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Votto carries hot-hitting streak into second half
- Updated: July 19, 2016
CINCINNATI — Joey Votto’s incredible second half in 2015 might be poised for a 2016 sequel. The Reds’ first baseman has demonstrated again that he looms large in the lineup when he’s on a tear.
In the Reds’ 8-2 victory over the Braves on Monday, Votto was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, a walk and RBI single. He is 8-for-15 in four games since the All-Star break.
“He looks very much like the player that performed at such a ridiculously high level in the second half [last year],” Reds manager Bryan Price said.
After the All-Star break last season, Votto led the Majors in hitting (.362) and on-base percentage (.535) and rallied so well from a middling first half that he finished third in the National League MVP vote.
This year, Votto actually didn’t wait for the All-Star break to heat up. Since June 1, he’s batting .336 with six homers and 14 RBIs to raise his average from .213 to a line of .265/.395/.463 for the season with 15 homers and 45 RBIs.
“Early in the season, I really struggled just hitting a fastball into play,” Votto said. “That was something that needed to be corrected. You can’t play in this league without hitting a fastball. That’s probably step one and you go …
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