THE REDS ARE 50-41

7.16.10
BY:MEH
FIFTY
THE REDS ARE 50-41

It took the Reds 114 games to notch their 50th win last season on August 13 and it placed them fourteen games below the .500 mark. While owning first place in the NL Central, the Reds won their 50th game of this season against the Colorado Rockies on Friday night in front of 37,188 eager Reds fans. Unlike 2009, the Reds accomplished fifty wins only 91 games into the season and the .500 mark is nine games behind them.



Searching for their first postseason berth since a one-game playoff against the Mets in 1999, and their first winning season since 2000 (85-77), the Reds will determine their own "dustiny" during the final 71 games of 2010. With the anticipated return of Edinson Volquez to their rotation against the Rockies on Saturday and 56% of their season behind them, the Reds will have the easiest remaining schedule according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The combined won-lost record of the Reds' outstanding opponents is a .464 percentage and the Cardinals .473 percentage is the second easiest in baseball. The Baltimore Orioles are currently 28 games behind the New York Yankees and own last place in the NL East. Their .541 won-lost percentage of future competitors is the toughest in the league. Ouch.

Going into Friday the Reds led the National League in hitting (.272), runs scored (437), RBI (423), and shared the top NL spot in defense (.990) with the Padres. Their pitching ERA (4.19) was ranked 11th in the NL.

Along with the Reds' 50th win on Friday night in between MC Hammer concerts, Bronson Arroyo received his tenth. Arroyo pitched seven innings and allowed two runs on five hits. Arroyo's counterpart Jason Hammel struck out a career-high ten batters during his outing (7IP, 8H) for the Rockies, but allowed all three of the Reds' earned runs and received the loss (7-4). Brandon Phillips snapped a 1-19 skid by going 3-4 with two runs scored and Orlando Cabrera went 2-4 as he drove in Phillips both times he reached.

“I really felt the crowd was what helped win this game,” Phillips said. “Maybe they came to see the Reds, maybe they came to see MC Hammer. It doesn’t matter, because they were out there.”

Arthur Rhodes entered Friday's game during the eighth inning after Arroyo allowed two runners to reach base without recording an out. Rhodes walked Ryan Spilborghs to load the bases, but retired Dexter Fowler on a pop-out and struck out Jonathan Herrera and Carlos Gonzales to end the inning. Francisco Cordero closed out the game receiving his 25th save as the Reds defeated the Rockies 3-2.

Edinson Volquez (0-0, 0.00) will face Jorge De La Rosa (3-1, 4.94) and the Rockies at 7:10pm on Saturday.

MORE NEWS:
-Baker's office & pitching staff getting overcrowded HAL McCOY
-Breaking down the Reds' 2nd half schedule BLEACHER REPORT
-Alonso heating up as bats enter second half BATS.COM
-Moeller product thriving with Dragons MARK CHALIFOUX
-Pete Rose shows how obscurity cures infamy ESPN
-Votto clarifies comments about Cubs MATT BROWN
-Hammer rehearsal photos BETTER OFF RED

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2010 ARCHIVES:
OCTOBER 2010 (1-30)
SEPTEMBER 2010 (1-14) (15-30)
AUGUST 2010 (1-14) (15-31)
JULY 2010 (1-14) (15-31)
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APRIL 2010 (1-14) (15-30)
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