Loading ...
Cincinnati (3-3) begins their first road trip of the season, starting with a 4-game series against the Washington Nationals (4-2) in the Nationals 2012 home opener at 1:05pm today. The Reds are 3-0 so far in day games and play three day games in this series. That obviously means the Reds will win three of the four games!
Today’s pitching matchup will see two of the big-name young pitchers who were traded this offseason, 24 year old right-hander Mat Latos (0-1, 7.71 ERA) versus 26 year old left-hander, Gio Gonzalez (0-0, 9.82 ERA). Both pitchers are looking to bounce back from their shaky debuts with their new clubs.
You can find the baseball-reference game preview here.
Drew Stubbs 8
Zack Cozart 6
Joey Votto 3
Scott Rolen 5
Jay Bruce 9
Ryan Ludwick 7
Wilson Valdez 4
Devin Mesoraco 2
Mat Latos RHP
Brandon Phillips out til “probably Sunday”.
There are also some notes on Chapman from Fay’s blog this morning.
1. He’s unavailable to pitch today because he went 2 innings yesterday.
2. Sounds like the reporters are trying to get a feel for when/if Chapman would be transitioned back to the bullpen. Fay is reporting that it is not “around the corner”. One of the reporters asked whether Chapman is going two innings in each of his last two outings to make an easier transition back to starting:
@Josh M: Valdez hitting ahead of Mez. Just. Wow. *facepalm*
@Sultan of Swaff: You just wait: Valdez will have a monster game.
Of course I’m basing this on nothing.
Am I the only guy that despises the idea of the Fox Sports Ohio Girls?
Here’s a topic I think Redleg Nation should keep an eye on this season.
One of the problems I have with how the roster was put together is that it’s very right-handed with some guys that have pretty serious splits.
With only 2 viable lefties (I don’t count Harris because he can’t hit period) and no switch hitters, the Reds are set up to struggle against RH pitchers.
Last year the Reds fared much better against lefties than righties. So far this year:
vs. LH .898 OPS
vs. RH .599 OPS
Now, this is a pathetically small sample size, but I’m just raising the red flag.
With so many calls for a RH power bat this offseason, to put between Votto and Bruce, it seems to me that what the Reds really need is a LH leftfielder to give a little more balance to the lineup.
@Sultan of Swaff: Batting an 8 year vet ONE SPOT before a rookie catcher is hardly as stupid as you’re making it out to be.
And Ludwick has been moved back a couple spots today. You should be happy.
@Sultan of Swaff:
Well of course he is. According to the “Book Of Dusty”, aka “I Played With Hank Aaron”, the catcher must bat 8th. That’s right after the rule The Shortstop Must Bat Second. If Baker was managing the BRM, Bench would hit 8th:
Geronimo CF
Concepcion SS
Perez 1B
Morgan 2B
Rose 3B
Griffey RF (gotta have righty/left/right/lefty, you know.)
Foster LF
Bench C
@al: Heisey is a virtual LH left fielder.
i’m still in wait and see mode on this idea. he had pretty traditional splits in the minors, but did have a few weird years.
i’m not ready to say that he really hits righties better overall.
@concepcion13: Funny & true.
Will Stubbs attempt a bunt his first at bat? Should he?
Interesting to see Gonzalez v. Latos, since they were the two guys the Reds targeted for trades, and were traded for very similar packages.
Brantley with some decent knowledge: Latos has a very strong history of pitching well against the Nationals. Hope for the good guys.
I’m way pumped for today’s game
That was a sick curveball from Gonzalez.
I hate it that I have no way of knowing whats happening during the game, except by reading the comments or updates on ESPN. Its not on T.V. in my area, and the online radio broadcast is blocked by MLB. But the good thing is if I have to keep track of the game from readers comments, I couldn’t do better then Redleg Nation. Go Reds! Go Redleg Nation!
What an inning from Gonzalez.
Han Solo’s got a bad feeling about this game…
Glad to be back with the Fox Sports Ohio team with Jim Kelch to boot.
Put him away, Matt.
