| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (42-48) |
9 | 9 | 3 |
| Colorado Rockies (46-46) |
10 | 14 | 1 |
| W: Senzatela (8-6) L: Mahle (2-10) SV: Davis (14) |
|||
| FanGraphs Win Probability | Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
Two big innings by the Rockies – a 4-run 1st and a 6-run 5th inning gave them just enough to hold off the Reds on Sunday afternoon as Cincinnati falls to 42-48 on the season.
The Offense
Facing a 4-0 deficit after the 1st inning, the Reds offense went to work in the 2nd. Derek Dietrich doubled, Phillip Ervin followed with a walk and Scooter Gennett singled into right field. David Dahl misplayed the ball and it allowed Ervin to score from 1st, making it 4-2. Jesse Winker would later drive in Kyle Farmer and Jose Iglesias on an infield single to tie the game up.
The Reds would go scoreless until the top of the 5th inning. Nick Senzel was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and he would steal second base. He moved to third base on a ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly by Eugenio Suarez. The Cincinnati lead didn’t last long as the Rockies scored 6 runs in the bottom of the inning.
The offense wasn’t done just yet, though. Trailing 10-5 they went back to work in the 6th inning. The Phillip Ervin show in Colorado continued as he tripled to lead off the inning. Scooter Gennett followed with a double to make it 10-6. After a strikeout, Kyle Farmer came up and singled in Gennett to make it 10-7. That’s when the Rockies would make a pitching change. It didn’t quite work out for them. Jose Peraza came on as a pinch hitter for the pitchers spot and took the first pitch he saw over the fence in left field for his 6th homer of the season, making it 10-9. Unfortunately that would be the last time the Reds pushed a run across the plate.
The Pitching
The starting pitcher today was Tyler Mahle. It was not his best day. The defense didn’t help him out – they committed three errors on the day – but Mahle allowed 10 runs, six of which were earned, in 4.1 innings on 12 hits.
Relievers Matt Bowman, Robert Stephenson, and Raisel Iglesias threw the final 3.2 innings of the game and allowed just two hits. Stephenson struck out four batters in his 2.0 perfect innings. Iglesias and Bowman each notched a strikeout.
Notes Worth Noting
Jesse Winker left the game mid at-bat with an injury.
Jesse Winker left today's game with tightness on the side of his left lower back and under his right rib cage. He will be re-evaluated tomorrow. #Reds https://t.co/tMqjcRdb39
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) July 14, 2019
Yasiel Puig’s out to end the game was on a 112 MPH line drive caught by a diving Nolan Arenado and sometimes baseball just isn’t fair.
Cincinnati has now lost 4 of their last 5 games. They are 6.5 games out of first, trailing the Cubs who are 50-43 ont he season.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs
Monday July 15th, 8:05pm
Luis Castillo (8-3, 2.29 ERA) vs. Kyle Hendricks (7-7, 3.49 ERA)
Mahle needs to go back to AAA. no , the errors didn’t do him any favors , but his continued lack of command
( especially on 0-2 pitches) continues to be a big, huge problem for him . he’s had his chances , time for somebody else to get a shot . Make him earn his way back up .
Time to sell! Puig’s stock has rose and should be able to get something good in return.
No clue why after the first inning Mahle continued to try and throw breaking pitches with 2 strikes to left handed batters. There was no downward movement at all and they were easy to hit. That was the obvious pitching strategy going into the game. Farmer was looking to dugout for pitch calls and Mahle was throwing what was called. Mahle did not execute but whomever was tell Farmer what to call was calling pitches from a computer situational spreadsheet and was not watch the game.
Poor in game adjustments for the pitching strategy and just awful sloppy defense result in a loss.
Good news is three shaky bullpen pitchers allowed no runs. Iglesias pitched great in a non save situation, that is a plus.
Need to go 8-2 over next 10 games
Starting with a must sweep of the Cubs the next three days. Must win all three and close gap to 3.5 back.
