Tag Archives: Bailey

Day Off! Side notes

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It makes no sense if everything in one blog post is a “side note,” so instead I believe that I’ll call this: Random topics for discussion.  Since there isn’t a lot of comment discussion, I will continue to keep assuming that I am so dead on with my arguments that nobody disagrees.  Maybe today will change that.

Twitter family!  Oh how I enjoy watching Reds games while keeping up with the twitter family.  There are fans on there that truly make it entertaining.  I love hearing people’s comments about what they thought Dusty SHOULD have done or who they think should be in the game.  I enjoy seeing people get excited when the team does well.  But there are some negatives.  For one, the overall negativity when things go bad.  I actually had to stop following one fan in particular because he had more emotional mood changes than my wife! (sorry sweetie!  I meant….my girlfriend?) Whenever the Reds would be winning he would be very excited, but as soon as someone surrendered a couple runs the world was ending.  I love seeing the emotion, but part of being an adult is not letting your emotions control you.  Think those things and maybe say those things, but don’t put them on twitter unless you’ve thought about what you’re saying.  Second, stop saying “#FUNKBLAST.”  Please.  It’s ridiculous.  Jamie Ramsey thought it up (I think) and I don’t know if it’s because I find him horribly full of himself and annoying or just that I think it’s a stupid phrase, but I hate it.  It’s been popular, but you won’t see me using it.  I find some things that Jamie Ramsey says to be helpful if it’s news or facts, but anything that has a hint of his personality irks me for some reason.  I enjoy following players on twitter because it gives a little insight into their personality off the field.  No, I don’t tweet them hoping that they’ll acknowledge me.  But I do enjoy seeing the other side of these guys.  Along with the players, there is their wives and GF’s.  Anyone on twitter will immediately think of Dallas Latos.  She can be a firecracker and I find her mostly entertaining.  Unlike Mo Egger or Jamie Ramsey, I don’t have a blatant border line sad crush on Dallas.  I enjoy following her but when she starts trying to defend Mat to the media or twitter users, she should just remain calm and collected.  The media is getting it wrong about Mat?  Shocked?  Who cares.  Someone in the limelight needs to let it go.  I believe her tweet after the game yesterday regarding the Jay Bruce Mat Latos “argument” was something to the effect of: “Jay yelled at Mat, get your sh*t straight.”  Who cares?  Let it go.  Whatever was said should go no further than that dugout.  They’re guys.  Not teens on a reality show.  Speaking of “Latos,” there is another twitter user: Fatlatos.  Apparently this is a fatter version of Mat that generally discusses unhealthy eating habits and struggling through the world as an overweight pitcher.  Check him out for general entertainment.  He makes me laugh.

What do you think about the Reds’ announcers?  I still love Marty.  The older that he gets the less that he cares and he’ll say whatever he is thinking on the air these days.  I find George Grande overly annoying, but I can handle him in small doses.  Since he retired and does like 3 series per season, I am starting to actually like him.  The Cowboy is certainly one of my favorites.  I really like the crappy left hander (see what I did there?) Chris Welsh.  Sean Casey (mostly in Pittsburgh) is a terrible announcer.  Thom is not his daddy, but he does ok.  Jim Kelch bores me, but I’ve seen worse.  The Welch and Kelch team holds their own.

I’ve mentioned Jamie Ramsey and Mo Egger.  On that topic, what is the deal with the big time Reds bloggers?  Whenever they address a listener/reader’s questions, they often use sarcasm or ridicule.  I don’t get it.  And I certainly don’t like it.  I try to look at things from both sides, so I get it from their end:  They hear 100 questions a day and 88 of them are stupid.  But they need to consider it from the consumer’s side:  We ask these guys questions all the time and they rarely choose to answer us (due to the vast number of questions that they get).  So on the rare occasion that they answer your question, do you want them to make fun of you or answer sarcastically?  I find that rude and demeaning.  John Fay is terrible at this.  Mo Egger to an extent is bad.  It’s not everyone, and it’s none of them constantly, but I’ve always hated seeing that.