Long AB here
COME ON
Not sure if it’s Meso or Latos or who, but he’s hardly working inside at all right now.
What a great AB by Espinosa… Now, what Latos would like is a nice 6-4-3
Latos had better start missing some bats or this is going to be another short outing.
@Sergeant2: The mlb.audio subscrition is worth the $20 bucks. All games, all teams. It’s the only way I can keep in any kind of touch with the team except national tv or against Milwaukee.
He’s getting REALLY lucky with this wind. I hope he doesn’t plan on pitching like this the rest of the season at GABP.
18 pitches, which isn’t bad after the AB by Espinosa.
I’m not worried about Latos. He’ll be fine.
what was latos’s velocity like in his first start?
@Y-City Jim: Two of those outs would have been homeruns in a lot of parks on a lot of days that weren’t this windy.
@Matt WI: Ot MLB At Bat for your phone or tablet at $14.99.
JB going oppo. Nice
Way to go the other way, Bruce.
bruce doubling down the left field line? what a thing of beauty.
Skinny Jay Bruce!
This Ludwick signing just looks better and better every day.
@eric nyc: Maybe he needs to call Hal McRae to figure out what Hal had him doing in 2008.
Ludwick sucks. He has shown nothing to excite me.
Interesting thing today on ESPN.com. Logan Morrison is likely available via trade. I don’t know what we’d have to give up to get him, but if Ludwick is 5 for 55 in a few weeks, I say give it a look. Seriously, how bad does a dude have to be before you say “Okay, we made a mistake.”
@hermanbates: I will give them Ludwick and their choice of prospect. Hell, give them Harris too.
Now Latos is throwing some K’s.
4 games played certainly seems like a reasonable sample size. I personally think he’s done but c’mon…patience patience patience.
@Matt WI: I can’t thank you enough for that info. I had no idea a subscription was that cheap. I assumed it would be between $150.00-$200.00. I can only keep in touch with Reds games when their on National T.V. or playing the Cardinals or sometimes the Cubs. Thanks Again. Been to Green Bay quite a few times, worked for Schneider National many, many moons ago.
The two inside pitches to Nady set him up well to ground out weakly.
@CP: I really wish any time anyone made a comment like this they were required to put in parentheses afterwards what an appropriate amount of time would be. I’m not denying that 4 games is a very very very small sample, but when the comment is “Ludwick looks awful” it’s not really a response to say “But he hasn’t been awful long enough for me.”
latos hit 95 on the gun there, but it was belt high and went a long way. the wind is definitely helping him today.
Another ball that probably would have been a HR without the wind.
But the wind is blowing. Perhaps he realizes that? Nah.
Mlb.TV is around 125, includes MLB At Bat + radio subscription for free. I also have NBA League Pass but there isn’t a better value out there than the MLB product. Only wish I could watch in market games!
I’m glad Stubbs has the speed to make up for his lousy instincts.
I hear the Cubs need more fans.
@CP: He looked bad ALL of last yer. And he wasn’t good the year before. I don’t know how much longer we have to watch to be able to say he’s virtually finished. His one hit this year was a well placed pop up, where, for some reason, the Marlins had no one playing in the one spot Ludwick hits the ball to. If he had a decent year last year, I’d be okay with preaching patience. But good gosh…the dude has shown nothing to suggest he has anything to offer.
@CP: Besides his one and only hit which was a RBI. Name something else that you saw Ludwick do that was promising?
I find it interesting the MLB pitchfx looks at Gio’s pitches and 5% of the time says, “Uhmmm, I got no idea what that was. But it was just Nasty.”
Another blessing of Stubbs’ speed.
@Y-City Jim: Lol. Just kidding.
THAT’S why Stubbs can’t strike out so much.
@eric nyc: He’s probably not worrying about being to fine. He knows he can make a mistake and not get hurt. That’s good on his part for recognizing.
@al: I’m sure he is aware of the wind and is confident firing 95 MPH bullets down the middle knowing they’re not leaving the park.