This coming week will determine what the Reds do in the deadline. That’s what Chris Welsh was saying about Mahle and his breaking ball. He should had used his fastball more. But this team is so inconsistent I’m already used to seeing these results. The front office can’t afford to mess these trades up.
The thin air at high altitude means a later break and less movement on breaking pitches. (It helps my golf game, though!) They should know that and adjust accordingly.
The Reds offense when Mahle pitches is so inconsistent it’s really weird. Mahle may be pitching his way into AAA.
Our weakest links right now remain Winker, Peraza, Scooter, our catchers, and sadly, Suarez. I genuinely can’t imagine any of those fellas contending in the next few years. Suarez has been slumping hard. Those are the holes that need filling, in my opinion. They’re a known quantity at this point! Lotsa holes to fill.
I like Farmer’s swing, maybe more play would suit him well. Dietrich has fewer at-bats than Suarez, but has 3rd for RBIs. Puig is a tremendous asset. He is basically the bulk of our offense. Ditching Puig seems absurd, but if he won’t sign on for next year, I will seriously hate to see him go.
Our bullpen needs help more than anything.
-although I’m loving Puig more than Suarez, they’re current projections (aside from stolen bases) are similar.
Suarez’s
246/325/489 with 38 hr and 101 RBIs
Puig’s
.260/306/502 with 38 hr and 99 rbis
Both nearing 600 at bats. It’s not the season anyone wanted from Suarez but it’s also not as bad as you think it is.
-Dietrich is hitting .218 and all those home runs and RBIs are before the start of June. He’s hit 2 hrs since and he hit .140 in all of June!
-Winker and Paraza have been okay since June. They’re not setting the world on fire by any means but let’s focus on bigger problems.
The teams biggest focus should be on pitching, mainly the bullpen.
Robusto, you don’t know very much about this team, or baseball in general.
So you’ve given up on Suarez? Ok, well then I don’t know what to say other than guys slump sometimes. Sometimes they slump for a good while. Still even in this slump, Suarez’s overall line is: .246/.326/.469 and a wRC+ of 107 He’s tied for the team lead with 22 HR, including a few he’s hit while slumping. He’s played solid to good defense this year after what seemed like a down year defensively for him last year. He’s getting ready to turn all of 28 years old. Last year he had a phenomenal offensive year. He also has showed some signs that he may be coming out of his slump… Oh and his contract isn’t too painful. Yeah he’s done and is going to stink going forward? I don’t think so.
It was (I think) on a 1-2 pitch. The Reds’ chance of scoring was virtually nil with Iglesias on 1B, 2 out and a 1-2 count on Peraza. A steal would have given them the chance to score in a dink hit, so even if it was only a 35% chance of a steal, it was likely worth a shot.
I think if MLB played every game at Coor’s, they would have no problem with enthusiasm and the pace of the game. 🙂
Such a gorgeous park in a gorgeous part of the world but man it is a nightmare to play in. The park doesn’t play fairly. Not only HR but hits drop in all the time that wouldn’t anywhere else. It also allows more 2B and way more 3B than other parks. You’re right, it would be awful.
Mahle complained that he was getting pulled too early and not allowed to pitch out of jams. He’s getting the chance. A four spot and a six spot would suggest it isn’t working too well. Four may have been unearned, but he got pounded twice nonetheless.
Mahle has thrown a no hitter and a perfect game on his rise through the minors. His credentials as a starter were pretty stout. I wonder more whether he got here too soon, without enough time in AAA, or if he needed another pitch that should have been developed at AAA.
He needs one of his secondary offering to be better for sure. That said, he’s not miserable out there. His already so-so breaking-ball did nothing in the thin air so really I don’t put too much weight on this one game.
Also keep in mind NL average for ERA is 4.40 (Mahle at 4.82). He’s also 24. He’s probably a 4-5 starter right now.
I think his stuff has the potential to play up in the pen but think the Reds need to continue to start him this year to see if he can do it. He was a very good starter in MiLB.
The errors and bad decisions by Bell. His decision to go with Hernandez and his decision to leave Mahle in today when Rockies score 6 runs cost us a sweep and potentially took us out of contention.
