Reds start is catching fans eyes!!

[BengalszoneBilly]

CINCINNATI (AP) -- It's been 10 years since the Cincinnati Reds started so well.

D'Angelo Jimenez drove in a pair of runs and made a saving defensive play Saturday, setting up a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates -- the latest win during Cincinnati's uplifting homestand.

At 4-1, the Reds are three games over .500 for the first time since Aug. 19, 2002, when they were still playing at Cinergy Field. They never got more than two games above the break-even mark in their first year at Great American Ball Park.

There's been nothing fancy about the first-week surge against the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh.

"I just put their names on the lineup card, put on my sunglasses, sit back and watch," manager Dave Miley said.

Folks around these parts haven't seen anything like it since 1994, when the Reds won six of their first seven games.

Adam Dunn hit a solo homer -- his second in two games -- and Jimenez had a sacrifice fly and an RBI double, leading the Reds to their fourth straight victory.

Cory Lidle (1-1), who lost the season opener against the Cubs, rebounded with seven solid innings. The right-hander gave up one run and six hits, and didn't walk anyone.

"I didn't lose any confidence after my first outing," said Lidle, a newcomer who lost 15 games with Toronto last year. "Things didn't go my way, but I felt like I threw the ball well. I wanted to prove myself to my teammates and the fans."

Cincinnati's uncharacteristically good start has been set up by an unexpected renaissance from the rotation. Reds starters had the NL's worst ERA last season, a major factor in their 93-loss finish.

The retooled rotation has allowed only five runs over 26 innings during the four-game winning streak.

Kip Wells (1-1) needed 114 pitches to get through six innings, repeatedly pitching out of threats against a team that hasn't hit well with runners on base. Cincinnati stranded nine runners in his six innings, and left the bases loaded in the fourth.

"I have confidence I can get myself out of pretty much any situation, but by getting into situations, I get my pitch count up," Wells said. "I've got to try to put guys away quickly."

Dunn hit his third homer in the fourth inning, a one-out shot on Wells' first pitch. Ryan Freel tripled to the base of the wall in center in the sixth and scored on Jimenez's fly to center for a 2-1 lead. Jimenez added a run-scoring double in the eighth.

Jimenez also helped preserve the lead in the top of the eighth, when Abraham Nunez led off with a double off Ryan Wagner. Nunez tried for third on Tike Redman's grounder to Jimenez, but got a late jump and was thrown out by the second baseman.

"Bad baserunning," manager Lloyd McClendon grumbled. "He got thrown out by a mile. He didn't get the proper secondary lead."

Jimenez expected Redman to try to advance the runner with a bunt. Instead, he swung away and hit a grounder directly to him.

"I was playing halfway in," Jimenez said. "I wanted to be ready for the bunt. I just charged and reacted to him going to third."

Redman then compounded the mistake by getting picked off first base.

Danny Graves pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save. Graves has been perfect in three opportunities since moving from the rotation back into the closer's role this season.

Pittsburgh has managed only two runs in the first two games of the series. Wells accounted for the only run Saturday, hitting his first career triple off the base of the wall in left-center and scoring on Jack Wilson's sacrifice fly in the third.

Game notes

Pirates 3B Chris Stynes got the day off after opening the season 0-for-12. Rob Mackowiak took his place and had a single. ... OF Raul Mondesi fouled off seven pitches in his first at-bat, finally grounding out on the 10th pitch from Lidle. ... Pirates 1B Randall Simon left with a tight left hamstring after running out a grounder in the first inning. He felt it tighten up halfway down the line. "It's still a little sore right now, but it's better than it was," Simon said after the game. ... Reds C Jason LaRue was 0-for-3, leaving him hitless in 14 at-bats this season.

[redsfan2]

Well we weren't able to sweep the Pirates, but we did take 2 out of 3 for the second straight series.

I'll take that every time. Still in first place ........ and yeah I know it's early but it still feels good.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Well we weren't able to sweep the Pirates, but we did take 2 out of 3 for the second straight series.

I'll take that every time. Still in first place ........ and yeah I know it's early but it still feels good.

Hey Marine...If we keep up this two out of three business, it'll keep feelin' good. And we weren't blow out in any of the losses!

