| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Giants (15-20) | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Reds (15-20) | 12 | 15 | 1 |
| W: DeSclafani (2-1) L: Pomeranz (1-4) | |||
| FanGraphs Win Probability | Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
The Arms
Anthony DeSclafani absolutely dealt for most of the day, striking out eight through 6.0 innings. He did run into a spot of trouble in the sixth, allowing a three-run shot to Pablo Sandoval, but got the final out. Disco has looked downright groovy the past four starts, with a 1.90 ERA in 23.2 innings. He’s making his own case for staying in the rotation whenever Alex Wood is finally healthy to return.
Zach Duke tossed 2.0 innings of clean baseball, keeping the Giants stuck to four runs and the Reds on the winning side of the ticket. Duke’s been less-than-stellar this year, but in these situations, he makes a lot of sense. A mop-up man with multi-inning potential.
To close the game, Wandy Peralta pitched the ninth. Turning over the ball to Peralta with an eight-run lead seems ideal. Let’s do that more often.
The Bats
How about that Nick Senzel huh? Only his fourth game in the bigs and he already has a multi-homer game. In his first two at-bats in this one, Senzel took two pitches the opposite way, both for solo shots. The rest of the game didn’t go so well for Senzel though. The center fielder struck out in his remaining three at-bats. If the Reds make the postseason, I will forgive the service time games. But if they don’t….
With Derek Dietrich and Jesse Winker on the bench this afternoon, Eugenio Suarez saw his opportunity to take sole possession of the Reds home run lead. Geno drove a two-run homer out of deep left center, putting the Reds up 3-0 before the Giants got an out.
He’s still not making a lot of good, hard contact, but Joey Votto recorded a couple of hits today, scoring on Suarez’s home run. Hopefully the Reds long-term first baseman puts it together soon and starts ripping the ball like he did a couple of years ago. Regardless, Votto brought in a run today the hard way, wearing a fastball off his elbow in the sixth.
Jose Iglesias has truly been one heck of a signing for the Reds. With a triple and a double in his first two at-bats, Iglesias drove in a couple runs and scored another himself. Then, after Sandoval’s rocket which brought the Giants within three and flashbacks from Friday to the forefront of Reds fans’ minds, Iglesias singled to the wall with the bases loaded. Three hits, four RBIs on the day for the “light-hitting” shortstop. It’s really starting to look like the Reds ideal lineup goes Senzel, Votto, Suarez, Winker, Yasiel Puig, Dietrich, Iglesias, catcher, pitcher.
Speaking of catchers, Curt Casali remains one of the savvier pick-ups the Reds have made in the past few years. I’d rank it Suarez from the Tigers, Castillo from the Marlins, and then Casali from the Rays in terms of top three personnel moves. The catcher drove in the last run of the first and another in the sixth. After the second single, Chris Welsh rightly pointed out that this may be the best Reds catching tandem (Casali plus Tucker Barnhart) in recent memory.
The new guy, Josh VanMeter, also got in on the scoring, taking a ball off the back for a bases-loaded RBI in the sixth. Maybe this kid is even better than Senzel. (VanMeter also flew out against Pablo Sandoval, a third baseman, while Senzel grounded into a double play against him. Really might be a toss-up.)
The Notes (Worth Noting)
Michael Lorenzen was double switched into left field in the eighth, making a catch for the second out. Really weird seeing the Reds two best center fielders play at the same time after nearly a month of almost no good center fielders playing.
With 10+ runs and 13 strikeouts, fans at today’s game won both Chik-Fil-A and LaRosa’s pizza. I don’t know if ticket holders can redeem for both or must pick one but that sounds like a pretty nice set of choices to have.
Bees descended on Great American just before the first pitch, causing a brief delayed start. I’m sure Reds fans will forgive the inconvenience because we got these incredible pictures of Derek Dietrich, resident beekeeper. Dietrich truly is a gem.
We are currently in a bee delay at GABP. ? pic.twitter.com/lOmvC2X7tz
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 6, 2019
Derek Beetrich. ? pic.twitter.com/SV3HcTtizl
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 6, 2019
Other than that all of the bee jokes were quite annoying, and I made a conscious effort to avoid them in this recap. However, here is a smattering of the best puns:
The Giants have hit THREE batters this inning with bases loaded (and one other batter with nobody on). That's gotta sting. #Reds up 12-4
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) May 6, 2019
One of baseball's unwritten rules is that if hte home team is unable to stop clouds of bees you're allowed to hit as many batters as you want.
— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) May 6, 2019
The Reds also faced the Bees on this date 80 years ago. pic.twitter.com/L2CQrCMjGM
— Jesse Spector (@jessespector) May 6, 2019
(Senzel hits yet another home run)
GIANTS: you have to cancel the game. There are more bees in the dugout and we can’t play.
UMPIRE: I don’t see any bees.
GIANTS: BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!
UMPIRE: you’re just making buzzing noises
— Mike Gianella (@MikeGianella) May 6, 2019
Up Next
The Reds head out west for a late night game against the Oakland A’s tomorrow. Maybe the team will carpool with the Giants back to the Bay Area. Save some gas money, reduce their carbon footprint, use the airplane HOV lane. Small perks, really.
Reds vs. A’s, 10:07 EDT
Tyler Mahle (0-4, 4.09 ERA) vs. Mike Fiers (2-3, 6.81 ERA)
Today’s win takes a little of the ‘sting’ out of the last 2 losses. I like the shenanigans from the guys, but it’s a baaaad look when you’re sitting well below .500. Makes Senzel’s all-business attitude stand out that much more. Dietrich’s mustache should’ve been addressed imo.
Still not sure why Casali isn’t in a strict platoon with Barnhart.
Embarrassing that Peraza would ever play before Winker, even vs. LHP. Jesse has nearly 1:1 BB/K vs. lefties. Peraza should’ve been sent down for VanMeter so Phil Ervin could’ve started in LF today if DB is going to play that game all season.
The front office has played all their cards with the roster shuffling. This is the team moving forward. No cavalry in the form of trades or promotions, this is it until Wood and Gennett return.
I go back and fourth on the antics. It’s fun…to a point. It would be a lot more fun if this team had a winning record.
There was a game during the Reds horrible start of the season where they were down 4-0. They panned to the dugout and Votto was laughing and carrying on with Puig while drawing hearts on his face with eye black. That kind of rubbed me the wrong way.
I don’t know. Baseball (and the rest of professional sports) can be kindof grindy for the teams and the players have to have a bit of fun. unless we can point to where its impacted the game on the field, its best if we don’t let it get under our skin.
I think it’s good to see them having fun. The team is losing and nobody likes losing. I get understand that. Here’s the thing though… When a team is losing they can either get angry about it and press too hard and point fingers at each other and be generally malcontents; or they can try to have as much fun as the situation allows while still trying to win some ballgames. The fun that they seem to be having shows some camaraderie and shows that the team is still acting as a team. These guys are all pulling for one another. Trust me, it is WAY better than the alternative.
Ervin was sent back down the other day when they made a roster move to add a pitcher.
Ervin has to be down at AAA 10 days before he can be recalled.
Dat’s da rules.
Whether antics are appropriate or not, seems to me, should depend on whether it’s done to keep people loose or if its done because you’ve given up and killing time. I think, so far, its being done to keep things loose.
Senzel struck out in three of his last four at bats; hit into a double play his last at bat. Article apparently submitted a touch early.
Early returns are good for power and walks, not ideal for average and strikeouts. Defense seems sound. However, he’ll get it quicker than most. The youth movement has arrived, even if as yet unsettled in some of the other spots.
There were a number of winnable games in the last three series, but I think the Reds are slowly getting it together, especially with the arrival of Senzel. A winning road trip to the coast would help a lot.
Was there really any question about Disco’s spot in the rotation when Alex Wood returns? I think it goes without saying that Wood would replace Mahle.
Today’s top of the lineup looks set for the rest of the season barring injuries or slumps: Senzel, Votto, Suarez…When Scooter returns, the rest of preferred lineup order: 4. Winker 5. Scooter/Puig 6. Puig/Scooter 7. Iglesias 8. Catcher 9. Pitcher
Bench:
Dietrich
Peraza
Farmer
Any thoughts?
Totally agree about DD. That’s how he showed his value when he was with the Marlins.
At this point, I would honestly give Stephenson a chance to close a game now. Who would have made such a crazy statement 6 weeks ago.
I know I wouldn’t have said that. I thought Stephenson was just done. And frankly, he has been just very good this Spring since the start of the regular season.
And Garrett, maybe he gets a chance to close. I don’t know if something is wrong with Raisel, but he just has been lousy more than once this Spring.
Dietrich, Iglesias and Gennett will handle short and second. Peraza is the odd man out. I don’t see a long-term spot for him in left field either. I want to see what VanMeter can do in the majors after tearing up AAA. Senzel will be a fixture in center field and his bat is A plus in my opinion. Iglesias is a better fielder than Peraza at short. So I think his days are numbered. I am clearly in favor of keeping Scooter. The more good hitters in the lineup the better it will be for all of them—unless someone can show me a scientific study that proves that one good hitter in a lineup has no effect on any of the others.