I hate it when I talk a guy up big time and he goes 0-5 in the lead off spot.  Thanks for that Derrick Robinson.  All kidding aside, the kid has talent and although he’ll be back in Louisville soon, I think that he could really contribute to this team in 2014.

Choo is not coming back.  I understand that everyone loves him here, but there’s one thing that he’ll get somewhere else that he won’t here:  A big @$$ pile of money.  Put yourself in his shoes.  Why would you do anything besides test the market?  If the Reds put up a fair offer then Choo might accept.  But when I say fair offer, I mean 5 years 16 mill per.  That’s about what it’s going to take if he continues to perform this well.  In order for the Reds to pull that off, say good bye to Bronson Arroyo, and one of either Homer, Cueto or Latos.  That’s not a good deal in my book.  I love Choo, and will enjoy him this season, but don’t go buy a Choo jersey.  And stop asking “why won’t the Reds sign him.”  Billy Hamilton won’t be ready for 2014, but hey!  Maybe Derrick will.

Kmart is KICKINGGAS!

By Golly’s in Milford is a small bar with a big time menu.  It has the feel of a dive bar, (that’s not a knock! I love dive bars) but it has been rehabbed and boasts a nice patio area.  If you get down there (and I will be tonight about 8 PM) make sure that you hit up the “When Pigs Fly” sammach.  So much pork, so little time. They also have some cheap pitchers of high life.  Who doesn’t love cheap beer.

Isn’t this majestic?

 

 

This was my “party deck” that I was invited to on May 7th.  The picture looks  like a Budweiser commercial.  I am the 4th ugly guy from the right (not counting that bald head that you see in the back).  I am the only one smiling so I guess I was the only one there enjoying the free beer and delicious food.  It was a great experience and I thank the folks who invited us down.

Is Dusty going to manage in LA?  This is a stupid topic.  I usually avoid these, but on a “side note” day, why not?  Short answer, no.  Dusty has accumulated the 2nd best record in the league right now.  Why would he go anywhere?  After this season who knows what will happen.  Right now, I don’t care.  He’s going to manage our Reds from now til at least November and it’s likely that he’ll be here til November 2014.  So get used to it.  The guy has 1600 wins.  Ask Tracey Jones.

I am playing golf in Clinton Ohio this weekend.  The Lyons Den golf course boasts the shortest par 5 in the world.  I will likely take a double bogey.  Also, I know that Lyons Den means something else here than it does up there.  It’s ok to giggle.

If you don’t follow me on twitter, I don’t know how you got here.  If you follow me on facebook, you’re wasting your time.  Nobody uses that anymore.  Feel free to tell me what you hate about this site, my opinions or my face.  I am usually up to a good dressing down.  If you don’t say anything, I will continue to assume that I am doing an outstanding job.  We’ll be working on podcasts soon, so we’re always up for topics!

 

 

 

Hangover Monday: Philly Pick Pockets

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The Reds had a 3 game set in Philly that had more ups and downs than your stock portfolio….  Oh, sorry, more than the amount of your chickens if your a redneck. The series ended Sunday when the Phillies flat out stole one from the Reds.  Those are the losses that hurt.  I STILL remember Marshall surrendering a late 3 run HR to the Giants in a game that the Reds had locked up in the 9th last season.  It was May, but it still hurt.

The weekend had a feel to it that the Reds were the more dominant team by far.  Overall, it felt like the Reds went in there to play 27 innings and got the better of the Phillies for 25 of them.  And that may be true. But those 2 innings were enough for the Phillies to walk away with 2 wins.  The Reds continue to perform poorly in that stadium and this time they walk away with a lot more doubt about that back end of the bullpen.

