What's wrong with the Reds?

Picked by many to repeat as National League Central Champions in the preseason, the Redlegs haven't exactly lived up to the hype here in 2011.  The club currently sits in 4th place in the division and 7.5 games back of first.  And with only 53 games left to go in the regular season, time is running out for Cincinnati to try and right the ship into the postseason. 

To help explain how this team has gotten themself into such a predicament, here's some notable differences between last year's squad and this one:

• Scott Rolen - On August 2nd, 2010 Rolen was batting .302 with 18 HR's and 62 RBI's.  Through 65 injury-riddled contests this season the 36-year old is hitting .242 with 5 HR's and 36 RBI's.  Needless to say his lack of production this season has hurt the Reds.
• Losing close games - The Redlegs have the most one-run losses of any team in baseball this season with 24.  They were 18-18 in one-run affairs at this point last season.
• Power outage - The offense is on pace to club 170 homers by season's end -- not a bad count until you realize that it's nearly twenty fewer than the 188 they smacked all of 2011.  Overall, Cincy is on pace to accumulate 58 fewer extra base hits (doubles, triples, homers) this year than all of last season.
• Starting pitching - In '10 the starters put together a 4.05 ERA.  This year their combined ERA of 4.44 is 3rd-worst in the league (above only the Cubs & Astros).  Outside of Johnny Cueto, and to some extent Mike Leake, the starting rotation has been ineffective at times and certainly inconsistent.   
• Bronson Arroyo - Entering August of '10 Arroyo boasted an 11-6 record and an ERA of 4.01.  Entering this August the veteran has a record of 7-9 with an astronomical ERA of 5.58.  Could the lingering effects of mono be taking it's toll on him?
• Leadership - Although it's impossible to measure something as intangible as leadership, the losses of Arthur Rhodes and Orlando Cabrera have hurt this team this season -- on and off the field it would seem. 
• Jonny Gomes - Despite no longer being a member of the organization, Gomes did play a major role in both the success and failure of the Reds in '10 & '11.  After hitting at a clip of .266 with 18 longballs and 86 RBI's last season, Gomes was hitting only .211 with 11 dingers and 31 RBI's before being traded to Washington last week.  Hardly the kind of productivity the franchise was hoping for after re-signing the 30-year old in the offseason.
• Walks will haunt - Cincinnati pitchers have handed out the 2nd-most walks of any team in the NL (374) in '11 and are on pace to eclipse last season's total by over 30 base-on-balls.
• Defensive miscues - Last year's defense committed just 72 errors in 162 games (fewest in NL).  Through 109 games this season, the Reds have committed 62 miscues and are on pace for 92 for the season.
• Overall record - Here's the most important and perhaps most obvious one.  Through 109 games in 2010, Dusty Baker's team was 61-48 with a run differential of +79.  Through 109 games in 2011, his team is 53-56 with a run differential of +39.