The Reds thought that they could count on Bronson Arroyo this season. They felt that he just had a bad year in 2007 but it has carried over into 2008. Arroyo has started 14 games this season for the Reds and he is 4-5 with a 5.74 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP. Part of the problem has been the velocity on his fastball which is way down from last season and it’s allowing hitters to sit on his curveball. Arroyo has allowed an amazing 95 hits and 13 homers in only 73.2 innings this season. The Reds can’t compete in the Central Division if Arroyo doesn’t start pitching better soon.

Kyle Lohse, Bronson Arroyo, Todd Coffey, Matt Belisle and Kirk Saarloos have all not pitched up to their ability this season.  Bronson Arroyo is the pitcher that has hurt the Reds the most because they are paying him like an ace of the rotation and he simply is not that good and he’s proving that this season.  Arroyo is 3-9 this season with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP so far.  That just will not get it done.  The Reds need him to step up and start earning his paychecks starting RIGHT NOW.  Kyle Lohse has never really been that good of a pitcher so it should come as no surprise that he finished the first half of the season with a 5-10 record.  With that record Lohse has a 4.47 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP which doesn’t indicate how good his stuff is.  He should be a better pitcher than he has been so far in his career so it is possible that the light bulb could turn on at any point.  Matt Belisle surprised everyone in Spring Training and he won a job in the rotation but he might have a hard time keeping it if he doesn’t pitch better in the 2nd half.  Belisle is 5-6 with a 5.28 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP so far this season.  Todd Coffey is another pitcher that has been disappointing to the Reds this season.  He is 1-1 with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP so far this season.  He has allowed an amazing 46 hits and 8 homers in only 35.1 innings and that will need to change soon.  He has good enough stuff to miss opposing bats so he needs to get that done.  Kirk Saarloos has never been a good major league pitcher and it’s unlikely he ever will be one.  Saarloos is 1-4 with a 6.85 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP so far this season for the Reds.  Hopefully he won’t pitch that much in the 2nd half of the season or the Reds will be in deep trouble.

Kirk Saarloos has been pretty bad for the Reds so far this season.  In 21 games (1 start), he is 0-3 with a 5.09 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP.  In 23 innings, he has allowed 21 hits, walked 11 batters and struck out 13.  Saarloos can start or relieve for the Reds, but he’s good at neither because he doesn’t have major league stuff.  The less the Reds pitch him…..the better.

The Reds thought they might have problems with their bullpen but they didn’t think it would be because of how Todd Coffey was going to pitch.  Coffey had a decent year last season for the Reds and he was being counted on to pitch late in ballgames for the Reds this season.  It seems as if the Reds are not going to trust Coffey in crucial situations until he starts to pitch better.  He is 1-1 with a 5.74 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP in 18 games this season.  Coffey has thrown 15.2 innings this season and he has allowed 19 hits, 3 homers, hit 4 batters and walked six. Coffey has also whiffed 17 batters which shows that all he needs to do is adjust location and throw more strikes to get back on track.

Eric Milton lost his first start after coming off of the DL and he looked exactly like he has in his first two seasons with the Reds.  Milton, like most of the pitchers that threw for Ron Gardenhire in Minnesota, is a strike thrower.  In his first start of the season he only walked 1 batter in 5.2 innings, but he allowed 10 hits and 4 earned runs.  Milton was a horrible signing for the Reds a couple of years ago because he’s a flyball pitcher in a homerun park.