B8 MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2012
SPORTS
THE ADVOCATE-MESSENGER
WWW.AMNEWS.COM
but he leads the Admirals
with a .667 on-base percentage thanks in large
part to 10 walks and only
two strikeouts in 38 plate
appearances — a sign that
he has become more particular at the plate.
“I used to be probably
the worst free swinger on
our team. I’d swing at the
first pitch every time.,” he
said. “This year I’ve
worked on seeing pitches
and making pitchers work,
and it’s worked out.”
Like other power hitters, Harmon has had to
adjust to new bats with
less pop that were mandated for this season.
“They’re not that different, but the sweet spot’s a
little smaller,” he said.
“I’ve tried to adjust and hit
for contact instead of
power, trying to get on
base.”
That approach is working well, and that’s fine
with him.
He has helped anchor
the top of the lineup during an early-season period
in which the Admirals
have struggled at times on
offense, and he said he
thinks the entire team will
be hitting much better by
season’s end.
“We definitely can turn
it on, and this year our defense and pitching is so
good, we don’t even have
to score a bunch of runs,”
Harmon said.
doesn’t even yet know
where all the pieces will fit
in the puzzle. Last year he
John is that he’s had to
teach the same way the last had a good idea how things
three or four years with the would shape up. Next year
he won’t. He has a little bit
one-and-done (players).
of the pressure of opportuHe has developed a style
nity, but that will be dampthat is really effective. He
ened some because of all
just has to follow his past
the green (inexperienced
plans and he will come
players). But he will reAP Photo Manuel Balce Ceneta back with the same kind of
spond to that on his own
Cincinnati outfielder Ryan Ludwick, right, rounds third bases after hitting a grand slam during the first in- pressure.
ning of Sunday’s 8-5 win over Washington.
“He has another No. 1 re- merit. He knows last year is
cruiting class. He is used to gone.”
Hall dealt with some
going through all that rehigh profile talent in his
training every year. is
tenure at UK. at gives
year it was easier because
him an even greater apprehe had Miller, (Terrence)
ciation for how Calipari reJones and (Doron) Lamb
cruits big-time players and
that had been through it.
gets them to buy into a
He comes back next year
team-first mentality.
with (Kyle) Wiltjer and the
“Cal’s players are intellitransfer (point guard Ryan
gent enough to do what he
Harrow) and that’s about
says. ey take coaching,”
all he’s got. He’s really got
WASHINGTON (AP) —
his work cut out. But he has Hall said. “You find players
Joey Votto ensured the
a knack for rising to the oc- that buck that, but Cal has a
way to bring them around.
weekend in Washington
casion.
He did a great job with (Dewasn’t a total loss for the
“He will go into the seaReds.
son with a top three or four marcus) Cousins. ere’s
just no place for a hot dog
Votto hit a two-run douteam being predicted.
ble in the 11th inning SunMaybe they will be better at or selfish player. ey are
not going to make it with
day and the Reds avoided a
the end of the year and
four-game sweep with an 8compete for the Final Four. Cal. Cal quickly recognizes
the attitudes of players and
5 victory over the Nationals
He is accustomed to that
gets them straightened out
on Sunday.
kind of pressure. e presand does it in a hurry. You
The Reds, who had
sure is already on and he
see that happen in the first
scored just 10 runs in losing
five of six, scored their most
runs in a game this season.
way God wired him to go all
Ryan Ludwick hit a grand
UK, from B1
out. at is why he is what
slam in the first and Cincinhe is. He has really good visure he wants to be out there sion and he plays really hard
nati led 5-0 in the fourth.
every play, but he under- and he plays with a lot of
But Washington scored
stands the personnel groups passion.”
three in the bottom of the
and different things. After
fourth and another run in
practice, you can’t tell if he
the fifth before tying it on
Question: Has Williams
played six plays or 46 be- added weight?
Ian Desmond’s RBI single in
cause he just goes out there
the seventh.
Pardue: “He has, but all of
and works hard every day.” our guys have gotten
“You hate a sweep, especially a four-game sweep,
stronger. at is something
Question: Could he be a coach (Joker) Phillips
and they were threatening
receiver out of the back- wanted. He wanted the
to knock on the door,” Reds
field?
manager Dusty Baker said.
whole team to get bigger,
Pardue: “Yes. He has good stronger. Maybe not do as
“We got out of here with
hands and is a guy you want much running in the winter
one.”
to use in that role. I am not time to get bigger and
In the 11th, Drew Stubbs,
AP Photo Manuel Balce Ceneta
sure he will not possibly stronger physically and it
who had been 1 for 15 in the
series, singled off Tyler Clip- Cincinnati relief pitcher Jose Arredondo got the win Sunday when grow into playing some tail- has paid off for us.”
pard (1-1) to open the in- the Reds scored three times in the 11th inning to beat the Nationals 8- back, too. We have talked
about that just for depth bening. After Wilson Valdez 5.
