Let’s recap tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Cincinnati 3
Chicago 5
W: S. Camp (3-5)
L: S. Marshall (4-4)
S: C. Marmol (14)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–Brandon Phillips was the offensive “star”, with three hits in four ABs, including a double. Todd Frazier hit his 14th homer; he also singled. Zack Cozart hit another leadoff homer.
–Sean Marshall is a good pitcher, whether you want to believe it or not.*
NEGATIVES
–The Reds gave up four unanswered runs, and they blow another winnable game. Another punch in the gut.
–Jay Bruce is lost. I don’t understand what happens with that guy sometimes. Tonight: 0-4 with three strikeouts, and he looked simply awful.
–Logan Ondrusek blew the lead in the bottom of the eighth by surrendering a long two-run homer that gave the Cubs a 5-3 lead.
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS
–The beat rolls on. That’s five straight losses, a season-high. Fortunately, the Pirates lost, so the lead remains 2.5.
–With Carlos Marmol in to pitch the ninth for the Cubs, Xavier Paul got an infield single, after Marmol ran the string out because, as usual, he couldn’t find the strike zone. With one of the worst control pitchers in the majors on the mound, down by two in the ninth, the leadoff hitter on base, what do you suppose Wilson Valdez did when he came to the plate next?
Yep, swung at the first stupid pitch. Unbelievable. And he grounded into a game-killing double play.
Marmol then went on to walk Cozart, and he threw about six straight pitches nowhere close to the strike zone. Wilson Valdez, ladies and gentlemen.
–Mike Leake’s start was … adequate. Six innings, three runs allowed on six hits and two walks. He was going pretty well until the wheels fell off in the sixth, when Leake allowed Chicago to score two runs, tying the game at three.
–New program on cable: Sean Marshall: Situational Reliever.
Okay, I typed that before Marshall came back out to pitch the eighth. So he wasn’t underused as badly as I thought he’d be, but there are almost no scenarios under which Logan Ondrusek should relieve Marshall. I like Logan well enough, but come on… He is what he is. A middle reliever.
I honestly do not understand this club’s unwavering faith in Logan Ondrusek.
— Chris Garber (@cgarber8) August 10, 2012
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–I’m talking about the bench, and not the bullpen here:
Gang, I really feel sorry for Dusty Baker. He has NO bench to work with. It’s pretty sad.
#Reds— Redleg Nation (@redlegnation) August 10, 2012
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If you’re double-switching so that Wilson Valdez DOES hit, you’re doing it wrong. Or you have the Reds bench.
— Chris Garber (@cgarber8) August 10, 2012
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–This:
The Cincinnati Reds of this past week: The Boys of Bummerâ„¢
— BennyCL (@BennyCL) August 10, 2012
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–Okay, I’m pretty frustrated right now. I think I’m going to go to bed, rather than think about the Reds any longer. (By the way: thanks, Mike.)
Source: FanGraphs
*Someone show this to Dusty Baker, please.