Time for a recap of tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Cincinnati 2
St. Louis 5
WP: Motte (2-1)
LP: Arroyo (7-4)
S: Franklin (13)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–None. No, wait, there was one positive. Ramon Hernandez stole a base. Can you believe it? Great slide by the big guy to get into second base safely.
NEGATIVES
–Officially, the Reds had no errors, but the defense was extremely sloppy all night long. Not a well-played game by the good guys. Heck, the television crew couldn’t even find a “Hot Dog Play of the Night” after the game.
–Bronson Arroyo gave up five runs in five and a third, but he wasn’t that bad. Frankly, Willy Taveras, Laynce Nix, and Carlos Fisher are largely to blame for four of those runs (although Arroyo doesn’t escape all responsibility himself).
In the sixth, Willy Taveras first broke in on an easy fly ball, then he appeared to loaf back and watched as the ball got over his head. There is no question whatsoever that Taveras would have caught the ball for a key second out in that inning if he had been sprinting full speed to the ball (even after breaking the wrong way at first). Completely unacceptable, and there is no excuse for that.
If his hammy has not healed fully, don’t put him in the stupid lineup to cost us runs. The game was tied at 2 when that happened, but the Cards took a 4-2 lead on that play and never trailed again.
–Because Taveras didn’t catch that ball, two runs scored and the hitter ended up at second base. Carlos Fisher then came into the game and promptly threw two wild pitches to allow that run to score. Arroyo was not as sharp as he has been the last two starts, but he deserved better.
–Earlier in the game, Laynce Nix misplayed a ball in left field off the bat of Albert Pujols, and the tying run scored because of it. I’m telling you, Arroyo’s line could easily have looked a lot better. His defense let him down (I shouldn’t have to say this, but no, Cary, they didn’t do it on purpose).
–Of course, Arroyo didn’t get any offensive support either. Bad night for the bats.
ETC.
–Reds have allowed a first inning run in their last six games. No wonder they’re struggling right now.
–If you can’t tell, I’m seriously irritated with Willy Taveras right now. (Chris Welsh was pretty unhappy with Taveras on the television broadcast, too.) If Taveras didn’t sprint back because his hamstring is still hurting, then he had better be on the disabled list in the morning. Taveras isn’t good enough for the Reds to screw around with the DL once again, waiting for him to be healthy enough to play.
–Free Drew Stubbs.
–Well, tomorrow is a new day. We’re counting on you, Johnny Cueto.