The Injured and Sick Are Running Out of Time

Edwin Encarnacion had an MRI on his aching right shoulder. It revealed nothing more than a little inflamation, yet manager Dusty Baker is going to give him another day.

He was expected to play against the New York Yankees on Friday.

"He is going to swing (the bat) today," Baker said. "I doubt if he'll play Friday. I have to see him throw first."

"It is important to start the season healthy. That's our goal. Time is getting short," Baker said.

Jerry Hairston Jr. and Brandon Phillips are in the lineup against the Minnesota Twins for the 7:05 pm start on Thursday.

Both have been fighting the flu.

Hairston led off every inning of a minor league game on Wednesday to get some at bats. He will start at shortstop against Minnesota.

Phillips will bat cleanup. He missed four games.

Homer Bailey, who is battling Micah Owings for the fifth rotation spot, pitched in a minor league game on Thursday afternoon. Owings will pitch against the Twins.

"Homer looked pretty good. He had trouble getting his secondary pitches over today. He was out of sync a little bit," Baker said.

Phillips and Encarnacion Due Back Friday

Edwin Encarnacion, who is out with a sore shoulder, and Brandon Phillips, who had the flu will be back on Friday.

Jerry Hairston Jr. lost 12 pounds with the flu while playing for the Mexican WBC team. Hairston is leading off every inning in a minor league game to get his stroke back. He will also be ready to play in games on Friday.

Gonzalez Hurt Again

SS Alex Gonzalez, who was described as smooth by Dusty Baker, left the game with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday with a strained right hamstring after beating out an infield hit.

Gonzalez missed the entire spring and regular season last year with a compression fracture in his left knee. The Reds were moving slowly with the key to the roster. His presence or lack thereof will have a profound effect on the roster.

In addition to making plays that few other shortsops can make in the field, Gonzalez has hit well enough. He hit an infield single to short in the second inning to raise his average to .250 (6-24) with two doubles.

"He looks good doesn't he?" Baker said Sunday. "He wanted to play nine innings Saturday but we told him, not yet. He has been running. His baseball instincts are there. It is a good sign that he wanted to play nine. It is also a good sign that he's been taking the extra base. When you don't feel good, you don't run."

There was no defect in the muscle but Gonzalez went to Miami to consult his personal therapist.

"It was what I was afraid of," Baker said. "I had a knee injury and when I was recovering I favored it. I ended up tearing the hamstring in my other leg. This isn't as serious. He didn't grab it. I'm glad he stopped running though."

"I saw the shortstop dive for the ball so I tried to get an extra step. That's when it grabbed me." Gonzalez said.

He is day-to-day.

The Reds Are Whole

A couple Ramon's showed up in Sarasota from the World Baseball Classic.

Venezuelan participants, RHP Ramirez and Catcher Hernandez came back.

Hernandez will catch again Wednesday.

The concern was that he wouldn't have enough time to catch the pitching staff.

Bronson Arroyo openly rooted for Venzuela to lose so that Hernandez could become familiar with his unorthodox pitching methods.

Heranandez is not concerned.

"It is just communication," Hernandez said. 'You've got to talk to them."

"The WBC had a playoff atmosphere. Now I'm back and it's time for us to get ready and try to make the postseason," Hernandez said.

Jerry Hairston Jr. is not in the lineup today but he is also back from the WBC. He lost 10-15 pounds from a virul infection.

Baker is anxious to get him ready.

Fifth Starter Loses One Candidate

To no one's surprise, Nick Masset, pitched his way to the bullpen. He had one good start but his other outings were mediocre at best.

Masset does not have the track record that would give him a pass for bad outings. Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo have the track record so their spring games are all about getting ready and not about results.

Masset has a 6.59 ERA in 13.2 Grapefruit League innings. While Arroyo's is not that much better at 6.00 in 15 innings and Harang's is 5.03 in 19 innings, the rookie needed to impress. He did not.

