I was sitting on my couch on Tuesday night and turned on the Cincinnati Reds-Pittsburgh Pirates game, mainly to watch Mike Leake pitch. In the top of the eighth, Leake got into a little bit of trouble and Dusty Baker called on Arthur Rhodes to help bail out him out.
Here is the beautiful thing about writing: you start to watch a baseball game with a thought in mind about what or whom you are going to write and then something happens during the course of a game that completely changes your train of thought.
I was fully prepared to write about Leake, but then as soon as Rhodes came into the game, I thought, “Wow, I can’t believe this guy is still pitching, but pitching so well.”
Middle relievers rarely get any love in these parts, so it’s time to give some love to Arthur Lee Rhodes.
Has anyone else noticed that Rhodes has a 0.47 ERA going into tonight’s action? What is impressive about Rhodes’ ERA is that after giving up a run (HR to Jeff Baker) in his second inning of work this season, he has reeled off 17.1 scoreless innings.
Rhodes is 40 years old and has a 0.47 ERA and 19 K’s in 19.1 IP. He also has only given up eight hits on the season and has not allowed more than a single hit in any appearance.
The guy is just getting the job done.
Rhodes is enjoying his most success with runners on base. Going into last night, Rhodes is stranding 100 percent of the runners on base. That number won’t last throughout a 162 game schedule, but is still absolutely incredible.
Rhodes is a big reason why the Reds are in first place and he should be recognized for his tremendous start to the season.
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