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Another tough loss for Harang

Pitcher hits 3-run homer, but rest of Reds don’t do much in 8-5 loss to Cubs

Cincinnati Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan, left, talks with starting pitcher Aaron Harang during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, July 24, 2009, at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Associated Press photo by Charles Rex Arbogast Cincinnati Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan, left, talks with starting pitcher Aaron Harang during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, July 24, 2009, at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer Updated 12:03 AM Saturday, July 25, 2009

CHICAGO — Aaron Harang took bat in hand and smote a mighty blow for himself. Unfortunately for him, he received no mighty blows from his Cincinnati Reds teammates, or even any little itty bitty blows.

Harang's three-run home run, his first career homer and first since high school, was all he received while he was on the mound and the Reds fell to the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field, 8-5.

Harang's home run gave him a 3-1 lead, but he gave up a couple of home runs after that and three runs, enough to push his winless skid to 11 straight starts.

Then the Cubs tore into the Reds bullpen (Daniel Ray Herrera, Jared Burton) for four runs in the eighth.

"We're still in that game if we hold them in the eighth (4-3)," said manager Dusty Baker. "Somebody has to hold 'em in the eighth. You can't kill Arthur Rhodes and David Weathers every day. Some other guys have to do the job."

And the Reds? They are 2-6 since the All-Star break, they are seven games under .500 (44-51) for the first time this season and they are wilting much faster than the vines will die on the brick walls of Wrigley Field this fall.

Harang definitely needs some help. In his last start he lost to Milwaukee, 5-1, and the only run the Reds scored was when Harang bunted and the Reds' run scored on a throwing error. So in his last 13 innings, not a run has been driven in for him by a position player while he has been on the mound.

"If we're not scoring runs, I guess our pitchers have to figure out a way to do it themselves," said Baker. "A very frustrating game, a very frustrating road trip (0-4) and a very frustrating second half since the All-Star break."

A broken-bat single by Willy Taveras scored two runs in the ninth and put two runners on with Joey Votto at the plate, the tying run. Votto took a called third strike on the outside to end the game, sending Baker, hitting coach Brook Jacoby and pitching coach Dick Pole to the clubhouse laptop to view the pitch over and over.

"A couple of questionable calls on Joey," said Baker. "You hate to end the game like that because Joey has a good eye and he isn't going to end the game like that unless he thinks it was a ball. Mike Reilly is a good umpire and you just hate to see a game end like that."

Harang's home run was trumped by the four hit by the Cubs into the gentle breezes blowing out in Wrigleyville.

Harang's ogre was Aramis Ramirez, who had three straight hits off him and drove in three of the four runs off Harang. Ramirez broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth with a home run.

"I threw a slider on the home run to Ramirez and he is a good breaking-ball hitter," said Harang. "The ball stayed over the middle of the plate. I thought I made some good pitches on him earlier, especially on the double he hit the other way in the first to drive in a run.

"I made a good pitch, a slider, but he just hit it the other way and it landed where our guys weren't at," he said. "He usually hits me pretty decent."

Of his home run, Harang said, "But it went for naught. It definitely felt good when I hit it. We've been working on that for quite a while and it finally happened. Now I'm going to have to call Adam Dunn and tell him, 'I finally got one,' because he has been all over me about it."

The only thing Harang got out of the day was the ball he hit for a home run. He would rather have had a victory.

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Guess the reason this team ain't winning is Gomes, Rosales, and Janish. Though Castalini said we were not going to lose any more. Get some players! Players win games. Sparky won with the best players. Torre lost with the Mets and Cards with sorry teams.

Confused
12:16 PM, 7/25/2009

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I agree! Dusty Baker has managerial quirks. So does Tony LaRussa. Dusty is hammered for game management and LaRussa bats his pitcher 8th, over manages games, and does just as many goofy things as Baker. The difference, he has Dave Duncan as a pitching coach, and always manages teams with a McGuire,Canseco,RickyHenderson,Pujols,Edmunds,Walker, Rolans,and other great players. What manager in baseball today would win with this roster?

Voice of Reason
12:08 PM, 7/25/2009

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I guess it is Dusty's fault Harrang is 11-51 over the last 2 years? Just like you can not win the Daytona 500 with a Yugo,this Reds team can not win with AAA ball players. Young pitchers like (Cueto,Bailey,Volquez, Maloney, et.al) need runs support and defense to help them settle into becoming better pitchers. There are no veteran position player with a solid work ethic which perform at a high level on this team, fans want to blame Baker.

Baker Supporter
11:58 AM, 7/25/2009

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Adding a big bat, as Walt says, will do very little when so many other parts are missing. Someone has to give instructions as to cutoffs, strike zones, advancing runners and bunting. If the guys are not listening, find someone they will listen to. Phillips and EE will chase pitches into the dugout. Votto and Hanigan are the only ones who go with the pitch. Phillips hit into a DP trying to pull a ball way off the plate. The Reds are painful to watch as Dusty chews his toothpick.

bob
11:16 AM, 7/25/2009

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Canadian Fan.. That pitch was too close for Votto to be taking in any situtation. However, I gotta agree w/ you. That fool hadn't called that pitch all friggin' day long & he squeezed AH & Wells the entire game. Then to ring up JV on that? That dude must've looked @ his watch & realized, "Oh s***t! I've gotta date in a few minutes." That was absolutely awful!

Pete
9:38 AM, 7/25/2009

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