Of note from the weekend:

The bullpen struggled.  Marshall and Broxton gave up the game Friday without having a ball leave the infield.  That’s tough baseball right there. But those things happen.  The Phillies scrapped it out to push across a run or two late in the game.  I still believe that Ryan Hanigan blocked the plate and made the tag on a diving Ryan Howard, but that was run #5 and didn’t matter anyway.  Still, I hate seeing a call on a play at the plate go wrong.

Saturday.  That’s the Reds team when all goes well.  Bronson Arroyo was outstanding.  Joey Votto was THE Joey Votto.  The offense got contributions from people like Ryan Hanigan whom you don’t expect to contribute much.  That is what they need to see in October.

Homer Baily did the job.  Was he dominant?  No chance.  But the end result was that he went 7 innings and shut the offense down to zero runs.  There were hits, and there were several VERY hard hit outs.  But the end result was what he wanted.

This back end of the bullpen scares me right now.  Between Broxton, Marshall, and Chapman, normally you would expect a lead to be safe.  But that is not the case lately.  In 2012 The Reds had a back end that would shut down any game.  A 1 run lead in the 7th was a sure thing.  I don’t have the stats, but I wouldn’t doubt if they won 85% of the games after leading in the 7th.  After this weekend, even a lead in the 7th scares me.  Broxton seems shakey.  He doesn’t have the control that he used to have.  Marshall is the best of the 3 right now, but he has been touched for some softly hit seeing eye or bloop hits.  Chapman is the scariest.  He doesn’t have any control right now.  He is either walking people or piping fastballs.  The second one is a direct result of the first.  The guy is a dominant pitcher and I think he can still be that.  But until he gets his control back, he’s a pitching machine.  I don’t care how fast it is.  If you tell a major leaguer that you’re about to throw a fastball down the middle, he’s going to hit it out.  That’s what we saw yesterday.  Twice.

But doom and gloom aside, this Reds ball club still has a chance to separate themselves from the pack.  They head to New York and take on the Mets who have had a similar situation of good pitching and lackluster offense.  Johnny Cueto makes his return tonight!  Tony Cingrani has been optioned to AAA to continue to work on some basics.  The kid has undeniable talent.  But it will help to have him tune his skills with Corky some more.  If Cueto can come back and be Cueto, this Reds team just got a big boost.  Jay Bruce is hitting.  Todd Frazier just started hitting yesterday.  Joey Votto flat killed the ball this weekend.  This offense might be waking up and it’s about time!

Now SOUTH Koreans are launching missiles

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The Reds flat out stole that win last night from the Braves.  In case you haven’t felt the excitement aftershocks radiating through the city, the Reds were behind the entire game and were able to pull out the win with back to back HRs in the bottom of the 9th. The win marked Dusty’s 1600th career victory.

Homer led off the game looking a little wild.  With the help of a very well placed hit to lead off the game, (I still think that Xavier Paul should have been calling off Cozart) the Braves came around to score 3 runs.  It was deflating to see Homer battle and get it to bases loaded 2 outs with no runs scored only to allow a pair of 2 out hits to plate the 3 runs.  But to Homer’s credit, he settled in.  His line of 5IP and 4ER wasn’t spectacular, but like Bronson’s outing the night before, his team was in the game.

The offense was slow.  But they were adding runs.  I can only think of one real opportunity that this offense had to score last night but didn’t.  Choo hit a dinger in the 3rd to get on the board.  Sure there was a big inning or two that could have been bigger, but they at least plated a run here and there.  Jay Bruce struck out with Votto standing at 3rd with 1 out.  That one hurt.  The run would have brought the lead to 1 run and given the team a better feeling heading into the late innings.

The Reds added a run in the 8th but it could have been a bigger inning.  The Braves pen was able to fend off the rally and hold the damage to 1.  In the 9th, the Reds faced Craig Kimbrell down 1.  After two quick outs (Baker let Corky hit…more on this) to start the 9th, Devin Mesoraco pinch hit for the pitcher.  With a full count and 2 outs, he hit a line drive into the seats below the smoke stacks.  The crowd who had been on their feet in one of those “I’m supporting the team, yet, stretching to leave” stances was rocking.  Choo then stepped up and ended the game with a homer into the Reds’ bullpen.