That leaves Micah Owings and Homer Bailey as the combatants vying for that all important fifth starters spot. The Reds got very little production from that end of the rotation last season.

Masset does not have options left. If the Reds want to send him to the minor leagues, they have to expose him to waivers. Another team could claim him.

Bailey has options. In another ERA teams would break in a starter by having them pitch in long relief first. Dusty Baker has pointed out that the likes of Pedro Martinez, Nolan Ryan, Bob Welch and Dave Stewart, earned starting jobs by first pitching in long relief.

Baseball economics have changed. It gives Masset and edge over Bailey in spite of the fact that Bailey's performance has been better. Compare Bailey's 2.45 ERA over 14.2 innings to Masset's.

Bailey has been so much better. Yet he may start the season in Louisville, while Masset will likely come to Cincinnati.

Owings is a lock either way even with options left.

The big guy is one of the best hitters on the team, bar none.

In 116 major league at bats he has 37 hits (.319). It is not a soft .319 either with 10 doubles, a triple and five home runs.

Owings has also pitched well enough to win the fifth starter spot. He has a 1.23 ERA in 14.2 innings.

Hairston Back Harang Back on Track

Jerry Hairston Jr. reported to camp from the Mexican WBC team.

"It looks like he's lost 10-15 pounds," manager Dusty Baker said.

Hairston had a virul infection and Baker insisted he stay away from the team until Friday or until healthy again. Baker was taking precautions that that the flu would not infect the rest of the players.

Still Norris Hopper missed his third day with bronchitis and Brandon Phillips was sent home Saturday with flu-like symptoms.

"We will work Hairston out the next couple of days," Baker said. "We need to work him out in the outfield some and at shortstop in case Gonzo can't go."

Aaron Harang has been beaten and battered this spring. There are two schools of thought about the meaning of spring training results. When a veteran pitcher struggles, he gets a pass because he has done the job before. The other is that spring training results are important but more so for a Homer Bailey and Micah Owings, who are competing for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Two years ago when Harang had an awful spring, he led the team with 16 wins during the regular season. Last spring he was effective in Florida but suffered through a 17-loss season.

One of his problems early last year was an acute lack of run support.

On Sunday Harang was given five runs to work with against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Ian Snell. He seemed to like it, cruising through the Bucs lineup. Harang has allowed 11 runs in 13 2/3 Grapefruit League innings.

Harang out hit the Pirates in his six innings. He allowed no hits and just two walks.

"I was working on my change up and slider. I was throwing it in counts that I don't usually throw them in. I kept it down and kept them off balance. It feels good to know that I can use them in any count," Harang said.

"He was sharp. That was as good an outing as I've seen in awhile," Baker said. "It feels good to win one. Harang threw some great breaking balls."

The Reds stopped a seven game losing streak with a 6-0 win.

Johnny Gomes hit his fourth home run off Ian Snell.

Harang has already been named the Opening Day starter for the fourth straight year. He is the first to start four straight seasons on the mound since, 1992-95 when Jose Rijo did it.

Astros Win...Astros Win

The Houston Astros won its first Grapefruit League game since they stunned Washington on February 25. They outscored Panama 7-5 but that game isn't counted in the "official" standings in the Citrus Loop.

Houston was 1-16-3 coming into the game with the Reds on Friday.

Johnny Cueto pitched well but allowed four straight hits in the second inning to send the Reds to its sixth straight defeat.

"He had good location and good movement," Dusty Baker said. "The only hit two balls hard off him."

With two outs in the second, Geoff Blum lined a single to leftfield. Reggie Abercrombie beat out a bad hop single to third. Adam "Pete" Rosales used all 6'2" to spear the ball but had no chance at the speedy Abercrombie. Humberto Quintero dumped a single to short right and Houston pitcher Russ Ortiz applied bat to ball and laced a flair to center for the second run.

"We hit some balls hard again but couldn't find any holes," Baker said.

