Loading ...It’s yet another SWEEP! edition of the game thread. Wait, what?
Oh, the Reds aren’t doing the sweeping, they’re trying to avoid being swept by the lowly San Diego Padres today. After coming into town in first place, the Reds are trying to win at least one game to ensure a winning road trip.
It won’t be easy. Bronson Arroyo is on the mound versus Jake Peavy, who is a pretty decent sort of guy. Discuss the game here!
Thread highjack for a rules question.
I was telling my son about Owings being a PH. We live near Cleveland and he is used to AL baseball and asked if Owings could DH and pitch. I had absolutely no idea. Thinking about it, it would seem it is two different positions in an AL structure, but can anyone point me to the right answer?
Thanks in advance for any help.
The manager must designate a DH prior to the start of the game; failure to do so forfeits the right to use the DH, and the pitcher must then take his turn at bat. So if Owings was pitching and batted, the pitchers would have to hit for themseleves for the rest of the game with no DH allowed for them.
According to Wikipedia the DH is optional in the AL, meaning we could opt not to use the DH for a game in which Owings was pitching. If I understood what I read, you later in the game you can switch away from the DH if you were using one, but you can’t switch too the DH if you opted out at the begining of the game. Thus, the down side would be that we would need to use a pinch hitter in the pitchers spot once we get into the bullpen just like NL teams usually do. There isn’t a clear advantage. I wonder what the Cubs do with Zambrano.
Oops, you beat me too it Tom.
Crap, Brantley on the radio. Oh, but I’m saved, it’s Thom Brenneman and Chris Welch on the TV broadcast. Yay, no Grande!
All right, Dickerson starts us off good. Could anyone out there go for a Nix/Gomes platoon in LF, and a Taveras/Dickerson platoon in CF?
Dickerson doubles to start the game. He wants to play more.
Havoc!
I loathe little ball.
I can’t seem to find any info on the status of EE, Votto, or Massett.
Anyone know if EE has his cast off? If he’s going on a rehab assignment?
Anyone heard any more details on Votto other than diseness?
and why haven’t the Reds put Massett on the DL?
Dude…it’s dizziness
I’m with you Tom
bunts, SB attempts, and most sacrifices are bad ideas
if/when I use the word HAVOC I’m being ironic, because I hate HAVOC
it’s why I’ve always hated teams like the Angels.
just find players who can hit and there is no need for things that cut down your chances of winning a game
Egads, should Janish start getting loosened up. We may need him to pitch today.
Arroyo lets the first two reach. This could be another long game.
I think Votto is dizzy from watching all this this havoc.
Man, Arroyo is all over the place. With our pen way short, he’s going to be out there for at least 110 pitches today. This could get ugly.
I’m really tired of Arroyo.
‘it’s why I’ve always hated teams like the Angels.’
I would take winning the division 4 out of 5 years.
I wonder how much we could get if we sold Arroyo on ebay…
I’m hoping that Arroyo is throwing well about the trading deadline and we can deal him off for a a couple of good prospects to someone in the pennant race desperate for a SP.
At least Arroyo has settled down a bit, but he’s throwing a lot of balls and he’s walking a tightrope every inning.
Peavy is getting the call on the corners, they best be starting to hack at them with 2 strikes.
How long until the Yankees buy Peavy from the Padres for a billion dollars?
At least there is a good pitcher making the Reds look foolish today, rather than a bad pitcher like the last several games.
Tom, I’d be happy to deal Arroyo for anything to get out from under the contract. Let’s deal him to Washington. They need some more ex-Reds plus he and Dunn can be reunited.
Listening to the conversation about pitchers “being babied.” One needs to remember that pitchers used to throw off a mound that was six inches higher than it is today. That had to take some stress off their arms.
Jokerty had best get some roster moves made after this game.
Dang!!! Dickerson!!!
Great at-bat for Team Dickerson!
Dickerson carrying the team today!?
Nice AB by Dicerson, we are lucky to be down just a run right now. Padres could have easily broke this one open against Arroyo.
That’s twice Phillips has swung and went down to a knee. Maybe he he should cut down that long swing and start hitting the ball the other way a little bit. I wish they’d get him out of the 4 spot.
Dickerson with the only 2 Reds hits
Arroyo due up 4th and is at 110 pitches. I bet he’ll be out there for the 8th if the Reds don’t have anything going this inning.
Phillips is not a number four hitter but no one else on this roster is either.
Great at-bat for team Hannigan
Hanigan is really growing on me. That was a nice AB he had right there.
Yeah, I would hate to have all the success the Angels have had playing small ball.
I know we don’t have a true #4 hitter, but I think someone else would be more suited to hitting in that spot and not changing their game with long loopy swings that make you lose your balance and fall down and look foolish like Phillips does. He gets hot and lets it get to his head and then gets outside of his game. I wish they would move him to SS and 7th in the order and tell him to win a gold glove at SS and let not worry about hitting.
Once again the starting pitcher is left in too long. Are you telling me Rhodes doesn’t have an inning to give?
I disagree that nobody else on the roster is a #4 hitter. Bruce and Votto could both be solid #4 hitters
and as I’ve said I think there has been only 1 game this year were it was to the Reds benefit that they split up the lefties. They lost the game anyways.
Tom: Dusty is never going to do that, it makes too much sense…good idea though
Dusty should use Herrera more often but oh no, he prefers “veterans” like the veterans that gave the game away last night. eg Stormy and Rhodes
Bruce is a fine #4 hitter, Votto is better #3 since he is more consistent and should bat in the first inning.
Come on Bruce!
Taveras hasn’t gotten on base in 14 straight plate appearances
I think Bruce will be a solid cleanup hitter, but I’d hate to burden him with that now, in his first full season. Votto 3rd, Bruce 4th is the way to go though. Though I know there is no chance of that happening on a regular basis as long as havoc man is at the helm.
Re the first question: there’s no rule that says the DH has to hit for the pitcher. Let someone hit for Gonzalez, and let Owings bat for himself.
I like the idea from a strategic standpoint, but that’s exactly the type of embarassment that Dusty goes out of his way not to inflict on his players. Frankly, just benching Gonzalez would be less embarassing and he won’t even do that.
Actually, I’m pretty sure that in the Majors, a DH can only be used for the pitcher.
I just think they should eat the money let Alex Gonzalez go when Encarnacion comes back. Some club will give him a shot and let him get a chance at getting straight some place else. For this year, the Reds have three guys that could play the position, two that can out hit and one that can at least field as well.
The Reds gain more by keeping Encarnacion, Janish, Rosales, Dickerson and others around and seeing if they can get the job done. They are guys that could be here for the next few seasons, lets see what they can do. Alex Gonzalez might bounce back, but he is only here through the end of the year and will be playing someplace else next year. Basically we are rebounding him in the bigs and when he gets his game together, if he gets his game together, it probably won’t be playing in Cinci. I feel for the guy, but it’s time. Even when Gonzales was healthy, he was a good glove (who made a huge error in a playoff game), total K machine with a low batting average and decent power.