Of note:

The first hit of the game was in no mans land.  Cozart gave it a try and Paul couldn’t quite get there.  STILL, I will take a sliding outfielder over a “Willie Mays” IF any day.  Paul should  have called him off.

Votto went from looking foolish and overmatched to looking comfortable and ready to hit as the night progressed.  He still was guessing pitches wrong, but by the end of the night was putting up quality swings.

Corky hit a laser off the fence in left field.  But overall he has struggled.  I was very confused as to why Dusty was letting him hit with 2 down in the 9th.  Derrick Robinson was available.  With his speed and the quality AB’s that we’ve seen out of him lately, why not let him hit for Corky?  Shoot, I would have let Mike Leake bat for Corky.  It all worked out, but it’s just another “What is Dusty thinking” moment.

Mesoraco was absolutely clutch.  BUT remember that it was a full count, 2 outs in the 9th.  I would have probably piped a fastball to him also in that situation.  Not taking ANYTHING away from the guy, but hold off on these calls of “put Mesoraco in the 2 hole.”

Shin Soo Choo was phenomenal.  In the field he made a couple good grabs and at the plate he hit 2 dingers.  He continues to be the most consistent spark on this team.  What’s not to love there?

So Dusty left Derrick Robinson on the bench last night.  Perhaps he was expecting the LONG game in extras where you need that last bench guy.  That’s ridiculous, but maybe that is what he was thinking.  I was listening to Marc Amazon last night on the long drive home (since I don’t live in the big city).  A called (who sounded a little drunk) mentioned Mesoraco in the 2 hole.  Which was stupid.  But then he mentioned letting Robinson play more.  Amazon dismissed the idea like it was not worth considering. Hold on a second Marc.  I believe a paraphrase was something to the effect of, “well he isn’t a proven player at all and you just don’t know what you’ll get from him.”  So….  With injuries running rampant in our outfield and Xavier Paul being mediocre, you don’t think that now is a good time to find out what this kid can do?  Set aside for just a second that I apparently have a serious man crush on Derrick Robinson.  He’s hitting .286 in limited action.  But he’s a switch hitter.  He has wheels.  He has a chance to be a legitimate big league outfielder.  If I am Dusty Baker, I am sliding this guy in the lineup half the time right now to see what he’s made of.  Maybe not in the 2 hole, but get him some more AB’s!  Actually, MAYBE in the 2 hole.  Why not?  Cozart has been there most of the season and he’s basically a slower Drew Subbs with not as much pop.  Of course he doesn’t strike out as much…  Anyway, the point is with a struggling offense, why not give a guy some AB’s.  Who knows?  He could be a hidden talent that could really help this team.

 

 

 

Bats wake up a little too late

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The Reds dropped the opening game of the home stand last night to the Braves.  There was a lot to get mad at.  I think that my wife has finally realized that every question that I yell is rhetorical.  “Why are you watching a fastball down the pipe with a full count!!”  “Why is Logan Ondrusek pitching in a game that still means something!”

Bronson was rough.  But Bronson wasn’t terrible.  It was 5IP 4R rough.  Not a quality start.  Someone joked at me this morning saying that THEIR favorite pitching stat is wins.  I disagree!  Wins don’t tell the story.  QS’ do.  A QS gives your team the chance to win.  Sometimes they don’t.  But that shouldn’t fall on the pitcher.  Bronson kept his team within 2 runs when he left last night.  There were 4 more innings to bat.  Sure the Braves have the best bullpen in the NL right now.  But the Reds did it.  They scored 2 more runs.  Logan Ondrusek got roughed up in the 8th.  At that point it was a 2 run game.  Understanding that the back end of this bullpen has been busy, I hate to see someone like Ondrusek on the hill when he’s struggled all season.