I know Latos hasn’t given up a “hit” yet (3 balls that should have been…) but Gonzales is looking like the more dominant pitcher. I wonder what Oakland’s price for him would have been from us? Maybe we could have held on to Boxberger? Not trying to start a huge debate here, just making conversation.
@AnnapolisHoosier: This is still not a big ballpark. I don’t care if the wind is blowing, I don’t think Latos is pitching for fly balls. I don’t think ANY pitcher ever pitches for fly balls.
It is a pretty big park.
@eric nyc: Aaron Harang did…
In a little over a month, I’ll be parading around the WWII Memorial and other DC landmarks with a group of 100+ eighth graders.
Latos is getting a fair amount of groundballs on his slider, which is nice to see.
Ha…it really looked like ZImmerman was smoking a joint in the dugout in that shot.
@eric nyc: Worked for Doc Ellis.
Latos is getting a little bit nasty today
Latos is getting his different pitches working now.
@TC:
I like that, and I don’t, because our guys can’t hit it yet.
I think Latos just needed to get a few outs and get his confidence going. He’s looking way sharper now than he did in the first inning.
FB from 92-96, curve ball looking nasty, and teh slider getting a lot of weak grounders.
This is starting to look like the pitcher I thought we were getting.
Votto’s glove is different.
it’s throwing me off
Latos at 52 pitches through three innings.
That’s no good
he’s looked a lot better in the 2nd two innings though. if he keeps that going he could still go 7IP.
Votto smoked that ball
It’s interesting that Bruce is considered “cold” in the down and in spot on the Gameday hitting zone…. typically that’s a wheelhouse for lefties.
@Matt WI: That’s his strikeout spot. Pitchers abused him on breaking balls down there last year. Don’t know why they stopped.
Since went did they let the Geico Cavemen play baseball.
@CP: $125.00 for T.V. and Radio, that’s not bad a-tall. For whatever reason I thought those subscriptions were much much higher, way over what this 99 percenter could afford. It seems I’ve read where people have paid hundreds of Dollars for NFL subscriptions. I assumed MLB was probably the same way. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to help. A tip of the cap to ya.
Latos is a pretty slow worker.
Still not as bad a Volquez. I could go make a sandwich between his pitches.
HOW was that a ball?
Wow, that was a horrible ball 4 call.
Man, this is a tiny zone for Latos right now.
Latos at 71 pitches now. Probably looking at 6 innings, but a quick inning could mean 7. As long as they’re scoreless I’m happy.
These Nationals fans aren’t very bright, are they? That was a lazy line drive right at Ludwick and they were cheering like it was going out of the park. THey did the same thing on Scott Rolen fouling off a 2-strike pitch a couple innings back like he just got gassed.
Well, baseball in DC is still new to this generation.
@AnnapolisHoosier: Let’s just ask Latos after the game if he was pitching for hard hit fly balls to the warning track as part of his game strategy.
Latos is impressing me today. I feel like he is one of those guys that gets better as the season goes along.
@eric nyc: Ludwick made it look like it might be something by playing it badly.
Zimm is Gooood
Ludwick just got robbed.
this would be a great time for Meso to go deep.
MESO. That would have been in the river if it was GABP
So is Mesoraco the cleanup hitter of the future?
Again with the pitcher getting hits.
@Matt WI: Not just a pitcher, a pitcher with in his 8th career AB.
i don’t know how ludwick didn’t get that ball.
Need a doubleplay here
Latos is going to be lucky to get out of this inning at this rate.
The Reds have been plagued by terrible acquisitions in LF the last couple years. CHUBWICK IS SO TERRIBLE! And like typical Dusty, he’s going to play Chubwick day after day despite being under (.100 or .200)…see Patterson, Taveras, Gomes, etc.
Why walk Espinosa to get to Zimmerman?
Great play from the rookie.
Cozart continues to impress
every year there seems to be a red that i can’t stand. this year is definitely ludwick so far. if he had caught that lazy fly off of gio’s bat, they could have been out of the inning there.
