Titanic Struggle Recap: Out, Out, Walk, Run(s), Rinse, Repeat

Positives:

–Today was the Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips show with a featured performance by the one and only Joey Votto. Phillips led the way for the Reds, going 3-4 with a walk and a two-run homer–his 11th–to put the Reds up by three in the 3rd. Just two innings later, Jay Bruce matched DatDude by sending him around the bases a second time with Bruce’s 20th dinger of the year.

–For the day, Votto was 1-2 with three walks, one intentional. Votto’s first two walks, in the 1st and 3rd, both started 2-out rallies for the Reds, putting the good guys on the board first. Both walks sparked the very scientific formula that characterizes Joey Votto’s career–walk, hit, run(s).

Joey Votto is on base. Must be a day that ends in y

— Matt Snyder (@MattSnyderCBS) September 6, 2015

–Michael Lorenzen had a heck of a day, spinning five shutout innings before running into some trouble in the 6th. After a leadoff single, Lorenzen gave up a double before inducing a double play ball that was late on the turn to first. All in all, Lorenzen allowed four hits and two runs in the sixth before Sam LeCure was brought in to quell the fire.

–Speaking of Mr. LeCure, the mustachioed wonder continued his strong return to the bigs, putting out the fire with runners on first and second and only one out. A pop-up and soft liner later, the Reds were in the dugout with a three run lead still intact.

–There was an Aroldis Chapman sighting this afternoon! Chapman struck out two and induced a quick groundout to end a close(ish?) game with no fireworks needed (ignoring the 4 o’clock fireworks that went off anyway).

–Despite a rough day in the box, rookie Ramon Cabrera made an impact behind the plate, gunning down Scooter Gennett after the Brewer led off the game with a hit. The throw was on the money and Gennett stopped in his tracks, leading to 2-4-3-6-4 run down for the first out of the day.

Negatives:

–Todd Frazier was caught stealing in the 3rd on just a horrible jump. If Frazier hadn’t run, Votto walked behind him followed by BP’s homer two batters later. Alas.

–J.J. Hoover has been great this year and still looks to be Chapman’s successor, but he has had a rough go of it lately. With a solo home run given up to Ryan Braun, Hoover has now yielded a homer in each of his last three appearances, bringing his total to six on the season.

–Todd Frazier also grounded into a double play with the bases loaded in the 8th, bringing in a run but killing the possibility for any future insurance runs in the inning.

Not so Random Thoughts:

–Michael Lorenzen only walked one batter today which is a marked improvement over where he has been this season. After the free pass, Chris Welsh commented that the walk ended any momentum carried over from the 2-out rally of the first. After a Ramon Cabrera visit to the mound, Lorenzen promptly K’d the next batter and restarted an easy inning for himself.

–Speaking of Lorenzen wringing people up, in the fourth, the rookie fooled Braun with a beautiful circle change on a full count. Welsh made a remark about Lorenzen learning under the former Red Johnny Cueto and indeed the pitch was Cueto-esque. Hope abounds for the future Reds’ pitchers.

–With three hits today, Jay Bruce now has 999 for his career. Almost a round number with artificial meaning! Woo!

#Reds Jay Bruce now has 30 career homers against the #Brewers, most of any opponent. Next on the list is #Pirates with 20

— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) September 6, 2015

–This game was MLB.tv’s Free Game of the Day and that is a minor miracle because otherwise this recap would have been brought to you entirely by MLB Gameday.

–Not Reds related, but I love this video. Mookie Betts may be the best defensive centerfielder not named Billy Hamilton.

Mookie Betts ran a ridiculous amount to rob a home run. #RedSox https://t.co/rDFyjUSzpB

— Joon Lee (@iamjoonlee) September 6, 2015

Up Next:
The Pirates come to town tomorrow for a Labor Day mid-morning game. Relax, kick back, eat a brat, and watch Disco DeSclafani go to work.

TV: Fox Sports Ohio
Radio: WLW 700