Ignore work and cheer for the Reds as Aaron Harang attempts to close out April with a series win against the hated Cardinals!

Discuss it here.

Have the lineups been announced yet?

Comment by RagTag — 4/30/2008 @ 12:44 pm

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Freel
Keppinger
Griffey
Phillips
Dunn
Encarnacion
Votto
Ross
Harang

Schumaker RF
Miles 2B
Pujols 1B
Ankiel CF
Glaus 3B
Duncan LF
LaRue C
Looper P
Ryan SS

Comment by Derek — 4/30/2008 @ 12:56 pm

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Thanks, Derek. I’m glad to see that Dusty isn’t putting a crappy “Getaway Day” lineup out there for this afternoon’s day. This is an important game.

Comment by RagTag — 4/30/2008 @ 1:05 pm

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There is nothing I would like to see more than a series win in St. Louis (well, maybe a sweep, but I’ll take a series win).

Comment by nick in va — 4/30/2008 @ 1:05 pm

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Great AB by Freel to start the game. Hope he doesn’t get picked off again.

Comment by RagTag — 4/30/2008 @ 1:19 pm

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I agree, Nick.

Comment by RagTag — 4/30/2008 @ 1:20 pm

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I took off the afternoon to watch today’s titanic struggle in sweet HD.

I wonder how we’ll screw up the top of this inning?

Comment by renbutler — 4/30/2008 @ 1:24 pm

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I didn’t realize LaRue played for the Cards now.

Comment by nick in va — 4/30/2008 @ 1:31 pm

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Home run by EE.

Comment by nick in va — 4/30/2008 @ 1:38 pm

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Edwin homers! 7th of the year!

Comment by RagTag — 4/30/2008 @ 1:38 pm

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EE has certainly turned things around at the plate.

Comment by RagTag — 4/30/2008 @ 1:39 pm

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Now a ground rule double for Votto. Love these young guys. Time to bringup Bruce to join them.

Comment by RagTag — 4/30/2008 @ 1:41 pm

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RBI infield single for Freel.

Comment by nick in va — 4/30/2008 @ 1:47 pm

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Freel has hit number two, and an RBI. Maybe he should be playing more!

Comment by RagTag — 4/30/2008 @ 1:47 pm

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Now Thom and Marty and saying Freel should be playing over Patterson, if you look at the numbers. I agree.

Comment by RagTag — 4/30/2008 @ 1:48 pm

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Marty: “With Dusty Baker’s affinity for Corey Patterson, I don’t know” if Freel will ever get back in the lineup.

Comment by RagTag — 4/30/2008 @ 1:55 pm

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Harang attempting to put up a zero after the reds score 2. But a walk with 2 outs. Lets hope LaRue lives up to his .085 BA.

Comment by Abner — 4/30/2008 @ 1:56 pm

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Whoa. LaRue’s got some crazzzy hair.

Comment by Abner — 4/30/2008 @ 1:57 pm

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Harang not helping himself here. Cards get the lead 3-2

Comment by Abner — 4/30/2008 @ 2:21 pm

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Not a good day for Harang not to be able to hold a 2-0 lead.

Comment by RagTag — 4/30/2008 @ 2:23 pm

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Now that the Reds have good/decent pitching they seem to have no offense… I think it was more fun knowing that in years past they could potentially put up huge numbers and win. Now when we get down 1 or 2 runs, I find myself thinking: “Game over.” That’s depressing.

Comment by CeeKeR — 4/30/2008 @ 2:46 pm

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i just started watching the game, ump appears to be calling a pretty high strike zone… not impressed

Comment by Joey — 4/30/2008 @ 3:17 pm

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I just brought up the stats and the first thing I saw was 8 LOB.

SI did a which-ballpark-is-best thing. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/specials/fansurvey/2008/reds.html

Comment by Jared — 4/30/2008 @ 3:33 pm

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Is Ankiel the new Reds killer?

Comment by Jared — 4/30/2008 @ 3:34 pm

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The Reds are the new Reds killer … once again making a mediocre starter look like an ace … Dunn … along with the rest of the team .. is still at it … cant get a clutch hit to save their behind. I get the feeling our offense is going to be like this all season .. have great spurts of 3 or 4 games where they score runs in bunches and then go right back to leading the league in LOB & lowest BA with runners in scoring position & two outs.

Comment by Ron — 4/30/2008 @ 4:20 pm

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I agree with CeeKeR (21). The crappy-pitching, great-hitting Reds were more fun to root for. I said it then, and I stand by it now. I’d rather lose 10-7 than 5-2.

