"Here it comes, Reds fans. Time for the season's first trip West, where Cincinnati teams often struggle. The Reds this weekend visit Seattle for three games, (Friday-Sunday), then three in Oakland (Monday-Wednesday). The Reds are 13-32 on the West coast over the past four years, including 2-7 last year. What is it, exactly? Three-hour time difference? Jet lag? Too much seafood? Scott Rolen, 14-year veteran of Eastern/Midwest teams Philadelphia, St. Louis, Toronto and Cincinnati, said there is no magic answer. Rolen said most teams he has played on have had trouble out West. "I think it's more a matter of you play some pretty good teams out there," Rolen said. "The Dodgers, the Giants. Oakland is usually pretty tough at home." Rolen said he will know more when the Reds return home next week. "If we don't play well, I'll have some excuses for you," Rolen said. "If we play well, I'll say we nipped it." Manager Dusty Baker, California-born (Riverside) and still a resident (Granite Bay), said it takes Eastern teams a couple of days to adjust to the time change. "One good thing, it'll probably be cool out there," Baker said. "You can get your strength back." The Reds open the Seattle series against pitchers Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez, two of the game's elite. Lee won the 2008 AL Cy Young with Cleveland, and Hernandez won 19 games last year. "We're facing two of the top pitchers right away," Baker said. "You've got to come with your 'A' game." Outfielder Jonny Gomes said the Reds may be helped by using the designated hitter in the AL parks. "We get to throw another bat at them," Gomes said. "We run into some pretty good pitching out there." Pitcher Bronson Arroyo said the Reds may be better equipped to play out West this year, notably against two AL clubs, with Cincinnati's best hitting team in years. The Reds began Thursday leading the NL in hitting at .278. "It's a different ballgame now," Arroyo said. "We feel good with what we have with our lineup, top to bottom."" http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100617/SPT04/306170095/Reds-prepare-for-West-coast-trip
