Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CINCINNATI — Let’s see, 328 feet down the left-field line, 325 to the right-field corner fence, and 404 feet to dead centerfield.
Pretty good dimensions for Great American Ball Park. Now let’s see if Cincinnati Reds’ starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo can keep the ball from exceeding those distances.
Arroyo is the 40-year-old marvel who has been baffling to opposing batters most of the time this season. However, there are those other times in which he has struggled.
Like with home runs.
Arroyo had giving up 18 home runs in 51.2 innings this season with 11 coming in the last 21.1 innings. Fortunately, 12 of the 18 homers have been solo shots.
But they still hurt and they still count.
Arroyo will begin his quest to limit the long ball as he takes the mound Friday in a 7:10 p.m. start against the visiting Atlanta Braves and their 25-year-old right-handed pitcher Mike Foltynewicz.
“I’m giving up solo homer after solo homer which is better than giving up two- and three-run homers. It’s definitely frustrating to have that happen time and time again this month,” Arroyo said after last week’s loss at Philadelphia.
The loss to the Phillies left Arroyo with a 3-4 record and a 6.62 earned run average. Arroyo self-evaluates himself and he knows he is on a short leash when it comes to remaining in the starting rotation, especially when Anthony DeSclafani, Homer Bailey and Brandon Finnegan return from the disabled list.
The visiting Braves have a history of hitting Arroyo. He has a 7-4 record lifetime but a 5.14 ERA and a .911 OPS — the highest of any of his opponents. An OPS adds on-base percentage and slugging percentage to get one number that unites the two.
The Braves counter with Foltynewicz who is 3-5 with a 4.44 ERA. In his last game he allowed five runs on seven hits in four innings as Atlanta lost 6-3 to the surging San Francisco Giants.
Foltynewicz is 1-3 on the road with a 3.77 ERA and a .737 OPS.
Arroyo and Foltynewicz have allowed the fourth and sixth highest slugging percentages, respectively, out of 85 pitchers who have had at least 75 at-bats end with an off-speed pitch this season.
The Braves have won seven straight series openers including four consecutive on the road. The Reds have lost four of their last five games including three straight at Toronto.
Joey Votto hit a two-run home run in the first inning on Wednesday means Cincinnati has scored in the first inning their last six games and nine of 10. The last time the Reds have scored in the first inning of six games came in August of 1999.