.”
Carpenter certainly makes it look easy.
“If anybody knows how to keep a lead (2-0 in the top of the first), it’s Carpenter,” said Baker. “He was throwing harder than what we saw the last time — 93 to 95 with a good breaking ball, a couple good breaking ball.”
With that 2-0 deficit, the Reds challenged Carpenter once, getting back-to-back singles by Jerry Hairston Jr. and Ryan Hanigan to open the third.
Arroyo adeptly bunted the runners to second and third, but Chris Dickerson popped to short and Willy Taveras grounded to the mound. End of threat. End of any threat.
“That was about it, actually,” said Baker. “That would have been nice to get those because it would have been 2-2 — a big boost for us and a big boost for Bronson.”
Instead, the Cardinals scored two in the fourth and four in the fifth, two on third baseman Encarnacion’s high, wide and ugly throw home.
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