Arroyo Hopes To Sweep Slump Aside

Bronson Arroyo's slump is the big story in today's papers, as the Red Sox attempt to sweep the Reds. Arroyo says he has no physical problems and dismissed the idea that the slump is related to his suspension about a month ago. Though his numbers before and after his time off are striking:

                 IP    H   R  BB   K  W-L  ERA
First 8 starts: 53.1  44  20  12  31  4-0 3.21
Since May 25:   20.0  32  21   3  11  0-3 8.68

Arroyo Quotes:

Some of it is location and I think some of the hitters are starting to be a step ahead of me. Guys are starting to realize that I can throw a breaking ball in 2-and-1 counts to lefties and they're starting to sit on it. Like I said the whole year, it's a big chess match between me and the hitters.

My last three starts I haven't felt like I had zip on my fastball or good snap on my breaking ball. It's just one of those things. You get into a funk at certain times of the year, where you just don't feel up to par. Sometimes you can get away with it, and sometimes you can't.

In his last four starts, covering 30.1 innings, David Wells has allowed only 20 hits, six runs and two walks. His ERA in those starts is 1.78. ... Curt Schilling threw about 75 pitches of batting practice yesterday to Arizona State University players and a few former major leaguers and will be re-evaluated in Boston today.

In the last post, I said Greg Harris and Jeff Reardon had pitched the last Red Sox combined one-hitter, back on June 7, 1990. Actually, that was Boston's last one-hit victory. Aaron Sele and Tom Gordon combined for a one-hit loss in Montreal on September 3, 1997. The Expos' lone hit was a Mike Lansing home run. The Red Sox managed only two hits.