With Castillo, Gray, DeSclafani, and Mahle as anchors the starting pitching finally has turned around. The bullpen needs a little improvement but there is finally hope in the Rhineland.
Wait until you read this … https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/mlb/reds/2019/05/06/cincinnati-reds-raisel-iglesias-upset-use-non-save-situations-jose-peraza-scooter-gennett-mlb/1117685001/
My initial reaction is that’s a guy who needs some of the leaders on the team to sit him down and tell him to look around at others who are playing atypical roles (like Votto batting leadoff) in an attempt to help the TEAM win. I am super disappointed in this attitude.
Wow. The guy signed a three year deal and said he was excited to be used in the game’s most important situations, not just save situations. I hope it is just his frustration talking, not how he really feels long term.
This is also an early test of DB and DJ; how will they handle someone complaining about their usage to the press? I hope we hear very little, except some gentle walking it back from Raisel – that would mean that leadership, from both players and coaching staff, handled it well behind closed doors. (There are other ways of handling it with an ultimately good outcome, but this one would be my preference.)
It is, of course, nuts that “closers” for home teams only pitch in save situations. It is routine for the home team’s closer to pitch the 9th inning (or 10th, if the home team ties in the 9th), because a “save situation” can never arise for the home team.
Iglesias either needs to grow a pair, or else grab a mirror to locate his problem.
Yep. And that’s what I would tell him if I was the manager. I’d point to all the closers being used in tie games at home. All that info is out there. Then I’d remind him of what he said when he signed his extension about being used in other situations. Finally, remind him that he can be one of the best relievers in the game and that he needs to trust my judgement on when it’s best to deploy him. That I have confidence he can get the job done no matter what the situation and that some of the situations will be hard, and sometimes he’s going to lose.
Need to call in “THE ROCK “ to tell
Iglesias to “SHUTUP AND KNOW YOUR ROLE “
Stop giving up runs. You win.
Bell doesn’t have closer rules.Price and Dusty helped write them so that is what he is used too.Those comments belong behind close doors if they belong at all.He got paid and will get paid for the next 3 years so he can say and do what he wishes I guess.For me he gets paid to get people out and he was told early he would be used in high leverage situations regardless of inning so its not like he didn’t know.He needs to man up and get people out.Its not when he pitches its how he pitches and for a player to blame his performance on how he is used well that’s bush league stuff.
^^^ THIS X 1000 — well said Roger
Yeah, if that’s really “Roger”. Sure….”Roger”. I think this is Amir Garrett, not “Roger”, trying to prank us.
Right….”Roger”?
Wow, can’t believe he said that to the press. Compare that to how our recent additions of Deitrich and Iglesias have spoken about this team. Those guys are just thrilled to be here and put on a Reds uniform. If anyone has a right to be even a little upset on this team I would say it wod be Senzel. This organization has yanked his chain from day one moving him from position to position. But even if he has so e hard feelings you don’t see it from him. Hope the players and FO take care of the situation and Raisel gets things figured out.
Extremely disappointing comments by Iglesias. Makes me think a lot less of him.
On another note, and I think we’re already starting to see it, Suarez is bound to break out at any time now. His K% and BB% are in line with last season, but his BABIP is 100 points lower (.221). His luck is going to turn around soon. Plus, he’s clearly already hitting for power.
Yes. And he hit a shot in his third at bat today with two outs and two runners on base – would have been his third hit of the day and a two run double, apparently, if not at an outfielder (I don’t have detail, was in the car and heard the call on the radio).
Yep, I was at the game. Hit a liner in the RCF gap but the CFer was positioned right there.
That’s right…I remember. Now that its out in the open it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. I think INglesias is very frustrated with himself (having trouble controlling his slider) and looking for answers outside himself. He needs a talking to.
Love Dietrich and the Bees. So you’re telling me he didn’t enter the game at all and still had a bigger impact than the starting left fielder.
I’d like to focus on Iggy the SS instead. 15 for his last 41 (.366) with 9 runs, 7 rbis, 3 doubles, a triple, hr, and steal. He’s a really nice player even if he goes back to .260 or whatever.
Iggy the pitcher? Cmon man? Tell me it was lost in translation? Thats ridiculous?
It makes sense, unfortunately. They updated the app and now your TV isn’t “fast” enough to run it. It sucks, but it makes sense.
It’s not exactly a free option, but it’s a cheap-ish one, I guess. Buy an Amazon Fire Stick, plug it into the HDMI port, and get the app on there.