Comment by Chris — 4/30/2008 @ 4:23 pm

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9 hits. 8 LOB. 2 runs. San Francisco must have really been bad. We are back to where we started.

Comment by Abner — 4/30/2008 @ 4:26 pm

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This is a frustrating team. Too bad we can’t play the Giants every night…..

Comment by nick in va — 4/30/2008 @ 4:37 pm

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Why does it matter if there are two outs or not? The clutch issue was debunked over the weekend.

The Reds are 5th of 16 in AVG with RISP at .269. The NL average is .252.
The problem is that the Reds are 11th of 16 teams in Plate Appearances with RISP at 272. The league average is 286 PA’s with RISP.

They are getting hits with RISP better than average. They just aren’t getting runners on. That why you SHOULD clog the bases!

Comment by GregD — 4/30/2008 @ 4:52 pm

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My comment was in re: to #25.

Comment by GregD — 4/30/2008 @ 4:53 pm

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Greg - I think the problem is slow guys on 2nd base counting for too many of those hits. It’s like no one on the team can advance more than one base on a single, ever.

Comment by Jared — 4/30/2008 @ 9:13 pm

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If we were always getting hits with runners on base, our offense wouldnt be so crappy, two outs or otherwise. Our BA with RISP are inflated due to a coupel of blow outs. Our problem isnt stats … its consistancy in those situation. Further more the RISP with two outs just magnifies how bad this team is in clutch situations

Comment by Ron — 4/30/2008 @ 10:04 pm

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I’ve been a semi-regular reader on here since the season began, and posted occasionally. It’s time for me to unload a bit, as I’m sick of the negativity around this team. “Why do the Reds suck?” seems to be a common question.

To address “why do the Reds suck?” It’s not Griffey and Dunn, it’s not lacking some rookie in the outfield or a guy with a 5.50 ERA in the rotation (though both will be stars). Our problem is depth. Take a look at the rosters of the
Yankees http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/roster_active.jsp?c_id=nyy
the
Red Sox
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/team/roster_active.jsp?c_id=bos
or the
Dbacks
http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/team/roster_active.jsp?c_id=ari

The common thread is DEPTH! A-Rod goes down, the Yanks put Morgan Ensberg out there, Melky Cabrera is their 4th outfielder, and Joba Chamberlain can stay in the bullpen. The Red Sox feature Coco Crisp as OF #4, have 6 pitchers (including Schilling), and are solid at each position. The Dbacks have Byrnes and Randy “Jurassic” Johnson to go along with a bunch of under-30s who have learned on the job. They are also solid from 1-25.

We have Ryan Freel and Corey Patterson (poor men’s Coco Crisps, not on par with Cabrera) - starting.

We throw Belisle and Fogg, instead of Wakefield and Dice-K. Two other members of the rotation are under 25 and in their first full big-league seasons.

Cormier, Stanton, Lohse, Mercker, and Lincoln (last two are solid) - does any of them even get a shot on those other teams?

We finally start developing some depth with a top-notch scout in the GM’s seat, giving us hope for the future, and Dan Castellenata (we’re owned by the voice of Homer Simpson, how laughable) fires the guy. I like Walt Jocketty, but I hope and pray he keeps building the minors and has some patience for the next 10 years - we’re a year or two away from being really, really scary.

CF Stubbs
3B Keppinger
RF Bruce
LF EE
RF Votto
2B Phillips
SS Janish
C Mesarasco

Backed up by Dickerson, Gil, Valaika, and another C. Maybe Waring and Anderson, and Phillips (Andy) are on the bench? Fielding, hitting, and some speed.

We all know the rotation, but with Belisle, Roenecke, Bray, Burton, and Affeldt in front of Cordero, we’re much improved.

Does anyone not think this team is much deeper and better-prepared to handle the titans of MLB far better than one that runs out Paul Bako catching Todd Coffey, while backed by Dunn, Griffey, and Patterson in the OF?! Have patience guys, we’ll be okay.

Comment by Dave — 5/1/2008 @ 12:07 am

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Exactly the stats are misleading based on a couple of blowouts. THis team is feast or famine but they can’t grind it out day to day.

Comment by Aaron B. — 5/1/2008 @ 6:40 am

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Which stats are misleading? The avg w/RISP or stats about getting base runners on? This team has been inconsistent. Look at Tueday’s game. 3 hits, 2 of them in the 9th inning. Couldn’t get anybody on base the whole game.

Kind of tough to drive runners in from scoring position when there are no runners in scoring position. That’s been the problem, inconsistency hitting in general, putting RISP or hitting once RISP.

Comment by GregD — 5/1/2008 @ 10:34 am

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