Right-hander Todd Coffey was optioned to Class AAA Louisville and lefty Bill Bray was recalled from the Bats after Coffey posted a 6.84 ERA for his 14 appearances this year.
"Coffey has the stuff, but I talked to him about a positive outlook and believing that good things will happen instead of always something adverse," said manager Dusty Baker. When it was mentioned that Coffey carried bad body language, Baker said, "Yes, and hitters pick up on that. He's a guy who throws 93 and 94 miles an hour, but he has to stay out of the heart of the plate. "He has gone through this before, but when you see an arm like that, you try to figure it out and he tries to figure it out," Baker added. "Just too many fat strikes. He has to work on coming inside. Too many guys were up there whaling and feeling comfortable on him. Nobody who throws 94 should get hit like that."
Bray missed the first half of spring training with shoulder tenderness and was told to go to Louisville and show he can pitch in back-to-back games and pitch multiple innings.
He made eight appearances (8 2/3 innings) and gave up only four hits, one run (1.04 ERA), three walks and struck out 14.
REDS 4, CARDINALS 3: Right-hander Bronson Arroyo won his first game in his sixth start, holding the Cardinals to three runs and six hits over six innings, the first time this season he has gone more than 5 2/3 innings, and the club broke a nine-game losing streak in the first game of a series.
