The Cincinnati Reds (5-10) will try again tonight against the Los Angeles Dodgers (10-8) at 10:10 PM. The Reds lost a heartbreaker in the 9th inning last night courtesy of a Rasiel Iglesias blown save. It was a brutal loss for the Reds after a big go-ahead RBI single by Matt Kemp in the top of the 9th. Yasiel Puig also hit a home run in his first at-bat back at Dodger Stadium off Clayton Kershaw.
Starting Pitchers
Tyler Mahle is off to a terrific start to 2019. He has only allowed 1 run through 2 starts. He is missing a lot of bats and his velocity is slightly up. Mahle’s only career start against the Dodgers came last May at Dodger Stadium, and it was a good one: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 2 K.
Kenta Maeda is coming off a start where he got shelled by the Cardinals. Maeda nearly exactly split time between starting and relieving last year (20 starts, 19 relief appearances). He has been forced into the rotation early in the season with injuries to Kershaw, Ryu and Hill. Maeda has a career 4.62 ERA in 3 appearances against the Reds (2 GS). The Reds beat around Maeda their only time facing him last year in May: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 5 K.
Starting Lineups
| Reds | Dodgers |
| 1. Joey Votto (1B) 2. Eugenio Suarez (3B) 3. Jesse Winker (CF) 4. Yasiel Puig (RF) 5. Matt Kemp (LF) 6. Derek Dietrich (2B) 7. Jose Peraza (SS) 8. Tucker Barnhart (C) 9. Tyler Mahle (P) |
1. Joc Pederson (LF) 2. Corey Seager (SS) 3. Max Muncy (3B) 4. Enrique Hernandez (2B) 5. Alex Verdugo (RF) 6. David Freese (1B) 7. Chris Taylor (CF) 8. Rocky Gale (C) 9. Kenta Maeda (P) |
These were the lineups the one other time Votto hit leadoff. It was his 93rd career game. pic.twitter.com/4Y6tN6fjSy
— Andrew Simon (@AndrewSimonMLB) April 16, 2019
Other news and notes
Nick Senzel's back on the field for the Cincinnati #Reds in Goodyear, Shard Munroe's on fire, and Lucas Sims is making them swing-and-miss in todays Reds noteshttps://t.co/2udOktowp3 pic.twitter.com/krhpkvry4i
— Doug Gray (@dougdirt24) April 16, 2019
Alex Wood is progressing on his rehab and is scheduled to throw off a mound Saturday. ?? https://t.co/eYEwFHZuP7 #Reds pic.twitter.com/gW7lsbDvJE
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 16, 2019
Conclusion
This is a big game for the Reds tonight. The Reds hitters need to take advantage of a good matchup tonight against Maeda. Walker Buehler could be looming on Wednesday (although the Dodgers haven’t announced a starter yet). Go Reds!
Love Votto leading off… let’s hope history repeats itself. Not last night, but starters history. Good to hear players are getting healthy. One thing though, no offense to nick but didnt we have someone else writing these during the Winning Streak?
Votto hitting leadoff is nice, but Suarez in the #2 hole is mucho nice.
DB has finally separated his lefties in the top of the lineup after watching opposing managers Loogy his lineup to death. Now he has his 3 best OBP hitters hitting #1, #2 & #3, setting the table for the thumpers and free swingers.
Here’s hoping that Puig and Kemp can take advantage and start pounding the ball.
Considering the hit piece they put out in the local media regarding Puig, I hope the Reds kick the crap out of the Dodgers tonight.
That lineup the last time Votto batted lead off certainly looks like a Dusty creation. SS hitting 2nd, even if he has a career .670 OPS. BP, career OPS .740, batting 4th with better choices Dunn and Encarnacion coming after him.
I thought this was sonny Gray’s start. Is he okay?
tommorow afternoon
Bob Steve to close it out tonight if it is needed. Now that too would be mucho nice.
Shall we wait until the game starts before we start bashing Peraza? Or should we get it started now ?
Bell isn’t afraid to change it up….give’m that much! I thought he definitely outmanaged the Cards guy in that first game in Mexico. The problem is he can’t hit or pitch of the pen for them? The last few regimes would’ve also made Stephenson pitch well for 3 months before they gave him any high leverage chances.
Jose Peraza could be distantly related to Roberto Duran. They both have hands of stone!