I’m only listening on the radio, but Marty said Ludwick had no chance at catching it.
Well, I guess I could be wrong, but what I saw was a high flyball into left, that hung up for a while, and then dropped a few feet in front of ludwick.
Seemed like it was a ball that usually gets caught because of how much time it spent in the air, and it seemed like a dive still could have got it. Our players are still allowed to dive right?
Could have been worse but might be enough unless th Reds bats heat up soon.
Figure that’s it for Latos. Not awful, but 4.1 innings and 5 innings ain’t going to get it done from a #2 for long.
@al: Amen, he is pissing me off as the days continue.
@AnnapolisHoosier: That’s false.
@rfay00: Eh. I don’t think he had a chance on that ball. He broke on it off the bat…Stubbs might have been able to get to it if he was playing LF but he would have had to dive. I won’t put that one on Ludwick.
I WILL say, though, that Gonzales looks a lot better than anything I’ve ever seen out of Matt Latos in any uniform today. Again, just for conversation.
Game.Set.Match.
i can barely stomach watching this team, offensively.
its, well, offensive.
(not to say i dont love my reds, but come on, early or not, this is not a good hitting team…at all)
@eric nyc: Latos runs the count full too much. He needs to trust his stuff and go for the strikeouts versus the perfect pitch.
@rfay00: Yeah I thought he was supposed to be a strikeout pitcher. He hasn’t been missing a lot of bats.
@Sergeant2: I wish we could go to a ball game. We used to do that but there is too many places to go in three days.
Nice inning from LeCure.
@eric nyc: He just needs to get in a groove and he will be fine. Two earned runs over 5 innings is something the Reds should have no problem keeping up with.
True, but he needs to be able to tack on 1-2 more innings to that, even if it means giving up an extra run. 5 innings ain’t going to cut it. I know it’s early in the year but it still took him 100 pitches to get through 5 innings.
@eric nyc: his “knockout” pitch isn’t working…just like last week. He cant locate his offspeed stuff.
@eric nyc: I agree. The Reds haven’t been hitting the ball at all this year though. You can have a handful of aces that give up 3 runs over 7 innings and still lose games without any offense.
Rolen is so bad right now. He has to get out of the middle of the order.
Just thought it should be said again.
I agree he needs to go deeper into games, but historically he does…so I’m not sweating 2 games. Speaking of looking like crap on a cracker though..Rolen looks horrible at the plate also..
Okay, so it looks pretty clear that Ludwick is going to be RLN’s b—- this year.
But let’s be honest: Aside from Cozart and Bruce, none of the position players are doing much of anything through 6.5 games. (One big game each for Votto and Valdez don’t count.)
GOOD!
Really? I mean, it’s legitimate to criticize poor play, but to fixate on one or two guys when most of the team is struggling seems silly to me. It was the same with Renteria last year: it didn’t matter how hot he was for most of the second half — he was already RLN’s b—-, so people were actually rooting for him NOT to do well.
Amen
Please show one quote, one mention of someone hoping a Reds player didn’t do well…
Really? We’d have to go back to a few game threads last year. It was the dominant discussion on a few occasions.
Ren is right.
Consider that the oldest Nationals fan has only been a fan for 7 years. And 6 of those 7 years they have sucked. They most certainly don’t suck anymore.
Well damn. Gio Gonzalez looks crazy good right now. He’s got much better stuff than Latos does for sure.
We’d better figure out what’s going on with our hitting. This went on all last season. I’m sick of hearing “Oh well they just ran into a good pitcher today.” The NL is FULL of good pitchers. Even yesterday we were only able to score 4 runs off 14 hits.
Oh myyyy, Ludwick is worthless! Atleast Taveras and Patterson were fast and played good defense
Blind Melon Chitlin sounding good on “God Bless America.”
@eric nyc: Right, not seeing this turning into the year we expected it today. I won’t be leaving though, Reds fan until the end.
So we’ve been mathematically eliminated?
OK. Still only down 2 runs, we can make that up.
@renbutler: Willie Harris also should not have been signed. Miguel Cairo and Scott Rolen both look like they should have retired.
