After allowing seven runs on 11 hits against Florida in his last outing, Reds' ace Aaron Harang turned in his best performance of the season on Friday night as the Reds beat the Red Sox 3-1 at Great American Ballpark.  Harang (3-9) gave up just one run on four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts through seven solid innings. It marked the first time in four starts that Harang made it past 5 1/3 innings.

"I wasn't aggressive and attacking the zone," Harang told the team's website about his recent struggles. "It was more nibbling than anything. It really hurt me, because I'd fall behind and I'd have to come back and throw pitches that were around the plate. I felt great tonight. From the get-go out of the bullpen, I felt like I had a little bit more there. I'm very happy with how things worked out."

There's no doubt that Harang's record is a bit misleading, as he's often fallen victim to little or no run support. The Reds have scored an average of just three runs in his 15 starts. It was pretty clear watching the right-hander over the past month or so that he was pressing, feeling as if though he needed to do it all and I must admit it is hard to blame him.

Many still point to the 18-inning game in which Harang worked five innnings of relief and then due to mismanagement (yeah that's a stab at Dusty Baker) was forced to come back on short rest despite the fact the team could have pitched Josh Fogg (who was replacing Belisle in rotation) and let Harang get the needed rest. It's all in the rear view mirrow now, but let's hope Harang can use Friday night as a stepping stone into the second half of the season. 

Fantasy Baseball, MLB reds, aaron harang, josh fogg, dusty baker