Question: What has
the seventh when Rick cause of what happened last George done specifically
tried unsuccessfully to bunt, with him.
The Reds took a 4-0 lead Ankiel led off with a double. year. When you get guys that you have liked?
Zack Cozart singled — his
third of the game — and in the first. Cozart singled With one out, Baker lifted banged up in this league,
Pardue: “He is real deVotto, who was walked in- with one out, and after Votto Leake for Logan Ondrusek, you better have some guys pendable. I know what I am
tentionally his previous two was called out on strikes, who allowed a two-out RBI ready to roll.”
going to get out of him every
at-bats, doubled to left on a Rolen bounced a ball to single to Desmond — his
day. He has been here
Question: What is the longer than I have and really
2-0 count. Scott Rolen fol- shortstop. Desmond’s throw third of the game.
NOTES: Reds 2B Bran- biggest difference with understands what we are
to first pulled Adam
lowed with an RBI single.
“Finally, they couldn’t LaRoche off the bag, and don Phillips started for the Sanders? Is he more explo- doing offensively. I think he
walk Joey. We had some Desmond was charged with first time in six games. He’d sive, quicker?
has gotten better and better.
Pardue: “Quicker and has As his confidence grows, he
runners on base. That was an error, though television been out with a left hamreplays appeared to show string injury, but appeared more explosion. He is plays better.”
big,” Baker said.
to aggravate the injury when healthy, so that makes a big
Votto was 1 for 4 in his Rolen was out.
Jay Bruce walked and, on he doubled leading off the difference. He had a really
previous
appearances
Question: How is Josh
good offseason in the weight Clemons coming along
a 2-2 pitch, Ludwick ninth.
against Clippard.
He was immediately re- room. He has come back after knee surgery that
“Tyler’s a really difficult launched a grand slam to
guy to face. I don’t think I’ve left-center off Ross Detwiler. placed. “When you have a strong.”
ended his freshman year
had a very good track record Detwiler threw 38 pitches in pulled hamstring and youre
after six games when he
Question: Does anything was leading the team with
a squat-down, legs-type hitagainst him and I don’t par- the first.
In the Reds’ first nine ter like Brandon, youre put- change with Williams now 279 yards rushing and two
ticularly like facing him,”
games, they were batting ting pressure on your legs that he has gone from a touchdowns?
Votto said.
Jose Arrendondo (1-0), just .191, and hadn’t scored playing second base and former walk-on to being
Pardue: “Unfortunately,
the
fourth
Cincinnati more than two runs in an then when he took that one No. 1 on depth chart?
the trainer spends more
Pardue: “No. at’s the time with him than I do. I
swing and I was like, Oh, no,
pitcher, threw a scoreless inning.
Cincinnati scored its fifth I hope hes not hurt again,”
10th. Sean Marshall worked
the 11th for his first save of run in the fourth on Ryan Baker said. ... Cincinnati 3B
Miguel Cairo missed the
Hanigan’s RBI single.
receiving another honor —
the season.
Washington got its first game with a strained left ESTES, from B1
the Danville City Commis“Ludwick’s first home
sion will give her the key to
run as a Red, Marshall’s first hits off Reds starter Mike hamstring.
top-flight talent.
Baker said he’ll be reevalsave as a Red, and a lot of Leake in the fourth.
“I think it improved me a the city.
“at was a huge surprise.
firsts today. Hopefully we Desmond and Danny Es- uated on Tuesday. ... Wash- lot. Coming from that and
can have some seconds, pinosa began the inning ington RHP Craig Stammen then coming to high school It was over spring break and
thirds, fifteens, twenties and with singles. Ryan Zimmer- pitched four innings in ball, it’s kind of shocking. It’s I just had just gotten home
on down the line,” Baker man walked to load the three games this series and really two different levels. and mom said she got a call
bases, and LaRoche hit a struck out nine. ... Cincin- Even coming from here to that I was going to get a key
said.
