Role Reversal?

It can easily be said that not since 1999 have the Reds had a legitimate Major League pitching staff. Sure, from time to time one starter or reliever has had a career year while pitching for the Reds since that time, but overall, pitching has been a problem.

Cut to 2006. Sure, it's early, but the Reds have two pitchers in Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo who seem to, so far, be vying with each other on a start by start basis for the "Staff Ace" title. Over the past two weeks, starting pitching has had an ERA just over 2. Over the past four starts, the starters have gone at least seven innings, while giving up no more than 2 ER each. As someone who has followed this club closely during these past few seasons that have featured sub-par pitching, I have to say that this is truly amazing.

At the same time that the starting pitching has begun to blossom, the Reds' offense has become strangely silent. Over the three game series just completed with the Phillies, the Reds hit .151. Ouch. Sure, every offensively powerful team is going to slump from time to time, but this is getting ridiculous. To truly contend, the Reds need to be able to pull the offense and the pitching together at the same time. Imagine how this home-stand would have turned out with exactly the same starting pitching performances and just a little more offense. Instead of sweep at the hands of the Phillies, perhaps the Reds could have taken two of three? Granted, the Phillies' starters matched the performances of the Reds' starters pretty much pitch for pitch, but the Reds certainly had their chances throughout the entire series. Today alone, the Reds left at least two runners on in four different innings, I believe it was.

Seeing the starting pitching excel this past week while the potentially powerful offense has sputtered has been surreal. I will again contend that the Reds miss Rich Aurilia's presence in this lineup more than anyone could have imagined they would when he was placed on the DL. I know that that it is unlikely that the pitching will continue to be as dominant as it has been, and that the offense will not lay lifeless as it has for too much longer, but it would be nice to see the pitching remain close to the level where it has been, and the offense revert back to the successes it was enjoying throughout the month of April, and soon!

In years past, it's been the pitchers who have been quoted as saying that it's been the offense that has kept this team in games, and that it's nice to have potent hitting that is able to score runs and come back late in games. Now, it's Lopez and Dunner praising starting pitching, and bemoaning the fact that they aren't getting the hits or scoring the runs that they should be to support the pitching.

It truly has been a reversal of roles between the pitchers and the hitters. As nice as it is to see the pitching succeed, if there is no run support, there will be no wins. We've seen this team hit, and now we're seeing this team pitch. Now, let's see the two come together, and make people believe that this team is a legitimate contender.

I think they are.

Go Reds.