Loading ...
Let’s recap today’s titanic struggle…
FINAL
Cincinnati Reds 5
Stupid Chicago Cubs 3
WP: Cueto (16-6, 2.44 ERA)
LP: Samardzija (8-11, 4.17 ERA)
S: Chapman (29)
POSITIVES
• The Reds won their second game in a row, moving their record to 73-47. They are 26 games above .500 for the first time this season. For a few hours, they’ll be 6.5 games ahead of Pittsburgh and (much more importantly) 8.5 games ahead of the WLB. They trail the Washington Harpers by 1.5 games for the best record in the NL. Their record of 23-9 without JoeyMVP is the best in the major leagues over that time.
• After surrendering a two-run homer in the first inning, Johnny Cueto stated his case for the NL Cy Young Award by throwing seven shutout innings, giving up three hits, no walks and striking out eight stupid Cubs. Cueto is the first NL pitcher to reach 16 wins and has the lowest ERA of any NL pitcher with at least 10 wins.
• Dusty Baker’s use of Xavier Paul‘s left-handed bat in this game proved providential. XP drilled a two-run homer to right field in the second inning to tie the game. Not only is he hitting well (.333/.429/.472) but his walk-rate (14.3%) is outstanding. He has six walks in 42 plate appearances. Compare that to Wilson Valdez and Miguel Cairo, who have combined for 8 walks in 250 PA. XP has been what a bench player should be.
• Super Todd ROY hit his 17th HR and drove in two runs. In 330 PA, Frazier has 17 HR and 53 RBI. For some perspective, in 370 PA, Joey Votto has 14 HR and 52 RBI. Read that again.
• Jay Bruce continued his streak of extra base hits, legging out a rocket blast of a triple to the opposite field. In the last six games, he’s had three doubles, a triple and four home runs.
NEGATIVES
• None (seriously)
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS
• This game ends the streak of 120 games to start the season using only five starting pitchers. Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey and Mike Leake have been sturdy and for the most part have pitched well. The last time a major league pitching staff accomplished this was the 2003 Seattle Mariners. The Mariners’ pitching coach then was Bryan Price.
• See you in a few hours.
TOP GAME THREAD COMMENTS (afternoon shift)
• redsfanman: Rolen gets off for the first game because he doesn’t play the day game after a night game. Xavier Paul hasn’t shown himself to be an easy out, and he’s probably better defensively than Ryan Ludwick (at least without weird Wrigley Field winds blowing around). Dusty’s lineups of backup players always get questioned but usually the same fans are happy with the results.
• steveschoen: Never carry a left handed bat, much less play a left handed bat, for the sole sake that they are a left handed bat.
• BRM5: Do you think a win today makes Cueto the frontrunner for the Cy Young? He would be the first to 16 wins in the NL. National coverage loves talking about “First to X wins”.
• Jmac84: I’m a big fan of (Super) Todd (ROY) coming up to bat to Sinatra. Just seems fitting.
It has to be so demoralizing for the pirates and cardinals to know that they might win tonight, and still lose ground in the division race.
Go Pirates. I don’t care if they’re closer to the Reds. Let’s put the boot to the WLB’s necks…
Game 2 #Reds lineup Stubbs 8, Valdez 6, Phillips 4, Ludwick 7, Frazier 3, Bruce 9, Rolen 5, Mesoraco 2, Redmond 1
Said it in the gamethread but everyone stops reading that once this is up…
If Frazier and Bruce can play in both games, why can’t Cozart? Why would you purposefully keep giving Wilson Valdez more AB’s when you don’t have to? And if you NEED to get Valdez in, Phillips is the one who could use a break, not Cozart.
That’s Baker. It essentially takes an injury to take Votto or Brandon out of the lineup, close to the same for Bruce and Stubbs. Why? Who knows? Don’t try to figure Baker out. I still don’t understand why he continues to bat Stubbs and Cozart in the 1-2 holes. I just don’t worry about trying to figure it out anymore. As long as the guys still win, Baker can do what he wants (not that I would like it).
I don’t get the lack of respect for the Pirates. I’m pretty confident they are going to finish with a better record than the WLBs, and so are a bigger threat.
What gives?
I can only speak for myself. To me, the Cardinals have the lineup and pitching staff that is a bigger threat to (a) overtake the Reds or (b) beat the Reds in the post-season. It’s not that I disrespect the Pirates as much as I still have a healthy fear of St. Louis. I saw what the Cards did last year and find it hard to believe the Pirates have that kind of run in them.
History…Especially after last years September…Pirates faded last season.
For me, it’s 100% personal. I admit it.
As for the Reds, they’ll have to beat all comers regardless.
Kind of surprised that Cozart is getting the night off instead of Phillips. BP kind of looks like he could use a game off. I’d have to figure he won’t play tomorrow.
Yeah, I’m also a little surprised at BP still being in while Cozart sits. Cozart has been hot and BP has been anything but lately. Oh well, that’s Baker for you.
The Cards have a +108 run differential, which best in baseball.
If they had the Reds bullpen, they would probably be up 10 games in the division. Oddly enough their bullpen was horrible last year and for some fluky reason was unhittable for like five weeks at the end. It’s still their achilles heel.
I am thinking that Cueto will get at least 18 wins this year and hopefully the magical 20. I also believe that Latos just might get to 15 wins. Nice top two!
I think I read that Cueto retired 19 of the last 20 he faced also.
After the HR in the 1st he only gave up one more hit in the 7th. That was it. Flat out dominant performance with really one bad pitch. For a while I thought that watching Chapman mature was my favorite part of this season, but more and more I think it’s watching Cueto become one of the best aces in the game. I think he should be head and shoulders above Dickey for the Cy Young right now, but Dickey will probably win it. And that’s a real shame because for Cueto to walk away from a season like this with no All Star selection and no Cy Young is just a crime. Guess he’ll have to settle for a World Series ring.