Ohio Matchup
Cincinnati, OH – Homer Bailey made his highly-anticipated major league debut against the Cleveland Indians in 2007.
The Cincinnati Reds are still waiting for him to live up to the hype.
Bailey makes his season debut as the Reds continue a three-game series with Cleveland on Saturday, looking to win their fourth straight against their interleague rivals.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook SBG Global have made the Reds -105 moneyline favorites for Saturday’s game against the Indians. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 56% of more than 145 bets for this game have been placed on the Reds -105.
Bailey, the seventh overall pick in the 2004 draft, was widely considered one of the top prospects in baseball when he debuted June 8, 2007, against the Indians. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed two runs and five hits over five innings in that 4-3 victory and finished his rookie season 4-2 with a 5.76 ERA in nine starts. He struggled mightily in 2008, going 0-6 with a 7.93 ERA in eight starts.
Despite an impressive spring training, Bailey did not earn a spot in the rotation but was called up from Triple-A Louisville on Friday to take the place of the injured Edinson Volquez, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sore back.
Bailey was 3-5 with a 4.57 ERA in eight games at Louisville, recording one shutout and a pair of complete games.
"Hopefully, he can come up here and do that," manager Dusty Baker said. "We need him."
Baker and the Reds (22-19) will be looking for their third win in four games Saturday.
Cincinnati beat the Indians (16-27) 3-1 on Friday behind eight strong innings from Bronson Arroyo. Adam Rosales doubled in the go-ahead run in the eighth after he failed to drive in a run earlier with the bases loaded. He entered Friday 0-for-10 in his previous four games.
"That was huge, especially after he left the bases loaded," Baker said. "If you keep putting them out there, eventually something’s going to happen.”
Although they won, the Reds struggled to score early despite the wildness of Indians starter Anthony Reyes, who walked a career-high six and hit another batter during a three-inning stint before leaving with an inflamed right elbow. The only run Cincinnati scored during that stretch was on Brandon Phillips’ sacrifice fly in the first.
The Reds have scored 25 runs over their last seven games, hitting .210 during that span. The offense could get a boost with the return of first baseman Joey Votto, who was available to pinch-hit Friday. He has been sidelined since last Saturday with an inner-ear infection.
Cleveland failed to win three straight for the first time this season and dropped to 1-7 in its last eight against Cincinnati.
The Indians had 14 runs and 28 hits in their previous two games, but managed just five hits on Friday.
Struggling Grady Sizemore homered in the first inning after he was dropped to second in the batting order this week because of his slump. He is 5 for 28 (.179) in his last seven games.
David Huff (0-1, 17.18) looks to bounce back from a rocky major league debut when he starts for the Indians. The left-hander allowed seven runs and seven hits over 3 2-3 innings of a 7-5 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday.
"He was erratic," manager Eric Wedge told the Indians’ official Web site. "You could tell he was a little nervous early on. I don’t think we saw his ‘A’ game today. I think he was just fighting to control the baseball with most of his pitches. It still stems off the fastball command, and it was tight up there today."
The Indians are 9-16 on the road this season and have lost five straight in Cincinnati.
Posted: 5/23/09 12:50AM ET
