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Time for a recap of tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Cincinnati 4
Kansas City 7
WP: Davies (3-6)
LP: Arroyo (7-5)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–None. Absolutely none. This is quickly turning into a disastrous road trip.
NEGATIVES
–Six stinkin’ hits. TOS*
–Where do I start? Why not start at the top of the lineup, with Dusty’s leadoff hitter. Willy Taveras was 0-4 again. He has not had a hit this month. He is 0 for his last 32 at-bats. His OBP is .283. Dusty Baker should be fired for putting this guy at the leadoff spot. That’s just gross incompetence.
–Oh, and let’s not forget that Taveras looked like a little leaguer, making an error tonight, too. You know, with Corey Patterson last year, at least you knew he was always trying as hard as he could. I’m really not sure that’s the case with Taveras.
–Jay Bruce is playing just terribly, and he hasn’t been good in a while. I love the guy, and he has a great future, but he has been simply awful for as long as I can remember. I want to know when he’s coming out of this slump, because the signs of an emergence are few and far between.
–Aaaah, I’m not wasting my time going down the entire lineup. They all stink, with one exception (see below). I can’t stand to watch them right now.
ETC.
–Please hurry back, Joey Votto and Edwin Encarnacion. Please? I’m begging you.
–Okay, maybe I could have put Ryan Hanigan as a positive tonight. He had two more hits, including a double, plus he reached base another time on an error. He had two RBIs and scored a run. He is the only hitter on the team that is playing well now.
–You realize that the Reds are thisclose to being swept by one of the most inept teams on the planet? You realize that, don’t you?
–I hope Johnny Cueto throws a no-hitter tomorrow.
*This Offense Stinks.
UPDATE: Sounds like Dusty Baker is upset with Brandon “Face of the Franchise” Phillips. I can’t imagine why. BP has been giving it his all since day one, hasn’t he? Hasn’t he?
Dusty says the Reds are struggling hitting, pitching, and defensively.
Not a single question about the top of the order. If this team was in NY, he would be crucified for playing Taveras and Gonzalez.
Well folks, this just doesn’t look good at all. I cannot believe Taveras. Can’t believe he can be this bad. And great point in the game recap… paging Jay Bruce Almighty, please come to a courtesy phone.
From Fay’s blog
I talked to Walt Jocketty for my Sunday Insider for the paper. I’m writing it now. Here’s the nutgraph, as they say in journalism:
Right now, I don’t know if Jocketty is being brave, patient, foolish or if he just doesn’t have any options. But it sounds like Jocketty is going to ride out the Reds current offensive woes without shaking things up.
Here’s what Jocketty had to say:
Would you look toward the minors for help? “We’ll look at it,” Jocketty said. “Hopefully, we’ll get some guys going again. There’s a couple of guys starting to do some things at Louisville. The main thing up until the last week or so, we were holding our own. I’m still confident these guys will snap out.”
Without putting a firm timetable in Joey Votto, Jocketty indicated that Reds expect Votto back in the relatively near future: “I think at some point in the next few weeks we’ll see him,” Jocketty said. “Like I mentioned yesterday, there’s no timetable. We’re really not pointing to that. We’re really not waiting for that.”
Is to point where the Reds need to look outside the organization? “I’ve looked but there’s not a lot going on right now,” he said. “Clubs are still trying to access where they’re at.”
There was a report that the Reds ware looking for a third baseman: “You didn’t hear that from me,” Jocketty said. “We’re looking for Edwin (Encarnacion) to come back.”
But that’s a few weeks off: “Probably,” he said. “As soon he’s ready, he’ll play a little bit (in the minors).”
Would you be more apt to make a move if the team wasn’t holding on in the standings? “That’s a good question,” Jocketty said, “because outside the organization, there’s no much going on. We really haven’t seen anyone we want to bring up right now. We have some guys we may want to look at later. Right now, we’re not going to do that.”
Also from Fay
On the offensive futility front: Taveras’ skid reached 0-for-31 in the seventh. That’s the longest by a Red since Denis Menke went 0-for-33 in the 1973. We’re talking position players. That does not count Aaron Harang’s 0-for-49 in 2005.