Is that better?
@al:
This team needs some hot weather.
@Y-City Jim:
And some quality ABs.
Are people suggesting that the Reds got the wrong guy? It’s quite possible that the Reds couldn’t land Gio and that’s why they got Latos. It also could be that Gio will hit arbitration and free-agency sooner. It could also be that Reds’ scouts felt that Latos will be the better pitcher. Today, as of right now, Gio definately looks better. That said, the Reds couldn’t hit Westbrook the other day and Gio looked very, very hittable in his first start. So, I’m not sure it’s how much better Gio is than Latos. I think a big part of it is the Reds lineup in combination with Latos not being particularly sharp in his 2 starts.
@Y-City Jim:That’s true, 3 days isn’t enough time to see the sights in D.C. By the way the Strasburger weighs 8lbs & comes with a bucket of fries & a pitcher of pop (feeds
@AnnapolisHoosier: Serious? The answer is no, but at this pace there is no way we can keep up for 150+ more games.
Lecure just mowed through them there.
It would be nice to get that pitch called a strike both ways.
@LWBlogger: Yeah, it’s just an interesting comparison because Gio and Latos were the two guys the reds were going after. I don’t think anyone is saying what the reds SHOULD have done.
What I can say watching this game, is Gio has much better stuff than Latos. Throws harder, better movement, better curveball. But the knock on him was control.
He looked spot on today, but maybe sometimes he can’t find the plate and we just got unlucky.
Hard to believe that Zimmerman didn’t get that.
Valdez is turning into a nice pickup.
Reds pitchers this year have had the bad one inning issue. Can’t wait for that crap to stop.
@Y-City Jim: @Y-City Jim: Knock Knock: Its Dave.
A few of the Reds offensive issues could be addressed by just putting guys in the right spot of the batting order. You have to place your best hitters at the top of the order regardless of righty-lefty thoughts.
wow. these look like some very generous strike calls.
Clippard looks like one of the Hanson brothers from Slapshot.
This is pathetic…leadoff double and then nothing. Stubbs leading off is like having another 8-hole hitter to get through.
Worthless. What are Stubbs “tools” again? He can run pretty fast? That’s one…
Maybe Stubbs should try batting lefty?
Meso has to get him to third.
@Y-City Jim: That would be smart but traditional baseball explains differently, thus the refusal to think outside the box.
its almost a moral victory when somebody puts the ball in PLAY with runners in scoring position
this is just awful…i feel like im watching a game from 2011 but with rolen a year older and 5 steps slower.
i am starting to miss gomes…at least you thought he might get a productive hit. (assuming he wasn’t in one of those swing at anything slumps)
I see from the ESPN scroll it bot 8th. I sense another 9th inning victory for Reds.
Arredondo’s looking much better.
Great effort by Cozart…No one could have made that out but he made it as close as anyone could have.
to be fair to stubbs there, meso failed to move the runner, heisey k’d, and both first strikes looked like balls to me.
@nelly33: There’s traditional then there is ultra-traditional. Baker needs to chill on some of his traditional aspects.
Missing: Reds’ bats. If found, please return to Dusty Baker, C/O The Cincinnati Reds, 100 Joe Nuxall Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202… Reward if found.
@Sergeant2: I’m with you!
3 stinking hits.
Come on, Reds! A bloop and a blast!
Maybe if Votto’s glove wasn’t different…we’d hit more. I’m just saying.
rolen will probably get out here, but as long as he can stay out of the DP, we have a shot with Bruce.
I can see the Headline now “Rolen hits homerun in ninth to tie; as a consolation prize for turning into dust, they give him an extra run! Reds win!”
Got the tying run on… What do you want to bet that Lidge goes after Rolen, works around Bruce (if no DP) and then goes after Ludwick?
This umpire LOVES the outside strike.
Alright folks, let’s leave our comments to the game and the Reds.
Thanks.
Dusty’s gonna send Willie Harris in to bad for Bruce. He doesn’t like the matchup between Bruce and Lidge.