Until the ninth the Reds had two singles from Laynce Nix and a double to the bullpen by Wilkin Castillo. Castillo's ground rule double ended up in the bucket of balls in the Reds bullpen. Once time was called some wisenheimer threw out four baseballs out on the field.

Houston manager Cecil Cooper took this game seriously.

After Lance Berkman hit a two-run home run down the right field line in the sixth, Houston led 4-0.

Darryl Ward, burned his former team with a two-run double off Bud Norris, scoring Darnel McDonald and Sean Cumberland.

Cooper went to Jeff Fulchino to get the final two outs and the Astros claimed its second win.

Norris Hopper was supposed to start in place of McDonald but came down with a case of bronchitis.

Closer Needs More Work

Dusty Baker watched his closer, Francisco Cordero, get beaten and battered by Boston Red Sox minor leaguers on Thursday night.

Baker blamed location. "We need to get his location where it needs to be," Baker said. "We need him."

Cordero limped home with a surgically repaired ankle last September.

The ankle is his "push off " ankle. The ankle takes Cordero's full weight and thrusts his 6'3", 238 pound frame toward home plate.

"The hardest thing about an injury like that is trusting that you won't hurt it," pitching coach Dick Pole said. "His velocity is 92-93. It was where it was last year at this time. Then with adrenaline it shot up to 95 toward the end."

Pole and Baker want Cordero to get more work.

They are going to pitch him more in the minor league games to build his arm strength.

"He's used to working two or three days in a row," Pole said.

"I'm not concerned," Baker said. "We are going to get him more action. We need to build his arm strength up. He couldn't throw as much this winter because of his ankle. He was a little bit behind. We still have two weeks. His velocity was up to 93 last night. It went from 88 - 90 -93 so the more he throws the stronger he'll get."

The Reds now have a plan to get the closer back to normal.

"It doesn't do any good to get concerned. The only thing you can do is to get him back. Worry helps even less. We have to get to work," Baker said.

Cordero gave up runs in each of his first four outings this spring. He allowed four, four, one and three hits respectively.

Then he worked consecutive games against World Series participants, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia in which he was not scored upon and allowed one hit in each outing.

Against the Red Sox he allowed a couple hits then got two hitters before two shots to the outfield gaps caused the inning to fall apart.

Kennard Was the Decoy

Jeff Kennard wears number 70 in the Reds spring training camp but he remembers the Saturday evening when his number was in the 80's.

The Colerain Cardinals were locked into to a knock, down drag out playoff game in Middletown 10 years ago.

Centerville, trailing 28-21 had scored a touchdown with less than two seconds on the game clock.

Do they kick to tie? Do they rely on the arm of Ryan Hawk to make a play on the two-point conversion?

Jeff Kennard has been drafted by the New York Yankees, has played winter baseball in Venzuela, where the game is taken seriously. Yet he remembered the play.

"I was the decoy underneath," Kennard told me today in the Reds clubhouse. "He (Hawk) threw it up top. I was open for a split second."

Kennard remembered seeing Jason Miller use all 6'1" of his body to extend across the end line and tip the pass away to give Colerain the victory. It was Kennard's junior season.

The pain he shares with Colerain fans comes the next year, his senior season. Centerville built a three touchdown lead only to have Elder storm back and defeat the Elk. Elder lost the next week to Wayne, who beat St. X. Wayne played St. Ignatius for the 1999 state title but fell short.

Pitchers Audition

Edinson Volquez pitched out of trouble in each of his three innings.

"He has a knack of pitching out of trouble. We'd like him to use more pitch conservation," manager Dusty Baker said.

Volquez allowed six hits and two walks, leaving the bases loaded twice and two men on in his other inning of work. He was unscored upon.

For the second game in a row a big inning doomed the Reds.

Bill Bray was on the mound in the fifth inning in which Tampa Bay scored all seven of its runs.

The inability of Edwin Encarnacion and Jeff Keppinger to come up with slow ground balls, that would have allowed the Reds to escape with a lead. Bray allowed six runs but only one was earned.

