The Cincinnati Reds (5-11) will try to avoid being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers (11-8) today at 3:10 PM. The Reds lost their third consecutive game last night. The Reds are now 1-3-2 through their first six series of 2019.
Starting Pitchers
Sonny Gray has been brilliant over his last two starts: 10.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 HR, 0 BB, 13 K. Those numbers could look even better if he didn’t have to leave his last start early after taking a liner off his calf. The Reds really need a big start from Gray today to stop the bleeding.
Gray’s only career start against the Dodgers came at Dodger Stadium in 2015, and it was a really good one (video below). Gray pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just 3 hits, 1 walk and struck out 9. Gray threw 110 pitches.
Walker Buehler is off to a tough start to 2019, but if you look at his peripheral numbers, he has not been that bad. Buehler of course is coming off an incredible rookie season where he finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year award with a 2.62 ERA/3.04 FIP in 28 starts. He probably would have won the award most other years, but Ronald Acuna Jr. and Juan Soto had historic years. Maybe even more impressive was that the 24-year old Buehler threw 7 shutout innings in the World Series last year (2 H, 0 BB, 7 K). The Reds better hope today isn’t the day that Buehler gets rolling in 2019, because you know that day is coming soon.
Buehler is a Lexington, Kentucky native. His only career start against the Reds came last year at Dodger Stadium: 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 8 K.
Starting Lineups
| Reds | Dodgers |
|
1. Joc Pederson (LF) 2. Cody Bellinger (1B) 3. A.J. Pollock (CF) 4. Max Muncy (3B) 5. Enrique Hernandez (2B) 6. Alex Verdugo (RF) 7. Chris Taylor (SS) 8. Austin Barnes (C) 9. Walker Buehler (P) |
Other news and notes
David Bell said 4 relievers were unavailable, which led to his decision to have Tyler Mahle hit with bases loaded in the 4th inning. #Reds lose 6-1 to L.A. https://t.co/Xrf7JS3CY7
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) April 17, 2019
The Reds .205 team batting average is their lowest through 16 games since at least 1908. Their .276 OBP is their lowest since 1966.
— Joel Luckhaupt (@jluckhaupt) April 17, 2019
We have pitch data back to 1988.
Reds have swung at 49.5% of the pitches they've seen, the highest rate by the team on record.
They've made contact on 72.8% of swings, the lowest rate by the team on record.
— Joel Luckhaupt (@jluckhaupt) April 17, 2019
What does ‘pressing’ look like in the numbers? Who’s pressing? Yasiel Puig is pressing. Why will it be okay? https://t.co/pf8QaSrrPu
— Eno Sarris (@enosarris) April 17, 2019
Conclusion
The Reds reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally need a win today. How about we get that done fellas? Go Reds!
I’ll be at the game today. Hope their offense shows up today!
The roster manipulation is getting kind of old. Have to wonder if guys are more comfortable hitting in the same spot every day rather than trying to “mix it up”…or if matters at all.
Haha, I am 0-2 in games that I’ve previewed and 0-2 in games that I’ve recapped (plus one game got cancelled). Sooooo yes, please someone else do these and get the fellas going.
Let’s be real, guys, this is Trent’s fault because we all know he makes the lineups.
Kemp playing every day is an interesting strategy
Would be nice to see another solid start from Gray
Maybe the future wouldn’t depend on Peraza if the Reds would stop toying with Senzel and play him at SS. Dick Williams has said that there’s nowhere on the field they feel Nick can’t play. That Peraza isn’t continuing the plate discipline he showed last year tells me he is near his ceiling…….a supersub on a good team.
With his speed, Senzel’s range would be at least average for a SS and we know his arm is as good as Peraza. Pair that average to slightly above average defense with a plus bat and you have an All-Star at a premium position. Trammell is our CF and away we go…..
No one I’ve ever talked to actually thought that he could play shortstop other than in an emergency kind of situation. Peraza may or may not be the future there, but if he’s not, whoever it is is going to be someone that isn’t Nick Senzel.
Team is clueless right now at the plate.Just going through the motions.
Gray will have to shut them out because this team won’t score off a pitcher that has been just awful so far.
Clueless on the bases as well.I long for a day when we actually look like a major league team.Bell has his hands full in fixing this circus.Untill the culture changes winning baseball will never return to Ohio.
You mean southwestern Ohio. The Tribe is in 1st in the AL Central.
Is Ervin still up with the team? Kemp is not an everyday player. Time to move on.
No he was up for the Mexico series only.
Sad to watch this team at the plate.
That’s overmanaging. No reason to walk Bellinger there.
Bell knows the Reds weren’t going to score so he chose not to let Bellinger beat him and the other guy did.Things happen when you can’t score runs.Every pitch is a big one and is magnified when you can’t score.We just lost a 3 game series to a guy coming of the DL,a guy with almost a 5 era and a guy with a 8 era.It ain’t been about the pitching so far in 2019.This is not on Bell,this is on the 8 guys he sends out there to hit.Losers lose and winners win and this team has lost so much they have no clue that right now this is the best starting staff they have had in 5 years or more.
Sorry, guys… my fault. I was like, “oh, I forgot – the Reds are playing this afternoon” – so I log into the game in time to see the intentional walk and subsequent 3 run blast… total viewing time, about 3 minutes.
Peraza and Barnhart have a total of one rbi. Produce or sit.
With this line up hitting and getting on base the way it is, RBIs require a homerun.
Top to bottom, this team’s hitting is a major problem
All I know is I’m emotionally sensitive after watching him make 3 outs on 6 pitches.
I never have felt the Reds had any leaders on the filed or in the dugout.Your example is just one of many that have gone on for a long time.Its the culture of losing and it is what it is.Only way to deal with it,is to bench guys or send them down and even at that with guaranteed mony coming your way then who cares.Bell is in trouble because good teams police themselves and this team just keeps making the same mistakes over and over and over.Suarez got thrown out twice on the bases inside of 3 innings in a game last week and doesn’t even move today.Anybody with options left should be considered to be sent down.They are playing and acting like little leaguers.
Swapping out Suarez for *checks the 40-man roster for other third basemen*, Blake Trahan?, is definitely what this team needs to get turned around.
The last thing this franchise needs is Pete. He’s a disgrace who is banned from baseball.
Works for me cause this team will never turn it around with this kind of play.
So how does a team that’s been this bad for sooo long not have anybody that’s anywhere close to stepping up to fill shoes? One guy, Senzel and that’s it? And they want him to switch positions because he’s blocked by this awesome bunch? The Dodgers have all the money in the world and half their starting lineup including the pitcher are products of their farm system and all of them are what, under 24? Reds have Votto from last century and Winker, huh? What has the Reds farm system and draft experts been doing? (Besides drafting teenage pitchers who may be ready in 2025). Is it really just bad luck or does their minor league program stink? What can be done?
It’s a sad situation when the highlight of the season may prove to be the winter trades and signings. At least they had us hoping for a few weeks.
They have 4 outfielders that play right now. The highest average among them is Kemp at .208. That pretty much sums up the team.