Jay Bruce keeps striking out and he doesn’t seem like he’s getting much better.  Joey Votto STILL doesn’t look comfortable, but his .300+ average has me baffled.  Even falling all over himself on breaking balls and being behind fastballs, he’s still getting hits to drop in.  Zack Cozart is NOT a #2 hitter, but who is?  BP has cooled off a bit.  This offense is still playing very flat.

One bright spot that some might not see is Derrick Robinson.  I’ve mentioned this kid a few times already.  I REALLY like the looks of this guy.  In my mind, it is MUCH more likely that Robinson will be the 2014 opening day starting center fielder.  And that’s not a bad thing.  The kid can hit for average and he has speed.  When he learns how to play against major league talent, he could be an all star some day.  He was on base twice against a tough lefty that not many people touched.  One was a base hit the opposite way and the other was a very tough AB that he worked a walk out of.  Watch out for him!  He will be an important person off the bench this season and next year I think he could start.

One more depressing observation:  Last season, the pitching carried this team to the division crown.  The offense contributed here and there, but it was the pitching that won it.  Now the pitching is struggling to match up to their 2012 form and the offense is struggling to match up to the Asstros’ 2012 form.  Unless we see a turnaround from this team’s offensive woes soon, they will continue to drift further from first place.

BUT!  We’re not giving up yet.  Save the panic.  It’s May.  It’s never good to struggle, but there’s plenty of time.  This team needs to get healthy and then strong.  Over the course of the season, with this much time left, that can happen.

I will be attending the game tonight.  First one since opening day.  I like to think that it will be something to break the curse of the offense.  How about some bold predictions?

Homer Bailey throws a QS.  And he gets a hit at the plate.

Todd Frazier will hit a dinger.

Reds win 4-2

 

The offense is offensive

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The Reds dropped a game to the Cardinals last night by the same score as the previous night’s win: 2-1.  Bronson Arroyo went 7 innings and allowed only a 2 run home run to Matt Holliday.  It was a solid effort and another quality start by a Reds starter.

Again, the Reds offense struggled.  Take nothing from Jamie Garcia and Adam Wainwright.  These guys have been good all season.  Sometimes you run into good pitching.  But at the same time, pitchers are becoming more dominant in this league.  The hitters need to step up.

Choo, Votto and Phillips have solid showings after the first month is down.  They have their average up and have been contributing at least to a respectable extent.  What the Reds offense will need from here is someone in the next level to step up.  Bruce? Frazier?  Who cares who.  Someone just needs to get hot.

Today’s game will be another tough one for the bats.  Lance Lynn is 4-0 on the season.  Homer Bailey goes for the Reds and lost his last outing in a 1-0 decision.  With all of the quality starts being put up by the Reds, these pitchers are putting their team in a position to win nearly every time out!  It would be nice to see some run support.

After the first month is in the books, let’s take a look back.

The Reds are 15-13.  They remain a game back of the first place Cardinals.  The Central race is as tight as it was the first day of the season.  1 game separates 1st from 4th.  The Cubs are really not out of it yet and remain 5 games back in last place.  This division is going to be a heated race all season.  None of these teams has stepped up to show their dominance.  Ryan Ludwick went down after just a few innings on opening day.  A man that the Reds intended to lean on as their power threat behind Joey Votto was suddenly removed.  They improvised.  Brandon Phillips has done an excellent job in the cleanup role, but the #2 spot has been a concern.  They have tried Cozart there, but he hasn’t had a lot of success.  After a good start, Frazier has cooled off.  Jay Bruce is striking out at an Adam Dunn rate and only has 1 HR and 11 RBI when he was expected to lead the team in those categories.  No doubt he has had his opportunities.  In a short season, there is a very familiar site of Jay Bruce striking out to end the inning leaving runners on base.  Todd Frazier has supplied some power with 6 dingers, but has failed to keep his average above .250.  Johnny Cueto is the ace that this club needs, but he’s down with an injury.  Tony Cingrani has played a vital role in filling the vacancy.  Mat Latos is dominating and has given his team a quality start every time out.  Mike Leake has had a rough start and should be concerned when Cueto returns.  Shin Soo Choo has proved to be the excellent pickup that Walt had hoped for.  He is getting on base nearly half the time and is hitting .340.