Washington, which had two-run single. Bruce, in nati is off on Monday and summer (softball), every- to the city for my softball,”
right field, bobbled the ball, opens a three-game series body there wants to play the she said. “at was shockwon five straight, is 7-3.
“We’ve won every series. and the runners moved up. in St. Louis on Tuesday. game and everybody wants ing. I was like, ‘What? (counI think that’s our main goal Zimmerman scored on RHP Johnny Cueto (1-0, to win,” she said. “It really try music singer) Eddie
— especially at home,” Clip- Mark DeRosa’s infield out to 2.25) is scheduled to pitch improved my game, and it Montgomery has a key to
against RHP Kyle Lohse (2- taught me to always be ag- Danville, I didn’t expect me
make it 5-3.
pard said.
With one out in the fifth, 0, 1.35). ... The Nationals gressive and always have the to get it. I mean, I’m just a
Manager Davey Johnson
revealed that Clippard has pinch-hitter Roger Bernad- open a four-game series drive and determination to teenager.’ So that was really
cool.”
had shoulder discomfort, ina walked and scored on with Houston on Monday. do the best I can.”
Estes said honors such as
but said he was fine to pitch Desmond’s double and RHP Stephen Strasburg (1Because of that drive and
0, 0.69) faces RHP Kyle Wei- determination Estes has, she getting to play oversees and
on Sunday. Clippard said Cincinnati led 5-4.
The Nationals tied it in land (0-1, 7.20).
there was nothing wrong
recently found out she was getting the key to the city are
two weeks of practice every
year. Kids taking 20 shots a
game in high school, they
don’t do that here. He can
sell that to a super star like
Davis. He has got the system to handle the one-anddone. A lof of coaches don’t
know how to do that. You’ve
got to be a special coach to
do that year after year.”
Hall thinks Calipari was
also “special” for taking the
national championship trophy to various cities in eastern and western Kentucky
last week. Hall was part of
the tour on Friday (he
couldn’t go on ursday
because of a scheduling
conflict).
“I was absolutely amazed
that the people would turn
out in those numbers,” Hall
said. “ey were so enthusiastic and excited. Cal did
a great thing. He let them
all come up 20 to 25 at a
time and have their picture
with him, his wife, some assistant coaches and the trophy. People were just
wanting to touch the trophy
and feel a part of it. To not
have any players and have
that response just to see the
trophy was absolutely
amazing.”
HARMON, from B1
tonight against Boyle
County Tuesday.
The 6-0, 195-pound
Harmon got bigger and
stronger and developed
into more of a power plant
last season. He was moved
to the cleanup spot this
year to provide protection
for No. 3 hitter Lasure and
provide more power for
the Admirals, but the
power hasn’t been there.
“It’s a little bit different,”
Harmon said. “Last year I
had quite a few home runs
and RBIs, and this year I
don’t have as many RBIs.”
Harmon has only one
home run and seven RBIs,
VIEWS, from B1
Votto has big hit
in Reds’ 8-5 win
feel good about him mentally. He is in all my meetings and is with us in groups.
e thing about Josh is that
he’s a mature kid. A lot of
kids his age, they can’t handle being injured. ey kind
of turn off the learning
switch, but he hasn’t. He is
pretty much on top of everything. It definitely hurts you
not getting reps, but we are
all on the same page. We
need him in August a lot
more than we need him
now. If we err, we want to err
on the side of caution a little
bit.”
Question: If he’s cleared
to play in August, how hard
will it be for him to get back
in game shape physically
and mentally?
Pardue: “Again, he is so
mature. He takes cares of his
body. A lot of it will be when
does he get to start training
all the time again. I don’t see
it being a problem. I really
don’t.
Again, I learned my first
year last year that you can’t
have enough of those guys.
Really, my goal is to have six
guys that I feel good putting
in there. So I definitely see
Josh being in that rotation of
guys.”
Question: What has happened with Brandon
Gainer?
Pardue: “You need to ask
coach Phillips that, not me.”
nice, and she is appreciative
that she is being recognized.
But she wants to focus on
helping the Ads improve.
In the preseason, she
wasn’t sure how good her
squad would be, especially
after a couple of rough
scrimmages. But Danville is
sitting at 8-7 heading into
today’s 45th District contest
at home against Garrard
County.
“We’re a really young
team and we’ve been doing
a lot better than I thought
we were going to. I didn’t get
my hopes up too high,” she
said. “But we’ve really come
through in some important
games, so that’s cool.”