In the last 10 games:
Taveras:
37 AB
1 H
0 R
0 BB
0 2B
0 HR
0 RBI
0 SB
5 K
.027 AVG
.027 OBP
Stubbs
43 AB
14 H
8 R
3 2B
1 HR
4 RBI
2 BB
5 K
3 SB
.333 AVG
.379 OBP
Chad,
I don’t think there is anything to add.
Hanigan should bat leadoff for now. Srsly.
Cueto could throw a no-hitter tomorrow and we could STILL lose…
I didn’t even watch. This was the first time this season that I was home and didn’t bother.
I ain’t no front runner
If we were to trade for a third baseman, it would have to be one of the most asinine moves I’ve ever seen. ALl of our prospects play third base….may be we should trade for a first baseman, too, since we only have Votto and Yonder on our roster.
I have an idea…may be should trade for a shortstop or power hitting outfielder….
I’ve had a draft post going all week about how great the Castellini team is at taking care of the fans, at packaging and selling Reds baseball — but no amount of lipstick can disguise this pig.
But honestly, I couldn’t muster up the energy to even talk about this awful team. Meanwhile, Walt Jocketty apparently believes that because every other team is treading water, he can “stay the course,” as the man used to say. I never understand why teams don’t value the early- and mid-season games as much as they do those in September.
Just updated the post with a link to this John Fay piece…evidently, Dusty is upset with Brandon Phillips.
I feel like we’re on the Titanic.
Actually, I think Taveras’ OBP is 0.054 over those 37 ABs since he also got on base due to an error during that span. Woo wee!
I agree with Dusty, that was BS by Phillips. I was mad at the time thinking they didn’t give him the take sign. If Dusty is going back to the drawing board I hope it doesn’t include Taveras.
Great post Steve!
“Pitching and defense” I am getting tired of watching a team that can’t get on base, let alone score a run.
“The biggest sign of futility: Leadoff man Willy Taveras went 0-for-4. He’s not on an 0-for-32 skid. That’s the longest by a Red since Denis Menke went 0-for -33 in the 1973.
“It ain’t easy to watch,” Baker said. “We got go back to the drawing board.” X(
What in the world does that mean? Please someone tell me.
If Brandon Phillips is quoted accurately in all these stories, I really worry about him.
I think you’ll see Dickerson tomorrow. There will be some b.s. about Willy getting 2 consecutive days off.
Could some please give Brandon Phillips a book on grammar.
With Fay’s writing I wouldn’t bet on the quote.
No hitter and lose
if you’ve read my post you know I love baseball history and #s
6 times since 1954 a pitchers has allowed 0 hits through 8 innings and the team lost
Matt Young for Boston is the most recent (1992). He threw 8 innings of 0 hit ball. Oh sure, he walked 7(!!!) and allowed 2 runs. Boston lost to Cleveland 2-1
Not much need to mention 4 of the other 5 but there is a reason to mention the one that happened in 1964
Ken Johnson of Houston pitched 9 innings of no-hit baseball against the CINCINNATI REDS
He also didn’t allow an earned run
Yet he lost to the Reds 1-0
Nuxhall pithced a complete games, 6 base runner shutout
it went down like this
top of the 9th, 0-0 tie, both pitchers headed for extra inning shutout pitching
Nuxhall grounds out
Rose reaches on an error AND goes to 2B
Ruiz grounds out Rose goes to 3rd
Pinson reaches on an error Rose scores
(oddly there was a pinch runner for Pinson…wonder if he was hurting)
so the Reds get 2 runners on with by 2 errors, one scoring the runner winning 1-0 with NO HITS!
I would pay to see a video of this game. I would love to see two pitches take shutouts to the 9th, 1 with a no-hitters and see a team score WITHOUT A HIT
if you’d like to see the box score and play-by-play you can find it here
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU196404230.shtml
If everyone on the free planet (it seems) thinks Dusty Baker is an idiot, I’m sure Brandon does too. He took it upon himself to make something happen and ignored his incompetent manager. I’m not condoning it, but I’d probably do the same thing too if I was in that situation, no matter if I was wrong in not following orders. How any of those players have any confidence in Baker’s decision-making after seeing Tavares bat leadoff once again is beyond me. More revolt is on the way.