This Reds team has started somewhat slow.  But think of it this way:  If you told me at the beginning of the season that in the first month, injury would take away our ace starter and our cleanup hitter and we would still go 15-13?  I’d take it.

Hangover Monday: I wanna go home

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The Reds took the final game of a forgettable 4 game stretch yesterday to improve their road record to 2-9 on the season.  2-9 is much better than 1-10!  But depressing still. The Reds have become “that team” who takes care of business in their own ball park, but can’t seem to put it together on the road. That will have to change (and FAST) if they are going to keep pace in the central.

Of note from the weekend:

Shin Soo Choo’s on base streak ended with the 1 hit shutout on Friday night.  He still had a good weekend at the plate.

Bronson Arroyo was terrible.  Homer Bailey was fantastic.  Mike Leake was very rough.  Despite the differences, they were all saddled with a loss.  If we want to feel better about this weekend, think of it this way:  Bronson will have a start like that once out of 4 or 5 times out, but he usually can bounce back quickly.  Homer is continuing to impress me with his poise.  Mike Leake…..well, let’s just hope that Johnny Cueto can come back quick (more on this in a few)

Chris Heisey left the game Saturday with a hamstring injury.  Looks likely that he’s headed to the DL.  Donald Lutz tweeted Sunday that he got the call.  Not sure why these guys are allowed to tweet before the team makes the move…  Lutz has been less than stellar in the minors, but he did hit .270 in the spring against big league pitching.

Tony Cingrani….ugh…If that man asked me for my daughters hand I would give it to him.  But she’s only 6 months old, so he might have to wait a while.  This kid is going to be good.  We have seen some pitchers come through here that were products of the system that we have held high hopes for before, but Tony seems different.  He has strikeout power.  He had 11k’s in 6 innings Sunday.  He can locate his pitches.  He’s a lefty.  Let’s put it this way:  When Johnny comes back, Tony had better not be on a bus back to Louisville.  Mike Leake might want to start getting fitted for that Bats uniform.  I still like Mike, but the guy has some things to work out.  Tony doesn’t.  He’s working.

Joey Votto was sporting the high socks look on Sunday.  The likes of which that haven’t been seen in the Reds uniform since Bill Bray or Paul Janish, Circus 2010! (no…that’s correct)  I sincerely hope that he keeps this look moving forward.  Maybe it will help him see the ball better.  He did knock in a run yesterday.

The Reds square off in St Louis for 3 games starting tonight with Mat Latos.  I guess that you could say that it’s fortunate that the Pirates knocked St Louis back a bit this weekend.  In my mind, the Reds are fortunate to be 1.5 games out of first.  They are a game behind St Louis.  They still need to prove that they can win on the road.  They also need to prove that they can beat St Louis.  They took 1 of 3 last trip out.

 

Friday Video Day: Reds drop a game

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Bronson Arroyo didn’t have his best stuff last night and the Reds defense did little to help. The Nationals took out their frustration from a 4 game losing streak on the Reds in an 8-1 game that was never really close.

Of Note:

First off, let me say that I missed the game…  I was busy playing in game 2 of our season last night.  That was much more enjoyable: we scored 16 runs in the first inning on the way to a 22-6 win.

Say what you will about Bronson’s rough start, but he lasted 6 innings in a game that he could have given up on in the 3rd.  The bullpen has seen a lot of time and needed at least those 6 innings.