Carlos Fisher, who had thrown the ball very well, until recently allowed a three-run home run to Ried Brignac. It was the second straight batter to take Fisher deep. He was the victim of a walkoff home run against the Blue Jays on Sunday.

"If we make a couple defensive plays, we don't have that big inning," Baker said.

This was Micah Owings day to try to nail down the fifth spot in the rotation.

He had a 1.23 ERA in 14.2 innings prior to today.

Owings pitched in a minor league game and the results were vastly different. He pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing nine hits and seven runs. He struck out five.

Owings also hit a home run in two at bats.

Owings and Homer Bailey appear to be the top two candidates to win the fifth spot in the rotation.

Phillies Strong Early

Aaron Harang is still looking for his elusive release point. The Phillies and their ample lumber clubbed four doubles in the second inning and parlayed three walks into six runs.

Matt Stairs cleared the bases with a double. Eric Bruntlett, John Mayberry Jr and Carlos Ruiz hit the other two-baggers.

"I never got in the groove. I didn't feel comfortable out there. I didn't have a finish pitch today. They hit some good pitches. I threw some good pitches down and away and they were taking them to rightfield. I gotta get get in a groove early on and stay out there for awhile. I didn't feel sharp. I felt I was pulling off a little," Harang said.

Harang pitched just 3 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out two.


Meanwhile Brett Myers have allowed just a single by Chris Dickerson in the first three innings.

Myers lasted 5 2/3 by contrast. He allowed no runs and no walks. He gave up four hits but struck out seven.

Dominican Baseball is Serious

"Anybody who has ever played winter ball knows how serious it is," Dusty Baker said earlier this spring. "There are gamblers and if you don't play well, you hear from people. I've heard some wild stories."

Johnny Cueto pitched well in his start in the classic, handling Panama for 4 2/3 innings.

Cueto took his place on the mound for the Reds against the Blue Jays on Sunday.

"It is good to see him," Baker said. "You worry about players when they're not around, especially pitchers."

In the more relaxed atmosphere of spring training with only a slight touch of international flavor.

Cueto turned in four innings, allowing a run on four hits.

He hit Scott Rolen with a pitch to open the fourth and promptly wild pitched him to second. One out later Travis Snider doubled Rolen home.

"I feel more relaxed here," Cueto said through interpreter, Carlos Fisher. "I felt there was a lot of pressure to win at the WBC. There were a lot of people from the Dominican there."

Cueto looks stronger.

"I worked hard, knowing I will be going to Cincinnati."

Reds Visit Twins on Friday the 13th

Former Colerain and University of Cincinnati lefthanded pitcher, Dan Osterbrock reported to the Twins facility in Ft. Myers. The young Twin farmhands had physicals and pictures and were finished by 1pm.

Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto returned from the World Baseball Classic. Volquez will pitch three innings after Micah Owings against the Twins. Cueto will start Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

In spite of what his countrymen feel was an embarrasing performance, losing twice to the unheralded Dutch team, Volquez found it to be a positive experience.

"It was great to play with those guys. It was unbelievable. I got to meet Pedro. I just watched him pitch," Volquez said.

Minor Injuries and Grand Slams

The Reds have had an unusually healthy spring. Bill Bray missed time with a sore shoulder but pitched a scoreless inning on Saturday.

Edwin Encarnacion has a sore left wrist from a check swing.

"He had it last year," Baker said. "We just wanted to give him an extra day."

Encarnacion is taking batting practice in the cage to stay sharp.

Johnny Cueto pitched 4 2/3 innings for the Domincan WBC team on Sunday. He tweaked his ankle covering firstbase but did his running today.

When asked about the injury, Baker and Walt Jockety had not heard about it. Mario Soto, a Reds coach, is also the pitching coach for the Dominican team. Soto called Jocketty later and there was no concern.

