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Time for a recap of tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Cincinnati 2
Milwaukee 3
WP: Looper (5-3)
LP: Cueto (4-3)
S: Hoffman (12)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–Ramon Hernandez had two of the Reds’ five hits, one of them a two-run homer that accounted for all of the Cincinnati “offense” tonight.
–Johnny Cueto didn’t pitch his best game, but he certainly pitched well enough to win. Seven innings, three hits, three runs. His control was not there tonight — 4 walks — and that was the difference between a good start and a great start for Cueto (well, that and one bad pitch to Prince Fielder).
–Laynce Nix made a great throw to nail a runner at the plate.
NEGATIVES
–The offense was just bad tonight (with the sole exception of Hernandez). Five hits? That won’t cut it.
–Joey Votto left the game in the second inning…again. This is getting tiresome. Of course, I’m sure it’s more tiresome for Votto than anyone.
ETC.
–Not the way I wanted to start the road trip. This was a winnable game, but the offense couldn’t get on track.
–Brandon Phillips pinch hit in the top of the ninth, no outs, no one on base. So what did he do? He bunted, of course. Not a smart move at all, especially with the Reds down 3-2 and within a homer of tying the game.
–Bud Selig really needs to get rid of this unbalanced schedule. I’m so sick of seeing the Brewers every other series.
–Start time tomorrow is 7:05 pm. I will be at my daughter’s gymnastics recital for most of the game, so I’ll have to follow on my phone. It’s an important game for the good guys.
–Wahoowah! Stephen Strasburg, who is going to be the first selection in this year’s draft, lost for the first time all season tonight in the first round of the NCAA baseball tournament. Why am I mentioning it? Because my alma mater, the Virginia Cavaliers, are the team that finally knocked off Strasburg. After a stirring victory in the ACC tournament championship last week (and after getting royally screwed by the tournament selection committee), the ‘Hoos are looking pretty good right now.
I agree about the unbalanced schedule
I agree about Virginia getting screwed (though you could argue that Irvine got screwed more as the #1 team in the country getting Virginia in their bracket)
Yes, Irvine got screwed. I can’t figure out what the NCAA was thinking when they put that region together.
I totally agree about the unbalanced schedule. It really feels like they play the Brewers 52 times a year. This has, however, increased my hatred of the Brewers by at least a factor of 10. The whole Brewers roster is made up of Reds killers, or so it seems.
Joey V.’s inner ear problem is exacerbated every time he flies. I thought with the off day and Milwaukee not that far away, he would be driven there. Mark Sheldon confirmed that he flew.
In any case the Reds still don’t understand the severity of his problem. An inner ear viral infection can become serious and lasting if it’s not treated effectively. Take him somewhere that this can be figured out. If he needs to be DLed to do this, do it.
It’s depressing we have two starting pitching so well, one of them in the running for the Cy Young so far this year and their record is a combined 9-7
on even a slightly above average offensive team Cueto would be 5-2 if not 6-1
Cueto lost a game 4-3 and now 3-2
The thing that bugs me most is the Reds have obvious holes they could fill with a bat. At this point I don’t see any players exactly underachieving. We know what we have
Looking at team offense by position here are were the Reds really lack
26th in baseball 3B (-13 RSAA)
25th SS (-13 RSAA)
22nd LF (-3 RSAA)
19th CF (-5 RSAA)
Hopefully EE can help the 3B production
LF would be the easiest to fill
Chad doesn’t mention it…but IMO, the biggest AB was the horrible one by Chris Dickerson in the 8th with runners on first and second with no one out. Down by one, I’d have bunted them over and hoped to get the run in from 3rd. But Dickerson had a terrible AB and grounded into a DP (made worse by bad base running by Adam Rosales when he ran right into the tag between 1st and 2nd).
Watched the UVa/SD St game, SS has N A S T Y stuff, still struck out 15 in 7 innings, after the second he was unhittable. UVa, very young with mostly first-years and sophs plays just well enough to win, their MO for most of the season. It appears they have one of the best coaches in NCAA baseball…
Lets hope the Reds give Votto a limo drive to St. Louis.
Bill I honestly was OK with no bunting in that situation so I can’t criticize it after the fact (although I totally understand why you would say he should have been bunting). Agree on Rosales.
I don’t understand the no bunt with Chris Dickerson of all hitters. You have to at least tie the game in that situation.
I try so hard to like Dusty Baker but I don’t think I can.
I was OK on Dickerson’s not bunting before the outcome also, because Coffey gets hit so hard by LH hitters. But then CD doesn’t come thru, and Rosales makes it into an easy DP. That was a Ryan Freel style brain cramp.