Thank God Rolen didn’t retire.
nice time for rolen to come alive!
Ok, with Rolen’s 2B, easy choice to IBB Bruce here.
Agree. Winning run or not you put him on.
Live look-in on Gameday.
And just like that, it’s over…
(the live look-in)
Hmm…batting Valdez ahead of Mesoraco seems foolish now. Hindsight.
Maybe Ludwick comes through? We can all wish/hope/dream right?
I would hit Heisey here for Ludwick. He kills the ball coming off the bench and he hits RH better.
Heisey already PH.
Be the hero, RL!
Man. At least he gives you a good at bat.
Your right Sir. My bad.
That live look-in of an intentional walk was awesome! I’ve never seen one of those before.
Man. I always liked that Ludwick guy. Dusty for manager of the year?
HOLY CRAP.
Wow! Hard to believe Zimmerman is playing this poorly defensively.
This.
That should give Ludwick at least a week off from all the sniping.
“In play, run(s)”
As Mel Allen would say “How about that!?”
Wow, needed that. Come on Devin…
I love Brad Lidge. It seems like the Reds have had his number for years.
Nice job, bit— I mean, Ludwick.
Ok, that made me laugh really, really loudly.
I realize almost everyone on the team is struggling at moment, but the number one problem with team’s offense: outside of Joey Votto, nobody on this team gets on base. Ryan Ludwick has the second most walks on the team. Not good.
Ooh Mes…
You know, I don’t wanna be negative about this, and I’m thrilled Ludwick hit that ball right there…that shouldn’t have been a hit, and now Dusty’s gonna feel justified starting him 2 out of every three again for the next month…
@hermanbates: I was thinking the same thing. Though, to be fair, Zimmerman did rob him on a screamer earlier in the game so you coudl maybe call that the baseball gods evening things out.
I can live with ludwick in the 6-spot if he can get it going.
On the subject of hitting coaches, some hitting coaches have the reputation of being able to transform hitters. Jacoby isn’t one of those guys.
Odds on Harris being the leadoff hitter in the 10th if it gets there?
Man. buzzkill.
@hermanbates: If Ludwick could quit being tempted by those low pitches, he would be on base more often.
Does Arredondo have a soul? I’m not so sure.
@Greg Dafler: O.K. your right.
@Y-City Jim: perhaps. I’d rather not let him keep going up there to find out if this ever happens.
Man, according to MLB.com, all 4 of those were on the black..and he didn’t get the call on any of them.
Meso getting ticked at Arredondo.
same on first 2 to Desmond…
I don’t like Arredondo in this situation.
I am NOT an Arrendondo fan. Too inconsistent in the strike zone.
Bring in Marshall.
I feel like we really missed an opportunity in the top of the ninth. If we drive in one more run, we can bring in Sean Marshall to end it.
Now, we have to suffer through Arrendondo for another inning. Dusty is probably leaving him in given that we are on a 10 game road trip. Can’t kill the bullpen in an extra inning game on the first day.
This is what too many innings over two straight days does to a reliever.
Sweet!
what a double play!
Wow. Tip of the cap to Arrendondo
WHAT an ending to the 9th. Wow!
Wow.
@hermanbates: Can’t bring in Marshall. Even if he seals it, he’d be up first in the 10th.
sweet DP
VERY nice DP.
So what are those odds on it being Harris? I’m saying 3 to 1.
Dam I wish I could see or hear this game. Sounds like Ludwick & Rolen got some big hits. Who’s pitching for the Reds.
We want to love you, Willie! Help us love you.
Do we need any more reason to move on from Harris?
WHY WHY HWY is Willie Harris on this team?
Don’t know you know you HAVE to have a lefty bench bat?! Pretty sure it’s a rule.
And now Stubbs again…two 8-hole hitters back to back. Great lineup, Dusty.
Have to think Willie’s close to playing his way off the team. Dude has been pathetic. Won’t hold my breath though.
getting ugly for stubbs too.
God did we even need to send anyone to the plate this inning?
wow. 3 ks on what 10 pitches? what the hell reds?
