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Reds set rotation: Volquez, Arroyo, Cueto


Jamie_B

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http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101003&content_id=15369378&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

[quote]CINCINNATI -- Despite not knowing who they will face in the National League Division Series, the Reds have set their rotation for the first three games.

Edinson Volquez was announced as the Game 1 starter on Saturday. Revealed Sunday is that Bronson Arroyo will get Game 2, and Johnny Cueto will pitch Game 3.

Left-hander Travis Wood and right-hander Homer Bailey, both part of the regular-season rotation, will be in the bullpen for those games.

"Wood gives us potentially four lefties in the bullpen," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "And both of them could be potential Game 4 or Game 5 starters if we needed them to. This was predicated upon Philadelphia initially."

The Reds could still wind up playing the Phillies in the NLDS, but scenarios exist where they could face either the Giants or Padres from the NL West.

It was somewhat surprising that Wood didn't get an initial start, since he is left-handed and could be facing a lefty-strong Phillies lineup. On July 10 at Citizens Bank Park, Wood took a perfect game into the ninth inning in only his third big league start. The Reds wound up losing the 1-0 game in 11 innings.

"That was the first time they saw him, too, not to take anything away from him," Baker said. "They didn't have [Chase] Utley. They didn't have [Placido] Polanco. They didn't have [Carlos] Ruiz. And they were scoring runs at the time. He's a gutsy kid, but he and Homer are probably the least experienced, too. If we can get him a game, he'd be more prepared to start the next time, if there is a next time."

In his last four starts, totaling 24 1/3 innings, the 23-year-old Wood has allowed two walks with 24 strikeouts. He finished his rookie season at 5-4 with a 3.51 ERA in 17 big league starts.

Arroyo was put between Volquez and Cueto to have a softer thrower between two power arms.

"You hate to put two similar guys back-to-back," Baker said. "I know the Phillies have two similar guys back-to-back, but they're different -- [Roy] Halladay and [Roy] Oswalt."

Arroyo, a 17-game winner and the most veteran pitcher of the rotation, expressed no disappointment about not getting Game 1.

"Either way, I don't care. It doesn't matter to me," Arroyo said. "I'll toe the rubber some time."

Cueto finished the regular season 12-7 with a 3.64 ERA in 31 starts, but he was 0-3 with a 4.32 ERA over his last six starts.

"He's pitched excellent at home," Baker said. Cueto is nearly a run better at home, with a 3.20 ERA, compared with 4.10 on the road.

The Reds have yet to set their final 25-man roster, but there will be an 11-man pitching staff.

"We have a young staff, period. Other than Bronson, none of these guys have been there," Baker said. "There's a different atmosphere, a different noise level, a different everything. This will be more electricity, intensity, cheering and jeering and spitting than anything they've ever experienced in their lives."[/quote]
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