[The Brew Man]

You know, they sold over 9,000 walk up tickets on Friday, the most in ten years! Gotta love our bandwagon fans in Cincy...

Go Reds!

[BengalszoneBilly]

Gotta love our bandwagon fans in Cincy...

Go Reds!

You know...I don't think of them as "bandwagon" fans. I look at them as I look at we Bengal fans here. We've just been hammered by poor coaching/management for soooooooo long, it's hard to be vocally supportive. We've always been here. It's that we've been supressed into being dormant for years. I for one think both the Reds and Bengals are headed back to prominence in their respective games!

[jditty47]

I for one am a reds fan, but i wouldnt want to go see them get hammered. Im a reds fan but not a baseball fan as of late...hopefully this year will spark my interest.

[Kirkendall]

I honestly don't blame bandwagon fans for both the Bengals and the Reds. I mean can you really blame them? Why would anyone want to burn energy and $ for a losing team? Personally, I love football and baseball so partially I follow the Reds and Bengals consistantly because I love both games.

But I can't blame anyone if they started coming to the games when the Reds are winning. If the Reds start losing, I'll still go. More seats and room to spread out for me.

[Kirkendall]

Im a reds fan but not a baseball fan as of late...hopefully this year will spark my interest.

I honestly think that one influences the other. If the Reds are very successful this season, you'll be more in tune with the game. I think that applies to everyone. And if the Reds are doing well, we'll watch other games to see how our rivals do. I think we're all in the same boat.

But I have to admit, I love having baseball games on in the background if I'm doing something around the house.

The best though, is listening to Marty and Joe while playing X-Box video games..

[Jam31]

Definitely not bandwagon. Look at my Orioles.

I personally boycotted (spent no money on games or merchandise) them last season because Angelos has refused to field a good team for many reasons, one being that he got burned by Albert Belle 5 years ago. F*** Him

He invests in the team, I invest in the team.

I still watched every game and followed them in the paper but I didn't buy a single jersey or a ticket. My job gave me tickets for free so I wouln't call it a true boycott either.

I will be paying my own way to a game in two weeks and I am excited.

Im even thinking about buying a Tejada jersey. Its just good to watch a team that has potential for once.

[skyline]

they won again today. i don't expect it to last all year, but im certainly enjoying it while it lasts. i live in TN and havent had a chance to catch a game a GABP. definitely in my plans this season...

[jditty47]

ya, since i live in vegas i havent been able to go to any games...but this year i wanna do a package deal like see a reds game on sat then a bengal game on sunday =)

[The Brew Man]

ya, since i live in vegas i havent been able to go to any games...but this year i wanna do a package deal like see a reds game on sat then a bengal game on sunday =)

By that time it will be easy to get a seat at GABP....

[Kirkendall]

they won again today. i don't expect it to last all year, but im certainly enjoying it while it lasts. i live in TN and havent had a chance to catch a game a GABP. definitely in my plans this season...

Man, your missing out. If you like nostalgia, then GAP is the place for you. More and more historical monuments are going up including the opening of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum towards the month of September.

[redsfan2]

they won again today.  i don't expect it to last all year, but im certainly enjoying it while it lasts.  i live in TN and havent had a chance to catch a game a GABP.  definitely in my plans this season...

Man, your missing out. If you like nostalgia, then GAP is the place for you. More and more historical monuments are going up including the opening of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum towards the month of September.

Haven't been to The Great American Ballpark .................. ( that's a great name ain't it ?? ) yet, but hope to fix that soon. Real soon. Been to Crosley and of course Cinergy ( yawn ) and my son and I did walk over to the park and look around when we were down for the Ravens game, but haven't made it inside yet.

Am I the only one here who stays after the game just to look at the field and the stands ... and just kind of take it all in ???

If you ever make it down to Baltimore you gotta eat Boog Powells BBQ. That is a beautiful park as well.

As to the walk ups being wagon jumpers, ..... not always. Even after I was out of town, my Dad would call my Mom and say meet me downtown and they'd go to the game. Had nothing to do with their record ... who they were playing or anything else ( except the weather ) they both just loved watching the Reds. A lot of them are probably curious to get a look at all the new guys who are doing pretty good so far. I say great! Let 'em all come and have a look ..... just save a couple of seats for me and whoever I can drag along with me.