"That's nothing," Baker said. "As long as it wasn't his arm. They can take care of that."

Minor league infielder, Chris Valaika, hit one of the Reds four home runs against the Phillies in the 8-4 win on Monday.

His clout came in the seventh inning with the bases loaded. It was the fifth grand slam by the Reds in its 12 games.

"Valaika is starting to get his bat through the zone," Baker said. "He's starting to hit. We have a few guys that have started swinging the bats."

Ryan Hanigan, Yonder Alonso and Daryl Ward also hit home runs for the Reds on Monday.

Jonny Gomes a Pete Rose Fan

Jonny Gomes was unemployed for a month this winter. He didn't play winter ball this year for fear that he'd get hurt and wouldn't have a job to fall back on.

He got himself into great shape and went to see Pete Rose at a card show with his wife. While signing numerous autographs with his head down, Rose recognized him as a player.

It just so happens that Gomes is a big fan of Rose's. Rose had him sit next to him as he signed and had a 20 minute conversation.

Rose is not allowed to have contact with major league players in uniform or Dusty Baker may have asked him to come to Sarasota. Baker likes his younger players to be around players from yesteryear. Eric Davis can be seen and heard singing in the clubhouse, instructing outfielders and just explaining things pertaining to the baseball facts of life.

Gomes, who is trying to win a spot on the roster as an outfielder or firstbaseman, is all ears.

"These guys have welcomed me with open arms," Gomes said. Gomes has struck out twice so far against the Phillies but has otherwise hit well. He may be the righthanded bat the Reds needed last season.

At 28 he is learning firstbase. "Learning a new position at 28 is not as easy as it sounds," said Gomes, who could give Joey Votto a rest should he make the team.

"He's looking pretty good for a guy who hasn't played it before," Baker said. "I'm surprised no one has asked him to do it before."

Baker also explained the reasoning for bringing in former Reds to tutor his young players.

"They took care of me when I was a young player. I was always the kid," Baker said. "They used to bring me things, buy me dinner, teach me things about being a player. They dogged me sometimes too."

Baker doesn't understand his reputation for catering to veterans to the expense of younger players.

"I have a 29-year old daughter and a 12-year old son," Baker said. "I like talking to younger people. They energize you. Besides most people my age expect me to think like them and I don't."

Homer Bailey Still Dealing

Homer Bailey threw an impressive four innings against the Toronto Blue Jays.

He gave up six hits but only one run. The key was that he didn't walk anyone and didn't rely on the strikeout. He got a couple double plays from his defense. The only strikeout was Travis Snyder, the last batter he faced.

Bailey continues to compete with Micah Owings, who pitches against Toronto on Sunday and Nick Masset.

"I didn't have as good of stuff as I had earlier but I was able to battle through it," Bailey said. "I was able to keep the ball down on the ground and let double plays work for me. You're going to have those days. Those are the days that are most important, where you have to get through it one way or the other."

Lefty Bill Bray took the mound for the first time this spring, fully recovered from tendonitis in his left shoulder.

Bray allowed an infield hit in his scoreless inning, retiring three batters on lazy flys to the outfield.

"It felt good to get out there. It was about time I guess," Bray said. "The most important thing was to go out and throw strikes. It was real easy just fastballs and sliders."

Jay Bruce is much more comfortable at the plate this spring.

"It's a lot different this spring. Is my swing ready for opening day? I've only had 15 at bats. I don't think anyone's is," Bruce said.

Bruce singled and walked in three plate appearances against the Minnesota Twins on Friday.

He hit two home runs both to leftfield against the Boston Red Sox and the Netherlands.

"In spring training I definitely try to hit the ball that way. Pulling is more of a reaction. Last spring training I was a little bit pull concious. That may have been the reason that I wasn't as successful early on as I would have liked to be."

Manager Dusty Baker agreed.

"He's swinging th bat a lot better. We told him to stay up the middle. He can hit the ball out of the park anyway," Baker said. "He reported in great shape. He worked hard in the off season."

