Brewers 6, Reds 1
Box Score | Win Probability
Good Things:
–Michael Lorenzen. My goodness. Turn him into Otani. I’m only half kidding. Lorenzen pitched three innings, allowing only one run and hit a home run of his own. Not. Bad. At all.
The @Reds’ pitchers can swing the bat. #PitchersWhoRake pic.twitter.com/WB2WSshI6x
— MLB (@MLB) June 30, 2018
–Sal Romano. Development pretty much looks like Sal Romano. There are a lot of bumps on the road, but you see some good stuff, too. There’s promise here, at least.
Bad Things:
The non-pitching offense. This team can hit, but even teams that can hit have days when they don’t such was today.
Run down plays shouldn’t be hard. And yet… C’mon Tucker.
Yikes that ninth inning.
Thoughtful Thinkings:
This seemed like one of those games that teams just lose sometimes. It just happens. I suppose I could dig and find a story or make an issue. But a team loses sometimes. And tonight, the Reds lost. Back at it tomorrow.
*Captain Kirk Voice* I’ve never trusted the Brewers and I never will. I can never forgive them for the death of the ’99 Reds.
The final score was 8-2.
Belated, but sorry. They kept piling on in the ninth and I kept changing the score. Forgot that last homer, obviously.
The other team is just better and we did not show up on offense tonight. We lost that game long before the circus came to town the last two innings. I hope we show up tomorrow because we sure were embarrassed tonight by their starter. We gave up two runs and the gift in eight and we should be able to win those games. Way to many holes on offense.
What the heck happened with the rundown in the 8th?! I know I’m overstating it, but sloppy, careless plays like that serve as a microcosm of this team’s season. It is inexcusable. It might’ve influenced Riggleman not to bring in a top reliever for the 9th. Yet I agree with Steve and CI3J that he should’ve brought in one of the best relievers anyways; the score was close enough.
Could there be a good case made for Lorenzen to start just to have his power bat in the lineup?
It’s time to cut Lorenzen loose either as a starting pitcher or a regular outfielder. Too much offense going to waste.
Dear Front Office,
Stay with the rebuild and don’t let a touch of success change your plans. You have a ways to go still. Make your trades and sort out the crap. I know it’s hard but don’t screw it up.
“Make your trades, and sort out the crap”
Did you not comprehend that? Follow along it’s not difficult.
I respect your opinions but I have mine. This is a place to share opinions or so I thought. No need to get offended just because I may disagree. There’s enough of that going on.
Was at the game tonight, and disagree with the “The Reds weren’t going to win this one …” storyline. They were outplayed in nearly every facet of the game … and still entered the 8th inning down only 2-1. That’s a very winnable game.
Then …
The rundown. I get what Steve is saying about Tucker running him back to get both guys on the bag. But you have to assume the other baserunner saw the same thing happening – you make the throw to 3rd and get the lead runner. Period. That’s a high school play; absolutely no excuse for a run scoring on what should have been an easy, gift out.
Follow that with the decision to pinch-hit for Lorenzen, who had – at that point – accounted for the only run in the game. But he has two home runs in the past week, including a rocket in his first at-bat tonight. I suspect the Brewers were thrilled to face Duvall instead.
And then … okay, we go to Kyle Crockett. Not my first choice, but he’s been solid. When he gets in trouble, though … Jackson Stephens? Stephens is the guy you bring in to throw gas on a dumpster fire, not the guy to get the critical out in that moment when you’re teetering on the edge between “We’re still in this” and “Maybe tomorrow night.”
The Brewers outplayed the Reds tonight, yes. But entering the 8th inning, this was a very winnable ballgame. Poor fundamentals and bad decisions may not have lost the game, but they definitely put it out of reach.
The runner going back to third was a good 6 to 8 feet from the baseline too – I have no idea why he wasn’t out for that reason alone and then the out at 2nd would have ended the inning.
Typical old school approach, saving for tomorrow when you don’t know if will survive today, they’d have reached the bottom of 9th inning only two runs down. I really believe Reds are one SP and one OF away from contention, but with another manager.
That’s why the Reds must trade Scooter while his value is high to get a starting pitcher to anchor the rotation. It’s time to find out what Herrera can do at second base. Lorenzen should spend some time in right field. He certainly has a strong enough arm for that position and the guy is a hitter. And Schebler should start in center and lead off. Hamilton and Duvall should be traded in the next month as a part of a bigger trade or for what the Reds can get.