All Joey Votto needed was me to doubt him.  His HR was opposite field.  It will be nice if he continues to hold back and drive that ball the opposite way a little more often. That being said, he was only 1-4.

Gio Gonzalez looked fantastic.  Although his ERA is still at about 4.50, he went 8 innings, struck out 7 and the only blemish was Votto’s HR.

Choo reached base with a walk.  He has been on base every game this season.  The guy has been fantastic for this team and I am concerned about where this offense would be without him.

This is a couple weeks old, but I still love it

Ever get that feeling that you immediately regret being somewhere?  This Raccoon gets it.

Bailey goes for the Reds tonight in game 2 of this 4 game series.  The Reds need to fight to come back and take a couple wins away from this series.  Enjoy the weekend!

 

Reds clean the fish

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The Reds took care of business taking 3 of 4 from a bad Miami Marlins team over the weekend.  Their offense showed their force in the 1st and 4th game of the series.

Of note:

Joey Votto looked good at the plate this weekend.  He hit HR’s on Saturday and Sunday and honestly looked comfortable at the plate when he hasn’t appeared to be all season.

The Reds got a good start from Cingrani, Latos, Arroyo and Bailey.  Bailey really didn’t have his best stuff and was in trouble every inning, but the bottom line was 2 runs in 6 innings.  That’s a quality start.  (my favorite pitching stat…yes I’m a nerd)  A QS gives your team the shot to win the game and on a rough day on the mound, Bailey was still able to attain that to keep his team in the game.

Devin Mesoraco will be getting significant time now that Hanigan is down.  He performed well Sunday.  Hanigan has had issues with a thumb, but it’s an oblique that was cited for the DL stay.  Corky was brought up to fill the roster spot.  Who doesn’t love Corky?

Cozart was hit in the hand by a pitch Saturday.  He sat out Sunday too.  We’ll be interested in seeing an update.

Xavier Paul had a couple hits from the 2 hole yesterday, but he also missed a couple of big opportunities early.  I don’t have stats to back it up right now, but I swear that this team struggles scoring runs from 3rd with less than 2 out.

Jay Bruce is still homerless.  Which I don’t put a lot of stock into.  But he has come up with runners on base in big situations this year and will continue to do so while batting 5th.  If he gets hot, this team will erupt.

Shin Soo Choo has been hit by a pitch 9 times this season.  Which is ridiculous.  He was on base 6 times on Saturday and 5 more times Sunday.  The guy is an absolute God send for a leadoff man.

Brandon Phillips hit the walk off sac fly on Saturday.  It was BP bobblehead day at the park.  Funny how many times the bobble head is the hero of the day.

The Cubs come to town tonight 5 games behind the Reds for first place at 5-12.  The Reds will send Mike Leake, Tony Cingrani and Mat Latos to the hill.  The Reds are 10-3 at home this season.

The top 4 teams in this division are separated by 1 game only.  May is the month that will spread the pack.  When it was released, we saw the Reds schedule for April and cringed.  Tough start to the season.  But they took 2 of 3 from both the Angels and the Nationals.  They swept the Phillies.  They took 3 of 4 from Miami.  The fell down at Pittsburgh and lsot the series in St. Louis, but overall, this team has performed like a first place team.  The tough schedule keeps right on going after the Cubs leave town.  They travel to Washington for 4 games and then back to Saint Louis to finish April.  The toughest stretch in the first half will be late June.  They head to Arizona, Oakland and Arlington to play 3 tough teams on the road.

 

 

 

This is such a good game, I wish it could last forever

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It rained on David Homer Bailey’s parade last night.  He threw a fantastic game: 8IP 2H, 0R, 0BB, 10K.  But Kyle Kendrick also got the job done with similar numbers through 7 innings.  Chapman came on in the top of the 9th to assert his dominance against the three that he faced including 2 strikeouts.  Frazier stabbed a hot shot to his left to make the 2nd out of the 9th.  But by then, the sky had opened up again and rain halted the game in the middle of the 9th.  So tonight before the 7:10 start, the Reds and Phillies will finish what they started.  Cozart, Votto, and Phillips will have a chance to win it or else it’s extra innings.

