NewsRosales trying to shake fielding slump
Cincinnati (19-14) at Arizona (13-21), 9:40 p.m. ET
Adam Rosales often makes up for misplayed grounders with his strong arm. (Tony Dejak/AP)
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
05/13/09 1:20 AM ET
PHOENIX -- The Reds don't want rookie Adam Rosales to make like Seinfeld's Frank Costanza and Lloyd Braun and chant "serenity now" before every ground ball comes his way at third base. But the club is concerned about Rosales' defense, as miscues have mounted lately. It would like him to be calmer in the field and to sharpen up mentally. Rosales is telling himself that, too. "I have to find a way to slow it down," Rosales said on Tuesday. "One of my strengths has always been defense, coming up through the organization. I think I'm just hyped up a little bit. I'm not seeing the ball too well off the bat. I have to relax and gain my confidence back to its fullest." Rosales is batting .298 with two home runs and five RBIs in 13 games since his recall on April 28, when Edwin Encarnacion went on the disabled list. His bat and hustle have earned repeated praise. His fielding of grounders hasn't been very clean, but he's often compensated by getting outs with his strong throwing arm. However, last week he did cost the Reds from turning a couple of double plays. The struggles Rosales has had snowballed on him on Monday night during the Reds' 13-5 win. Although charged with his one and only error of the season when Chris Snyder's grounder skipped off his glove and into left field, Rosales was eaten up by several grounders. Some went for borderline hits and others he recovered after bobbling the ball to get an out. After the game, bench coach Chris Speier took Rosales aside to talk. Rosales said that teammates Joey Votto and Alex Gonzalez did likewise. "Right now, it seems he's in a fielding slump where he's allowing the ball to play him," Speier said. "His setup is getting a little better. I told him we're just interested in progress. We don't expect complete change right away, but this is what we want to work for." Speier, who is also the infield coach, is working with Rosales to on setting himself and being lighter on his feet before plays begin. He also wants to build up his confidence. "I relayed a story to him," Speier said. "I went to Dodger Stadium my first or second year and had 30 tickets for my family in the area. I went out there and made four errors in the game at shortstop. I was ashamed, embarrassed, you name it. You get the mentality where you don't want to ball hit to you. And you're afraid of failure. You have to overcome it. "I literally talked to myself before the pitch -- 'OK, hit me the ball. You're going to make the play.' I'd build myself up positively, literally out loud. The third baseman looked at me like I was some wacko." During Tuesday's 3-1 win over Arizona, Rosales cleanly fielded the only grounder hit his way in the fourth inning and turned it for an inning-ending unassisted forceout at third base. Rosales came up as a shortstop until a 2007 arm injury and is capable of playing every infield position. An energetic and always friendly 25-year-old, he has appreciated the help and will continue to work defensively. "It frustrates me because I know the pitcher is working his tail off. I just have to be patient with myself," Rosales said. "I'm shooting before I aim. I have to collect myself and I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn as much as possible. I know I will get over it. I'll be better because of it." Pitching matchupCIN: RHP Johnny Cueto (3-1, 1.59 ERA)
Cueto has given up just three earned runs over his last 33 2/3 innings for a 0.81 ERA over his last five outings. Until Friday, he hadn't allowed more than one walk in any of his previous four starts. During a 6-4 win over the Cardinals on Friday, the right-hander worked seven innings and allowed five hits and two walks with three strikeouts while throwing 98 pitches. He left the game with a 6-1 lead. The lone run scored on a ground-ball double play that ended Cueto's career-high scoreless streak at 15 innings. ARI: RHP Bryan Augenstein (0-0, -.-- ERA)
Augenstein will have his contract selected from Double-A Mobile in order to start Wednesday's game against the Reds. The right-hander, who will be making his Major League debut, is taking the spot of Yusmeiro Petit, who in turn was taking the spot of injured ace Brandon Webb in the rotation. In five starts at Mobile this year, Augenstein was 5-0 with a 0.78 ERA. Augenstein went a combined 7-5 with a 2.74 in 2008, splitting the season between Arizona's two Class A level teams. He was the team's seventh-round pick out of the University of Florida in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. Reds notes
Jerry Hairston Jr. has an eight-game hitting streak and is batting .406 (13-for-32) over that stretch. ... Brandon Phillips has a 10-game hitting streak (17-for-44, .386), and Willy Taveras has a 13-game hitting streak (21-for-53, .396). ... Cincinnati is five games over .500 for the first time since it was 67-62 in 2006. Tickets
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• Thursday: Off-day
• Friday: Reds (Aaron Harang, 3-3, 2.93) at Padres (Kevin Correia, 0-2, 5.34), 10:05 p.m. ET
• Saturday: Reds (Edinson Volquez, 4-2, 4.40) at Padres (Josh Geer, 0-1, 5.14), 10:05 p.m. ET
Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
