Alfredo Simon Shakes Second Half Blues

http://donatelifeohio.org/

Alfredo Simon pitched his way onto the National League All-Star team winning the final game before the break to fashion a 12-3 record.

Simon returned to form and the Reds' lumber emerged from its slumber to score five runs on 10 hits as the Reds forced a split of the four-game series with a 5-3 win.

Since the All-Star game, he reminded older Reds' fans of two first half sensations, Wayne Simpson and Jack Armstrong, who both had fantastic first halves only to fade into oblivion.  Simon made seven starts in the second half coming into the game but was 0-5 with two no-decisions.

"Today he pitched ahead in the count and used his full complement of pitches." Bryan Price said. "Sometimes a pitcher has the same velocity but it doesn't feel like it and he tries to manufacture more. Today he just executed his pitches."

http://www.wiedemannbeer.com/

Simpson was 13-1 at the 1970 All-Star break and won just 23 games in the remaining 4 1/2 years of his career. Armstrong was 11-3 at the 1990 All-Star break and won one game the rest of the season. He finished his career with a total of 22 games for three teams in the final four active years.

"I just tried to keep the ball down," Simon said.

The Reds jumped on former teammate and ace, Aaron Harang for three runs on five hits in the fourth inning. The five hits were as many as they had in the first three games of the series.   Todd Frazier, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, who reached when Harang neglected to cover first, Brayan Pena and Zack Cozart all had singles to plate three runs. Ryan Ludwick hit a sacrifice fly.

"Harang not covering first was the catalyst to that inning," Price said.  "Otherwise Ludwick's fly would be the third out."

Bruce's sixth inning single, a walk to Ryan Ludwick and Pena's second hit of the game made it 4-0 Reds. Bruce's hit was a ground ball to first on which Harang neglected to cover.

Reds caricatures for sale fstopjd@fuse.net

Evan Gattis and Tommy La Stella hit back-to-back doubles off Simon but he finished the seventh inning, allowing one run on five hits and a walk for the game. He also hit a batter. It was Simon's best start since he beat Chicago on July 9, the day before the break.

Frazier added his 22nd home run off David Hale.  It was his second long ball since the All-Star break.

Jumbo Diaz rescued Manny Parra from a first and third, one-out jam by striking out Justin Upton and Chris Johnson.

Gattis hit his 20th home run of the season off Logan Ondrusek in the ninth.

Ondrusek got two outs then pinch hitter Emilio Bonafacio hit a ball up the middle.  Ondrusek tried to block it with his right foot and it bounded away for a hit.

Price brought in Jonathan Broxton, who allowed a single then walked the bases loaded before getting hot hitting Justin Upton to ground out to Phillips for his seventh save.

"I have all the confidence in Broxton," Price said.  "If Ondrusek doesn't try the skate save, we're out of the inning."

Zack Cozart, who has played Gold Glove defense but has struggled at the plate had three hits, including a triple high off the wall in rightcenter.

"It was heart warming to see Zack get some hits," Price said.

"I was concentrating on taking the ball up the middle. I didn't worry about what he was going to throw me," Cozart said.  "It simplified things for me.  On the triple, I thought, "I hit that pretty good." That's all I've got. I hit them to left and I know they're gone but not often do I hit them to the opposite field but I thought I hit it well enough.  Then I see Heyward running after the ball.  I'm thinking you've got to be kidding me.  Heyward passed me and told me, "one more donut and that would have been out.""