First off, let me again reiterate just how good Bailey was.  He didn’t even have 90 pitches when he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 8th.  He was hitting his spots.  His fastball was blowing guys away.  He hit 97 on the gun at one point.  The 2 seam had NASTY action that would come at your shirt then break back to paint the corner.

Is this the real deal Homer that we’re going to see in 2013?  With just 3 starts, he has put up some impressive numbers minus one + inning in St. Louis.  I know that you can’t forget about the meltdown that he had starting in the 5th, but if you take that inning out, he has gone 18IP, 5h, 0R.  Let’s hope that he has learned something about himself after that bad experience to give him the loss last week.  If he can continue this dominance this season, the Reds will be in great shape.  Don’t forget that Bailey is the #4 starter.

Back to the game that’s still going on.  Chapman threw a good 9th inning.  He is technically still in the game.  Does Baker let him go out for the 10th?  What if this game goes a few more innings?  I fully expect to see either Sam LeCure or Alfredo Simon take the mound in the 10th.  It will be like a start for them and they have been the two relievers that Dusty has trusted to last a few innings.

Game 2 will be Mike Leake.  We’ll see if he can turn it around!

 

Friday Video! Reds in First Place!

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It’s a tight race in the division!  Only 1 game separates first from last!

Enough sarcasm for the day?  How about we move to the video.  Careful, this video made one girl pregnant:

Sometimes as an adult, you see someone doing something and instantly question everything that you spent doing in your childhood.  Why oh why didn’t I learn to play the sax?

The Reds took 2 of 3 from the Angels finishing off a win in the rubber match yesterday.  Things of note:

Bronson was good, not great.  Which is great in itself.  He doesn’t have to be the ace on this team, but he is going to be called upon to eat innings and to put out some quality starts to give his offense a chance to win. Yesterday he did that against the best offense in the AL.

Shin Soo Choo gave back a HR to Bronson Arroyo yesterday.  Historically Choo clobbered Arroyo’s pitching so it was the least that he could do to give one back to him.

Chris Heisey is doing just fine.

While I roll my eyes at the “fire Dusty” tweets during the game yesterday, I will agree that his bullpen use has been pretty questionable so far.

Todd Frazier is starting off hot.

Jay Bruce is not.

In the end, I am not going to break down the little nuances about the game considering they pulled out the win and a series victory.  Their reward?  The Washington Nationals come to town for 3.  Sunday’s matchup between Cueto and Strasburg will be the best in a LONG time.  But before that happens, we get to see Homer’s first outing as well as Mike Leake taking the hill Saturday to see if he can regain 2011 form.

I follow some Reds fans on twitter.  I don’t necessarily think that the opinions on twitter are the majority, but simply the loudest.  A lot of tweets that I saw yesterday were people talking about signing Choo long term.  John Fay fielded the question 3 times that I saw.  Choo has been fantastic so far.  But it’s been 3 games.  Support your team and love the guy.  But don’t be that girl that is brought home for a one night stand that won’t stop calling the next day.  The Reds and Choo knew what 2013 was going to be before it started.  A one night stand.  Hopefully both parties can have some fun for this season alone but win lose or draw they will part ways for 2014.  The Reds cannot afford the salary that he will be making if they want to continue to lock up these younger players.  One question mentioned pulling Ryan Ludwick’s salary and giving the 2 year deal to Choo.  First off, not sure which planet that they live on that you can just pull a contract.  Second, it’s been 3 games….

Enjoy a great weekend of baseball!  I will be hitting the links tomorrow morning for an annual bachelor party golf outing.  The weather will be nice and we’ll have fun, but we all need to remember why we’re out there……to drink loads of beer.