What happens if Joey V. has to be placed on the DL. They’ll probably bring up Wilkn Castillo, as Hernandez would play first base a lot and they’ll want the 3rd catcher. A much more bold move would be to give Johnny Gomes time at first and bring up Drew Stubbs. I’ve heard Gomes is awful at first base but I also heard that about his OF defense, and it’s not true.
I really disliked (prior to the outcome) the move of pinch hitting an injured Phillips for Hannigan. We needed a base runner, Hannigan has a .420 OBP and had just walked twice. Phillips has a .335 OBP and we don’t know if he can hit right now at all.
Of course a HR would have helped big time, but BP’s bunt indicated he wasn’t up for that. Baker’s not starting him also indicated he wasn’t up for that.
As suggested in the game thread, it would have made more since to bat Hannigan and then put in Phillips to pinch run. Then Hernandez’ single could have mattered.
that’s sense not since
Why, Dusty, Why?
Fay’s blog says:
“There’s a chance the Reds have decided to put Votto on the disabled list but are in the process of figuring out who to call up. Could be Wilkin Castillo to give them an extra catcher, if Ramon Hernandez is going to play first. Could be Drew Stubbs, if Jonny Gomes is going to play first.”
Cueto made two awful pitches. If you watch the replay of where Hanny was setup on the Hart homerun, he wanted it low and outside which is the perfect call by Hanigan. Instead it floats up and in. It was just a bad mistake.
But two bad pitches by Cueto all night, I will take. Here’s what I absolutely loath. You have runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs in the top of the 8th. This is your opportunity because if you don’t get a run now, you face Trevor Hoffman, his 0.38 WHIP and 0.00 ERA. The top of the lineup is about to turn over. For a team that is all about “small ball” in that situation, you leave Cueto in to bunt and save a PH. You then have 2nd and 3rd with one out.
At that point, you have so many options. A base hit wins the game, sac fly ties it up. You can put on a suicide squeeze with a very good bunting Taveras. You can bluff the bunt, and with the infield in, Taveras might be able to get it through. You also have Cueto “available” to pitch, though he had thrown 104, but it may make Macha change his strategy in the home half.
What Dusty says the team should do, and what he has the team do are two very different things. If the team is all about small ball then you have to manage the team like it is a small ball team and manufacture those runs.
Also… Rosales made an awful base running decision on the double play. Do something! Stand up, block the throw, try to avoid the tag by stopping, but do something!
I agree David… the 8th inning killed me. I was playing euchre with a bunch of Brewers fans as it unfolded. So frustrating to not even get the runner to 3rd with less than 2 outs.
Votto can’t go on the DL… I’m supposed to see him play tonight! Seriously, I really hope they do whatever they need to and fix this ear problem. What a shame it keeps coming back.
My thoughts exactly David. I have never understood why if you are going to sacrifice anyway, you don’t use the guys on the team who are the most experienced at it? Many of these guys are good athletes and can run well. Hannigan has done nothing but get on base since he’s been here. Sheesh. I would rather have seen what he could do and use Phillips to pinch run for somebody. Didn’t understand the logic in the eighth at all.
Somebody has to tell our friend Brandon Phillips – don’t think man. No thinking. Just play your game. We needed BP the slugger in the 9th – not Willy the bunter.
From Fay’s blog on why they didn’t bunt:
Now for the eighth inning decision, the Reds had the makings of rally against former Red Todd Coffey. Alex Gonzalez and Adam Rosales led off with singles. But pinch-hitter Chris Dickerson hit a chopper to second baseman Craig Counsell. He tagged Rosales and threw to first for the double play.
Willy Taveras then grounded to short to end the inning
“I guess you want to know why I didn’t bunt him there,” Baker said. “Willy hadn’t been hitting well lately. Dickerson has. Coffey – that’s how number can mess you up – right-handers are hitting .200 and left-handers are hitting like .350. Dickerson hadn’t hit into any double plays.”
Except Dickerson in the last week is 1-8 with a .489 OPS (and only 4 for his last 14)…that’s “hitting well”? Why doesn’t anyone call Baker on these lies he tells?
1-8 is a small sample size. Dickerson has been swinging the ball better over the last several weeks. I wouldn’t call that a lie. You can certainly disagree with the strategy, but I don’t think not bunting there is a HORRIBLE decision (except of course for the outcome).
Very weak effort from the offense tonight. Aside from what Dusty did or did not do, the bats were asleep tonight.