10 pitch inning, 3 Ks. Wow.
Stammen made them look like little boys, even Cozart
@SirRibShack: I refuse to believe there is not a lefty in Louisville right now who can be more valuable than Willie Harris.
I got my stream going just in time to see that awesome throw by Meseraco. What did Willie Harris do?
It’s like we sent those guys up there to get a scouting report: “don’t swing, just OBSERVE his pitches.”
As if that wasn’t bad enough, here comes Simon.
Alfredo Simon scares me
@Jared: Guess.
If Dusty puts Harris in I’m filing a Intentional Negligence Suit against Dusty for causing pain & suffering to the fans.
Simon says, pitch well.
Here we go.
@eric nyc: There isn’t. They are all struggling down there.
This is awful.
Video of the 9th-inning DP is now available on Gameday.
Mesaraco looks the part today.
Hey Alfredo…. YOU’RE AWFUL
lucky poke by Werth
@earmbrister: Once he becomes more assertive with the veteran pitchers, he’ll be fine.
It seems every year Dusty has an unproductive pet player who he insists on sending out there everyday for reasons known only to him. Looks like its gonna be Harris this year.
Simon can’t catch a break with these ground balls.
@Y-City Jim: Struggling worse than batting .000/.000/.000?
Lovely.
Can we cut this man now?
Terrible way to lose.
Simon really has some crazy movement on his pitches. If he could harness it, he might be a really really good pitcher.
That’s why the Reds picked him up. Thing is though, as an O’s fan I can tell you that waiting for him to harness it, and not thinking he will ever “get it” is why the O’s let him go.
No sooner than the TV announcer says u can’t throw it in the dirt … Game over.
What a sh*tty way to lose a game. Mes needs to learn to stop calling for those low breaking balls in the dirt.
Do we know he called for a breaking ball in the dirt? Serious question.
The fact that we picked up this goon and kept Harris while Frazier rots in AAA purgatory makes me want to puke.
@eric nyc: Rinehart is tops among LH bats at .214
@CI3J: But he can’t. That’s why he was cut by the Orioles.
I can’t wait for Massett to be healthy again. Also, I’m hoping for J. J. Hoover to get the call up next time we need an arm in the bullpen. Simon is worthless.
@AnnapolisHoosier: thank you…what a strange assumption eric made, there.
why wasn’t bray in to face the lefty?
Boooo! Simon says get off my team.
Let me say, though, that it was a lack of hitting that lost us the game. Not the pitching staff.
I guess you could blame Harris’ presence on the Ludwick signing. If Walt had pursued a LH hitting LFer to platoon with Heisey than Frazier is probably on the Reds bench.
@Y-City Jim … So you were thinking perhaps Fukudome?
@beroader: Correct.
Bray was ready in the bullpen too…
Get’em tomorrow, Reds.
Good Bronson tomorrow.
Yep its 50-50 with Arroyo.
It rarely seems like Dusty actually wants to win extra-inning games. Once that 10th inning rolls around, he reaches for the bottom of the bullpen and hopes for the best because he’s expecting the game to go 18 innings.
johnny damon just signed with cleveland. i would have done for him over ludwick.
the call wasn’t mesoraco’s. they went out and talked to simon and it was clear that they were going to try to unintentionally intentionally walk the guy.
it was a dumb call because simon doesn’t have the control to do that.
they should have just walked the guy straight up or brought in bray.
@LWBlogger: I don’t think you can use that word on the internet.
@Sergeant2: Hmmm, perhaps not
here are the key problems in the reds offense:
batting 1st .240/.269/.240
batting 4th .048/.200/.095
batting 6th .130/.200/.174
those are key spots in the lineup, especially leadoff and cleanup. and lord, a .295 OPS in the cleanup spot? no wonder we’re not scoring.
@al: Those are really ugly numbers. Granted that one or two solid games makes them turn around quickly but yeah, right now, that’s just Ugly (note the capitol “U”)… Do you think they will be that bad all year long though?