Now a good manager who wants to control his team would punish BP by a fine and/or making him sit tomorrow. I wonder what Dusty will do.
Don’t get credit for OBP on reaching by error…the statistical assumption is that you were out by your own volition….but your team got a break…
I should note (some probably noticed). 0-0 tie in the 9th and your starting pitcher is leading off….today he’d be pinch hit for….he was not in 1964
Statistical averages are a real witch, as I it seems the Reds are getting the other swing of the pendulum, where they get the worse out of a bunch of players where a few weeks ago the scrubs were all clicking. Taveras is the worst example, but Hernandez, Nix, Bruce, Hairston and Rosales have all gone ice cold in June.
I can see holding tight and not making a trade if the deal isn’t right, but running with that many pitchers (including Lincoln) when you are struggling seems pretty crazy.
Weeks like these I wish we had a loudmouth guy with a temper like Lou. He wouldn’t be waiting this long to start try something different at least flip around the batting lineup. Baker has had this same thing forever. The guy started Neifi Perez all the time leading off too.
Jocketty comes off as complacent, even indifferent, about what’s happening. “A couple of guys who will maybe be back in a few weeks.” And where are we going to be in a few weeks ? It reminds me of Krivsky’s “stay the course” attitude towards the bullpen in 2006. Then, to his surprise, the Reds are still in contention in July and he breaks up the team in a panicky effort to fortify the bullpen.
I thought Castellini was an owner who would not tolerate this BS, I’m disappointed.
BP even admitted he ignored the sign. This was a stupid and inexcusable effort to be a hero, but on the other hand, I can understand his frustration, the same frustration we feel.
Dusty Baker has no business sending out a player every day, as our leadoff man, who cannot make solid contact with the ball, cannot draw a walk, and cannot run full speed. In short, a man who currently has no chance of getting on base, who commands less repect from the opposing pitcher than whoever is pitching for us that day.
If Taveras is in the lineup today, I give up on Dusty Baker. How long a losing streak would it take to get him fired ?
I am not going to mention Taveras anymore. It has all been said, and I think the more people talk about it the more Dusty resists making any change, just to show he doesn’t care what mere fans think.
It really is Patterson all over again.
Few more weeks like this it is not going to matter if EE and Votto come back.
I agree, Jocketty sounds like he really is not that concerned. I do not think they were planning on competing this season, and are not going to make any moves to extend their chances of doing so.
Within reason, I guess I am ok with that. For example,I sure would not sell off Bailey for a rental. But the refusal to make the low cost moves, benching Taveras, using the Dl, sending Lincoln down, really is beyond frustrating. There is a difference between staying the course and indifference.
Read the Enquirer today, Dusty sticking with Patterson.
Votto being gone puts the pressure on everyone in this lineup. Taveras not getting base only magnifies that. I’ll bet if you could ask the players and they were totally truthful with you, they’d say the entire lineup is pressing and tight as h**l.
One more thing about Taveras: his outs are easy. It’s not as if he’s hitting even the occasional line drive but right at a defender. All of his outs are soft pop ups, soft ground balls or lazy fly outs.
It is stuff like this that Phillips can never be “the face of the franchise.” BP’s quotes are just as dumb or more so than what Dusty’s are. To be perfectly honest at this point it is SO bad, I am not sure if anybody knows what they can do to make things any better. The only hitters not struggling real bad are Hanigan and Gomes. All the good and great pitching is going all for naught because this team can’t score more than a couple of runs a game.
I would say over the next month the team will be on the fringe of staying close, but more likely falling out of the race.
Glenn (31)it’s clear that they’re all pressing. The moment that Votto walked off the field early in that Friday nite game in Milwaukee, this team lost its swagger. The manager is supposed to do what he can to help his team at a time like this, enough said on that topic.
At least today Dusty has a plan. But indeed, where is Janish ?