By Scott Priestle
The Columbus Dispatch CINCINNATI -- The aches, pains and air miles of a major-league season are accumulating as the mercury is peaking. It topped 90 degrees the past few days and will again in the coming days. Reds manager Dusty Baker calls it "strongman time" -- as in, time to see who is mentally and physically strong.
For Bronson Arroyo, most of the 2008 season has been a test of strength. He has insisted with each outing that his arm feels fine, so he has retreated to the comfort of a familiar workout routine and trusted that the familiar success would follow, but it rarely has, whether because of bad luck, bad defense or simply bad pitches.
"It's probably the hardest thing to do in this game, to stay the course when things aren't going well," Arroyo said last night, after a 5-2 win over the New York Mets that provided a welcome bit of positive reinforcement.
He benefited on this night from a strong throw by left fielder Adam Dunn to throw out a runner at second base, a nifty play behind the first base bag by Joey Votto to record an out (despite interference by the umpire), and a perfectly executed double play by infielders Edwin Encarnacion and Brandon Phillips to kill a rally.
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