Bruce is also working on being more patient at the plate. He is trying to swing at better pitches.

"Being aggressive is one of my assets," Bruce said. "But I'm trying to swing at strikes or balls that I can drive. I'm trying not to be afraid of going deep in the count."

Aaron Harang allowed six hits and two runs in three and a third innings against Minnesota in the Reds 3-0 loss.

"My timing was a little off," Harang said. "The ball was moving back over the plate instead of just off the corner. I felt better in the third and fourth innings."

"Aaron threw the ball pretty good. He threw strikes," Baker said. "He had some help from the elements. We made some good plays behind him but that's what happens when you throw strikes."

Gonzalez to DH Again

Alex Gonzalez returned to game action after more than a year.

Gonzalez suffered a compression fracture in his left knee before exhibition games started last spring. Manager, Dusty Baker, in his first year did not get a chance to see Gonzalez play. He had seen him as an opponent but did not get the everyday look that a manager needs to make decisions.

"We will get him in at DH today, give him a day off, then get him in the field early next week," Baker said. "The hardest part about recovering from an injury is trusting it to realize you're over it."

Gonzalez was 1-for-2, a single against the Netherlands World Baseball Classic team on Wednesday night.

"Finally, it felt good to get at bats," Gonzalez said. "I just feel a little tightness in the muscle but if I keep doing what I've been doing, I'll be ready to start the season. I want to get out on the field."

Jay Bruce hit his second opposite field home run in two days against the Netherlands. The home run Wednesday came off Cincinnati farmhand, Alexander Smit.

Juan Carlos Sulbaran pitched for the Netherlands. He was the Reds 30th roung pick in 2008. This is his first full year of professional baseball.

"He's got a good breaking ball , a good change up. He threw the ball good," Baker said.

Reds Beat Red Sox 9-8 - Owings Shines

The battle for the fifth starter in the Reds rotation has become intense.

Micah Owings work on a two-seam fastball is paying off. The righthander obtained from Arizona in a trade for Adam Dunn, throttled the Red Sox on Tuesday.

He pitched three scoreless innings in his first start and kept the Red Sox off the board while he was on the mound. He allowed two hits to start the game but struck out Brad Wilkerson and got Rocco Baldelli to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.

Owings was scheduled to throw 50 pitches and ended the third inning with 35. He used up his quota with two out and two on in the fourth. Jed Lowrie doubled to start the fourth. Owings struck out Wilkerson for the second time and got Baldelli to ground out but walked Jason Varitek.

Jared Burton relieved Owings and allowed a two-run double to Paul McAnulty.

"I felt good," Owings said. "I used the same approach to pound the lower half of the strike zone. I am pleased but I always feel like I can do better."

Three other pitchers are in the mix for the last open starting spot.

Ramon Ramirez is with the Venezuelan World Baseball Classic team. Homer Bailey pitched three scoreless innings on Monday. Nick Masset had a rough outing on Saturday but will take the mound on Thursday against Pittsburgh.

"There was a point in my career over the past two or three years that I thought too much about that stuff," Owings said. "I realize that I just have to go out there and compete. I'm not competing against the guys in this clubhouse. We're on the same team. We're all in this together. I think Dusty made that clear early on. I like that. I like that he did that. It kind of reminded me to go out worry about what I can worry about. I just want to be part of this team and help as much as I can."

The Reds pounded the Red Sox, Ramon Ramirez in the fourth inning.

Jay Bruce hit with Norris Hopper on base with a bunt single. Bruce hit a foul fly down the leftfield line but McAnulty dropped it. Bruce cleared the right centerfield fence three pitches later. Brandon Phillips singled. Then Edwin Encarnacion unloaded on a bomb to leftfield.

Jonny Gomes hit a grand slam in the Reds five-run seventh.

Carlos Fisher, who advanced from AA Chattanooga to AAA Louiville last season, nailed it down for Cincinnati. Fisher finished 5-0 with a 1.04 Earned Run Average for Louisville.