My bad….that was Deitrich at 2b? He should’ve made that play. See if it costs them?
first mistake was peraza
Oh….on the shift? That guy just drives me nuts. If I had $5 for every one of his bloop flyouts to right? I’d steal facebook away from whatshisname
This is game 16. That’s 10% of the season. It’s never early when you are 6 under .500 with 5 more games on the left coast. This offense stinks. Votto is in decline. Kemp is below replacement. Peraza is below replacement and now 50 PA without a walk . Gennett is injured. Barnhart is poor offensively. This could get to 10 under .500 real soon. When that happens, the 2019 season is over.
VOtto is known for slow starts, still hitting RBIs. Kemp is improving (6 -8 for the last 8 PA. Senzel is playing games in Arizona, maybe in Louisville before the end of the week for full games (effectively rehab starts). not giving up, but more energy needs to be in there
Reds hitters always seem to struggle against the junk ball off speed guys
Dietrich again? Overhand throw gets him…..Votto shovel instead is no good? That was a Scooterish half inning for DD
All 3 hits in the 2nd base area…couldn’t make a play on either of them….yet the Reds hit it directly into other team’s shifts.
peraza misplays the run that comes across during the shift, deitrich makes up for his mistake with some plate discipline. Dont worry peraza will mess it up
and like clockwork, reaches out to hit what would have been ball 2 into an easy out. Will extend the slump to 20 tonight
Ok….had enough. Watching Barry on hbo again and going to bed.
Everything is fine? On what planet? Idiotic little league nonsense for 5 years running. Only thing in question at all is can they lose 88-89 instead of 90 something again
those two runs are squarely on mahle. Just got to lock it down now, or he will be giving disco a reprieve on the question earlier today
Dodgers lead the league in slugging vs. the fastball
Mahle throws mostly fastballs.
It feels like a miracle that the Reds swept 4 games in L.A. last season, with so many of the same faces back for both teams.
I went to Mahle s last start. He walked 4 Marlins in 2 innings and got bailed out by a brilliant double play by iglesias that ended what would have been a huge inning. He benefitted from a AAAA Marlins lineup , striking out the pitcher with runners on and Lewis brinson struck out 4 times. If the Reds lose, they will be 2-11 against Non- Marlins .
I root for Mahle but all he has is a fastball. No put away pitch. Nibble ..nibble..nibble.
fooled around too much, A 4 man infield the inning would be over
Dodgers are 3-3 vs the 4 man outfield….Can we 86 this strategy??
+100
Here in the 2nd Mahle is getting roasted like red chili’s in Santa Fe.
Mahle is done i think, a bullpen game. I hope that this just lasted long enough to get Meada to cool down a bit.
Mahle has nothing tonight. it really seems like all he has right now is a fastball. He’s missing with his change. Plus he’s getting behind just about every batter.
I’m a Mahle fan, but he needs to have his A game every night.
This is symptomatic of what I think is a team that feels it isn’t going to win. It’s coming out here and afraid of the big, bad Dodgers. Our hitters are swinging at the first pitches. Constantly off balance. The Dodgers pitchers are pitching with no fear, confident that their hitters are going to be banging away at the Reds no-name pitchers. Mahle is missing everything off the plate and getting behind. It’s like we are dazzled by Dodger stadium and all the fans and all the big names. Yeah, the Dodgers are a good team, but crap. Play like you know how to play.
I know we swept 4 out here last year, but that was a huge aberration.
And PS, this 4 man outfield shift stinks.
I can’t even stomach watching any more tonight. 2nd inning. This sucks.
This is a team that doesn’t believe in itself and won’t win until it does.
This is your one warning. Do not curse. Next time you will get banned from commenting.
It looks like Meada, actually did cool down a bit during the long inning…..but not enough
David Bell: you have bases loaded, 2 outs a struggling pitcher due up to bat. No, your right, don’t pinch hit for him. who would think of that? This is why there is no confidence in David bell. He needs to be reprimanded for that play alone. DUMB DUMB DUMB. Games are piling up and David bell doesnt look any smarter then he did last week.
Seriously? Down 4-1 in the 4th, bases loaded, two out, and Bell sends Mahle to the plate? I know he got a double and scored the lone run, but dang…
As Brantley stated during the mound visit, “the problem with pinch hitting here is that it already seems all of the Reds bullpen is out there every night.”
Castillo threw 98 pitches to get through 5 innings last night.
Besides, other than Stephenson, who is getting the top of the LA lineup out right now?
You send Lorenzen out there… that is what he is for… and he can hit the next time around if necessary. There are 8 guys in the bullpen sometimes you will need to go them more than you’d like. You can always swap a guy out with someone in Louisville if necessary.
I’m not ready to side with several commenters bout Joey being done,but I’ll have to say his strikeouts are really starting to add up,he does need to crank it up a notch
Great call on adding Zach Gallardo Quakenbush.