You do know that Riggleman had previously brought Crockett into close games 4 times the last 8 days & he had performed well in all 4 occasions. Reds won 3 of those 4 games & it was Hernandez that was charged with a blown save in that loss, not Kyle Crockett. After Crockett’ appearance the score is what? 4-1 or 5-1 with 1 out to go? You want Iglesias, Hughes, or Hernandez then? Come on, the manager did not lose either of the last 2 games & probably makes the best use of the Reds bullpen over the course of the whole season.
If Riggleman mentions anything about espousing analytic method, he would be written, and commented, about favorably. You just have to “read in” the agenda when reading certain posters.
I don’t consider to know enough to make an informed decision about “best use” of the Reds bullpen on a daily basis. I doubt you do either. What I do know is that every time the Reds lose a lead, or Winker doesn’t start, or the sp gives up runs in his last inning of work, then it’s all the manager’s fault (Price or Riggleman). Sparky Anderson couldn’t win 83 games with this roster.
My issue was not with bringing Crockett in, Crockett left two runners on base, that scored but at that point why not use Hernandez, Hughes, then perhaps Crockett had a chance of not giving up those two runs. It was the same issue the other night with Disco’s last two runs.
Said it last night and others have as well the game was lost long before the gift in the eighth inning but the ninth was managed wrong by Riggleman.We weren’t going to win because we didn’t hit and Council pulled his starter at the right time but Stephens doesn’t need to be in a game unless your way way behind or way way ahead..Also I agree with Steve that pinch hitting for Lorenzen and letting Billy hit was just dumb.Both were probably going to make and out but Billy can’t hit and against hard throwers he is always over matched.We will have to live with our roster until its changed because we can not win at home unless we can hit it out of the park period.Billy,Peraza and Tucker get the majority of the playing time and barring injury or trades they will play 130 games or more.Yes they do have other skills but in the game today you better be able to get on base or have power or both or you set.
But exactly what is the way to do it?
My guess is that after about 50 ABs, the scouts and analytics staffs will find a hole in his swing or approach, and attack it. To become an effective hitter over the long run, then he would likely have to go back to AA and get in 350 ABs. But in doing so, he would probably have a setback in his pitching.
I’ve been skeptical about Ohtanifying him, but I’ve come around, even with the HUGE small sample size alert. He is a unique talent with unique character. The Reds do have some time, as they have 3 more years of control. Perhaps they should give him an extension, with the understanding that he would become a 2-way guy.
With Lorenzen, as opposed to Ohtani, I don’t think that he would need to be DH only, and could play outfield almost every day he isn’t pitching. (Right now he has 2 HRs in 5 ABs, so even if he slows down by half, he would figure to hit 100 homers with 500 ABs, plus log a few saves.)
The downside is that it would take some creative thinking from Reds’ management. Good luck with that.
Has anyone seen Lorenzen play OF let alonr CF? Very few college CFs can play the position in the MLB and we have people convinced the Reds are screwing up not putting him in the OF. Could Lorenzen be a decent PH on days he is not pitching? Maybe but he probably pitches in 60+ games and needs to be available another 30 games when he doesn’t get in. There are probably 60 games when he is free to be used as a pinch hitter and we might have a better idea how good he can hit.
Michah Owens had everyone excited with long home runs. Even went 4 for 5 with 2 HRs in a game but stayed as a pitcher and not a very good one.
He’s played College CF. He’s as fast as Pereza. And he’s athletic.
The downside is that he’s behind in development.
But, if he can play CF, then it gives the Reds a massive amount of options. He can start CF and potentially pitching an inning of relief once or twice a week, then return to CF. Hamilton can spell him during that inning and be available to pinch run.
What’s frustrating is that we have a player that wants to be more flexible and contribute more, blasts the f#%! out of the ball at the plate, and can pitch halfway decent.
AND, the Reds need a better option in CF.
Personally, I really like a Schebler RF, Lorenzen CF & Winker LF Line Up.
Pair that with a future infield of Votto 1B, Senzel 2B, India SS, Suarez 3B & Barnhart C and this is a really powerful, balanced core lineup.
And, until Senzel makes it up, we get to see what Dilson Herrara can do.
Oh, and whatever we get in trade for Gennett.
I’ve been saying centerfield for months now,why not give it a shot.