What We Learned in Pittsburgh?

   After watching Cincinnati lose two out of three in Pittsburgh; I learned a lot. For one, the Pirates are for real; the team has great pitching that shut down a decent Reds lineup, and solid hitting to back its pitching up. A team like Pittsburgh deserves to win, and it is nice to see the Pirates only 0.5 games back out of first in the NL Central.
    Even though the Reds did not look great; Cincinnati can still win the division, and although Cincy is 4.5 games out of first in NL Central, the team is in a perfect position to win the division for a second year in a row, if certain aspects of the the team's game changes from its performance in Pittsburgh.
   1. Cincinnati has to get runs on the board to win. In the first two games of the series, the Reds scored ZERO runs. How do you expect to win games if you cannot get runs?
   You cant; simple as that, regardless how good your pitching is (Reds' starters looked great too), you are not gonna win and the first two games of the series showed this.
   This all starts with Joey Votto and Jay Bruce, two of the three franchise players of the team (besides Brandon Phillips). These two have to start hitting the ball, and I cannot say that enough. How many times do I have to bash them until they do?
  Apparently a lot because they looked awful against the Pirates.
   Bruce went 2-6, Votto 1-11.
   That is right, the reining 2010 NL MVP with even a .318 batting average went 1-11.
   Votto and Bruce have to start hitting and getting on base for the Reds to win. They are the most dependable hitters on the team, and if they cannot hit, what does that show to the rest of team? Both are power hitters, but even if they do not hit the long ball, that is okay; they have to get hits and start bringing runners in, Cincinnati simply cannot win if they do not; because those two men are the best pure hitters Cincy has.
   Maybe Votto is just going through a slump, and Bruce just must be going through the same slump he has been going through since the end of May; but both players just need to get their confidence up and start hitting the ball again; the Reds cannot have success without them.
  2. The Reds have to stop playing two short stops, I cannot stand seeing a new short stop every game. Edgar Renteria is great, and bringing the 2010 World Series MVP to Cincinnati was a great move, but why play him if the Reds already know that Zach Cozart will be its future at the six position? Cozart has 11 hits in 33 at bats with a .333 batting average. Those stats just hint that Cozart is gonna be great, so why not just keep playing him to give him the experience and help develop him into a better player? It is great that the Cozart can learn from a great player like Renteria and he is the perfect mentor for Cozart, but manager Dusty Baker should start using Renteria as a key pinch hitter, and let Cozart help produce wins at short stop day in and day out, because this kid is gonna be really really good.
  3. Pitching is not as bad as it seems for the Reds. We all know that pitching can be a serious problem for Cincinnati, but it looked solid against the Pirates. All three starters (Dontrelle Willis, Mike Leake, and Johnny Cueto) all looked great against a good team. Sure Leake is not always the most consistent pitcher, but he is still a threat on the mound against any team. Willis might not pitch as well as he did when he was with the Florida Marlins, but if he can have strong outings (like he did against the Pirates) more so than weak ones, Willis can be a lock for the Reds rotation for the rest of the season and be one of the best bottom of the rotation pitchers in the league.
   Cueto is a different story, because he has had a terrific season, and is only Reds pitcher to do so. He is the most dependable pitcher the team has, and Cincinnati needs to continue to build the pitching rotation around this solid ace, because he will be the go-to-go guy for years to come.
   Edinson Volquez can be good too, but he has to overcome his problems in the first inning, and do not get me started on Homer Bailey. We all know how I feel about Bronson Arroyo too, but in conclusion, the Reds pitching can be very good, but most of the time, its not. It is time for a change.
  Which brings me to my last observation, 4. The Reds need a player who can be a boost for a playoff push. The way the team is playing right now the only place they are going is in the cellar of the NL Central. Cincinnati needs a star player who can handle being the team's Energizer Bunny. Whether it would be a starting pitcher, closer, or an outfielder, the Reds just need someone to kick-start the team. I would love to see the Reds acquire Ubaldo Jimenez (Colorado Rockies), Heath Bell (San Diego Padres) or my favorite player in the trade mix, Houston Astros outfielder Hunter Pence who is not only having a great season at the plate, but has always been an outstanding defensively who can make great plays at anytime. The Reds might have to give up a lot of prospects, and maybe starting pitchers in Leake and Bailey, but in order to win, sometimes you have to make change, and it is time for the Reds to do just that.
   Yes, Cincinnati might have lost two of three in Pittsburgh, but al ot can be recognized in this series that can lead to much better things like a playoff berth.