• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Reds-Blue Jays Preview

Jun 24, 2009 - 3:57 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Cincinnati (34-34) at Toronto (38-33), 7:07 p.m. EDT

Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker used the words "excellent" and "masterful" when discussing Bronson Arroyo's most recent performance.

Those were hardly the adjectives used to describe Arroyo's last start in Toronto.

The worst outing of Arroyo's 10-year career came exactly one year ago at Rogers Centre, an effort he'll hope to avenge Wednesday night as the Reds and Blue Jays continue their three-game series.

Arroyo (8-5, 5.16 ERA) had been 2-1 with a 2.42 ERA in Toronto in four previous starts - all with Boston - when Cincinnati (34-35) visited last June.

That series opener was over in a hurry. Arroyo gave up six runs in the first inning and four more without getting an out in the second before exiting in the Reds' 14-1 loss. The 10 earned runs - coming on 11 hits, including homers by Alex Rios, Scott Rolen and Gregg Zaun - were the most Arroyo had ever allowed.

"It seemed no matter what he threw, he couldn't get them out," Baker said. "There were just a lot of balls in the center of the plate and it's hard to get guys out in the center of the plate."

Baker, though, used more complimentary terms to describe Arroyo after his latest start. The right-hander gave up two runs and two hits over 6 2-3 innings Friday against the Chicago White Sox, striking out seven in a 4-3 victory.

"That was an excellent performance," Baker said. "Masterful. He had a good fastball, good sinker. But mostly, he had good location."

Arroyo will have his hands full Wednesday with a Blue Jays lineup that has averaged 7.8 runs during the last five wins.

Toronto (39-33) was held to four total runs in losses to Washington on Friday and Saturday but bounced back Sunday with a 9-4 victory. The Blue Jays carried that momentum into Tuesday's opener against the Reds, jumping out to a 6-0 lead en route to a 7-5 win.

Rolen and Adam Lind had two hits apiece Tuesday, and those two have been leading the way offensively for Toronto lately. They are batting a combined .390 (23 for 59) with four homers and 11 RBIs in the past seven games.

Rolen is hitting .360 (9 for 25) with two homers against Arroyo.

Cincinnati got its best hitter back for the first time in nearly a month Tuesday, and Toronto native Joey Votto went 1 for 4 in his return. Votto was batting .357 with eight homers and 33 RBIs in 38 games but hadn't played since May 29 as he dealt with recurring depression and anxiety following the death of his father last August.

"The first few innings were a little tough but from about the fourth or fifth inning on I could just kind of be my old self," Votto said. "I felt fine, my swing felt good. I just missed some pitches."

Votto and his teammates will be facing Scott Richmond (5-4, 3.79) for the first time, and the right-hander is coming off the best start of his young career. Richmond struck out 11 in eight innings Wednesday at Philadelphia, allowing one run in a 7-1 victory.

"(It was) just what we needed," manager Cito Gaston told the Blue Jays' official Web site. "He hit his spots. He got his breaking ball over when he needed to, or got a little bit out of the strike zone and those guys swung at them. He pitched a great ballgame."

This won't be Richmond's first game since then, however. He gave up a walkoff two-run homer Saturday in the 12th inning of a 5-3 loss at Washington in an emergency appearance out of the bullpen.