"Owings looked good. We were trying to get him to 50 pitches and he lost it for a minute. He threw the ball great. Carlos Fisher threw the ball great. He dropped a couple hooks on some guys. I had never seen him pitch but he impressed us," manager Dusty Baker said.

Homer Bailey Maturing

Homer Bailey was signed with the Reds in 2004, he had just turned 18. As most 18 year-olds often do, Bailey knew everything about the world.

His highly successful high school career left him with the cockiness that screams, "I rule the world."

Bailey suffered through a horrible second half last season. He won a game on April 30th and was pitching well enough to get a recall to Cincinnati but he was 0-6. Between the win on the last day of April until he was the winning pitcher in the International League playoffs, Bailey made 21 starts without a win.

He was not going to allow that to happen again.

"A lot of times the winter before, I'd take half a Friday off," Bailey said after he pitched three scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He struck out four and walked one.

"I remember when it caught up to me last year," Bailey said. "I told myself that no matter what, I was not going to miss a workout. I was more dedicated."

People forget that Bailey is only 22. Many of his peers have just graduated from college and are just starting their pro careers.

"Sometimes I have to sit back and tell myself that I've got a lot of time and that everything is a learning process. I stop. Take a deep breath and remember for next time."

Bailey had gone from cockiness to humble with the bad year.

"When you go through a year like last year, you can't help that a few things knock inside your head," Bailey said. "I guess I was able to look back and really think about it a lot more and realize from the mistakes I made. I understand it more I think. This past offseason it sunk in a little more."

"Instead of being a little bit tentative about throwing this pitch. You know what if I throw this pitch with conviction, it will probably go where I need it to be if my mechanics are right."

"He's throwing the ball great. His breaking ball is better," Baker said. "He's a lot more focused."

Asked if the Reds said anything to him before he left for the winter, Baker responded, "We didn't say a whole lot. We said 'hey man just come in good shape, ready to go.' Sometimes it's a maturity thing. You can tell them all you want to but they have to go out and do it."

WBC Takes Another Pitcher

Dusty Baker was concerned that newly acquired catcher Ramon Hernandez wouldn't have enough time to work with the Reds starting pitchers before joining the Venezuelan team for the World Baseball Classic.

Part of the problem was resolved when Ramon Ramirez, who finished the 2008 season with the Reds, was a late pick to pitch for Venezuela.

"It was a tough decision for him," Baker said. "He has a chance to make this team but he had a chance to represent his country. We made it easy for him and told him to go. He is going to pitch for them."

Baker also revealed that Jay Bruce was considered for the US team, but former Red Adam Dunn was named instead.

"It would be an honor," Bruce said. "It would be a tough decision to represent your country but this is the first spring that I have a chanced to establish myself. It is an honor just to be considered."

The Reds out homered the New York Yankees on Sunday. A hard win was blowing out all day.

Brett Gardner, Robinson Cano and John Rodriguez hit home runs. Gardner's was off Aaron Harang in the second inning. David Weathers allowed Cano's and Rodriguez's blasts.

The Reds hit five.

Chris Dickerson hit two and the first one was not aided by the wind at all.

"It was gone," Baker said.

Laynce Nix, enhanced his chance to make the team with a home run that didn't need the wind either.

Joey Votto hit a home run to the opposite field in his last at bat before he joined Team Canada in Dunedin, Florida.

The game-winning blow was a long drive to centerfield by minor league catcher, Craig Tatum with the bases loaded.

The veterans in the Reds bullpen were all roughed up. Francisco Cordero, Weathers and Arthur Rhodes all gave up at least two runs apiece.

"It takes the older guys more time to get going," Baker said. "I was encouraged by the way the young guys threw the ball."

Ben Jukich, who was acquired from the Oakland A's for Chris Denorfia, James Avery and Jordan Smith each pitched a scoreless inning.