Gullett worries something is physically amiss with Wilson

[CincyRedsFan30]

How low can they go?
Wilson ripped again; Padres rookie wins in ML debut

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | As former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jose Rijo once said about a long string of poor baseball: "It has reached the highest level of embarrassivity."

That embarrassivity is back in Cincinnati, tenfold.

When a player on the other team ignores a painful, achy back to put himself in the lineup to face a certain pitcher, namely Paul Wilson, it has, indeed, reached another level of embarrassivity.

San Diego's Ryan Klesko will kick off his coffin lid and knock over his tombstone when he is cold-stone dead and gone, just to face Reds pitcher Wilson.

Before Wednesday's 7-2 San Diego flattening of the moribund Reds, Klesko was 7-for-13 with five home runs for his career against Wilson.

Klesko missed Tuesday's game with a sore back, but he probably was at the clubhouse door at 6 a.m. Wednesday to make certain Padres manager Bruce Bochy scribbled his name on the lineup card.

Sure enough, with the Reds leading 2-1 in the fourth inning, Klesko cranked a three-run home run down the right-field line and the Padres never looked back, especially at Klesko's back.

In his previous start Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wilson didn't retire a batter during a 10-run first inning. On Wednesday, the first two Padres reached but only one scored, that on a double by Brian Giles.

And that's another crypt-kicker story. Giles, too, won't let death do him part with Wilson. He is 5-for-6 with two homers for his career against Wilson.

Bochy, perhaps feeling a flicker of compassion, didn't start Robert Fick, 5-for-7 with a home run in his career against Wilson.

Wilson stuck around for five innings, giving up five runs and 12 hits. And he is now 1-7 for his career against San Diego and Klesko is 8-for-16 with six homers.

Pitching coach Don Gullett is as perplexed as the man on the street and wonders if there is something physically amiss. Wilson missed time last season with a bad back.

"I've asked him repeatedly, over and over and over, if he is OK physically and he says he is," said Gullett. "The main thing to me that is glaring is that his velocity is off and his failure to make pitches with consistency. He says he is fine physically, but his velocity is down. He is going through tough times right now."

Gullett paused and said quietly, "That is not the Paul Wilson we are accustomed to seeing."

The embarrassivity level rises when one considers the Padres starter, 22-year-old Tim Stauffer, made his major-league debut Wednesday.

The Reds (12-21) put their first five runners on base, but profited by only two runs, a two-run homer by Felipe Lopez. They left the bases loaded in the first and third innings.

Stauffer shook the first-inning shakes and held the Reds to the two runs and four hits over six innings.

"To say we had him staggered in the first inning is an understatement," said manager Dave Miley. "We were one hit away from knocking him out of the game in the first inning and close to getting him in the third, but we couldn't deliver the knockout punch."

With two runs in, the bases loaded and nobody out in the first, Joe Randa hit into a double play and Austin Kearns lined to second.

With the bases loaded and one out in the third, Randa popped to second, stranding six runners in his first two at-bats, and Kearns struck out.

Sean Casey had a walk and a single off Stauffer and the significance is that both attended the University of Richmond. Casey sent him an autographed bat after the game, a weapon the Reds were unfamiliar with Wednesday (five hits).

What it all means in the grand scheme is that the Reds lost the series two games to one and are 0-6-2 in their last eight series. They haven't won a series since taking two of three from Houston at Great American Ball Park April 15-17 and the only other series they've won is the three-game season-opening series against the New York Mets, which seems like six seasons ago.

[redsrbetter]

Wally called this. I bet there is something wrong and Wilson has too much pride to admit it. If that is the case, then I will be mad at him for sure. Regardless, he is not effective at all. No way should we trust this guy to start again until we see what is ailing him and fix it. He really is going to have to figure it out these next 4 days.

[CincyRedsFan30]

He needs to go on the DL. It's clear something isn't right.

[missionhockey21]

Gullett paused and said quietly, "That is not the Paul Wilson we are accustomed to seeing."

So true. Wilson might not be a true ace, but he is at least somewhat effective through 5 or 6 IP usually. That's not the case this year. I really think they need to have him looked at. I think after these past two starts he could use at least a mental break in addition to giving his arm a rest. You think if it was something serious he would of talked to Gully or maybe because of his competitive attitude he doesn't want to admit anything is wrong, hoping he can pitch through the pain.

[QuietAcre]

I know video games are just that, video games, but...in my OOTP6.12 league Wilson has pitched the following games for me:

Inability pitch deep into games...

Not good. Just like in real life, it's almost clock work that when the fifth inning rolls around you'd best be getting that bullpen up and working.

[NFLman2033]

i think this article is contradicting its self... Klesko, Giles, and Fick have fantastic career numbers against Wilson, which has nothing to do with Wilson being injuried, it means Wilson sucks

[CincyRedsFan30]

Hal was just pointing out that those players have great career numbers against Wilson, but that still doesn't mean he's not injured.

[volzok]

I agree with CRF. Those numbers would explain yesterdays bad start. But he has yet to have a great start like he had last season.

[Wally Mo Pena]

right. Some pitchers own hitters, some hitters own pitchers. Was it bagwell that was 0 for 30 against scott sullivan? it's unfortunate that the pads have a couple of guys who have gotten to wilson over his career, but everyone can see that there's something going on with Paul. He's not throwing his game. Maybe it's what NFL says, it's age and things like that getting to him, and he just isn't as good. But i doubt it. Players don't usually just forget how to do what they've done for years. If Paul was making his normal pitches and getting beat, that's one thing, but like Gullet said, his velocity is down and he's not spotting his pitches. That will kill anyone.

[Saber]

Wow, Reds pitching has given up almost a .300 average so far this year. That's fantastically bad, about 70 points higher than normal.

[NFLman2033]

right. Some pitchers own hitters, some hitters own pitchers. Was it bagwell that was 0 for 30 against scott sullivan? it's unfortunate that the pads have a couple of guys who have gotten to wilson over his career, but everyone can see that there's something going on with Paul. He's not throwing his game. Maybe it's what NFL says, it's age and things like that getting to him, and he just isn't as good. But i doubt it. Players don't usually just forget how to do what they've done for years. If Paul was making his normal pitches and getting beat, that's one thing, but like Gullet said, his velocity is down and he's not spotting his pitches. That will kill anyone.

i just make no beef i have no confidence in him healthy or injuried, I mean i hoped he is injuried as an explanation for his last couple outings, but won't be suprised if he isn't, nor will i be suprised if he is.