You should expect the manager to make solid decisions in a timely manner. His intelligence is the skill set that he contributes to the team but he’s literally goofed up two games during the most important stretch of games that the Reds have played all season.
Two one run losses is not a good way to start off the second half. Game one could have been won if Bell had used the well-rested R. Iglesias in the 8th. and 9th. innings instead of the struggling DH. The Reds have taken three of three series so far from the Cubs. Another series win is needed or .500 and beyond will keep fading from view.
The Reds have the potential to be a good team but they’re uncoordinated. Too often it’s good pitching and little hitting, and then the opposite occurs. I don’t have the knowledge regarding who should be traded, etc. but the front office has their work laid out during the next two weeks. If nothing is done, last place in the NLC looms again.
Bell had a huge part in both losses. Typical Reds to go +6 in a series and lose it. Mahle obviously didn’t have it so where was the Captain Hook that Bell has utilized all year? Stephenson was absolute nails and should replace Mahle in the rotation!
Thats another thing with Bell. He treats Stephenson like he’s a 36 yr old scrub nearing the end? Price would pitch him once a week in a blowout and then wonder why he wasn’t sharp. I get that the kid must be hard-headed or whatever, but talent is talent. Fans shouldn’t have to point out the obvious to the clowns? Its been this way since Dusty! RS had a great 2nd half in 2017. Turn him loose already? Starting or high leverage. If not then trade him. Someone would come to their senses and value him? Anyone can fill his current role. Start him and then put Wood and/or Reed in the pen when the time comes.
Farmer is the best hitter of the 3 catchers. Farmer has quietly proven himself imo!
He made the best plays defensively for the Reds all year at 2B in that one game a month ago or whenever it was. I would have no problem turning 2B over to JVM, Farmer, and possibly DD or Peraza if Coors wasn’t a mirage for him. They need to pay Puig! All these posts about trades are insane? Trade him and then they’ll be looking for RH power for the next 2-3 years? Pay the man! Scooter can go! Roark can go with his 10 mil salary. They can easily afford Puig! Its not like Puig has a track record full of 35 hr/110 rbi seasons! He’s only had 500 at-bats twice I think. Never hit 30 hrs or drove in 80. Is someone going to pay him $75mil for 4 years? I don’t know, but that seems crazy to me. Schebler hit 30 hrs.
Now they’ve dropped 4 of 5 and if you think they’re beating the Cubs 4 series in a row then I’ve got a great investment opportunity for you! I’d be shocked if it happens. Its time to sell and don’t let the 17-9 feel good games distract you from reality!
Totally agree about comments on Bell. With better game management, we sweep this series. How many times in the course of an entire season do you think a manager leaves a starting pitcher in long enough to give up 10 runs? Granted first 4 were unearned but Mahle still got hit hard that inning. I like Mahle (better than some others here perhaps) but this wasn’t his day.
Yep.Like the reality comment.It just is what it is but we had a little more reason to hope and still do but.Puig is interesting.Don’t know what he will want in dollars but I just don’t think the Reds can out bid other teams.I see him testing the market because well the money is what it is.
You think it will take more than 4/$75-million to sign him? If so, I think the Reds need to walk away.
Hi everyone! This is my first time commenting, ever! (I have been enjoying this site for many years) I was at the game and just wanted to share that it was an enjoyable game, in a beautiful park on a nice sunny day. As far as the Reds, they should have won, as usual, but they just did not play sharp, especially on the play where the 10th run scored for Colorado. I have not been to a game in Cincinnati this year, but it was strange being at a game with 40,000 plus fans . . . compared to Cincinnati and their 20,000 fans or less. The atmosphere was exciting and it was nice to see the fans support a team which is just hovering around .500. I also like to add that Robert Stephenson looked the best of all the Reds pitchers, by far. If he had started the game, the Reds would have won, most likely, especially with 9 runs of support. Wish they would give him a chance to start again, he certainly looks like he would do as well as Mahle and Disco. BTW, saw a fair amount of Reds fans there also and they were representing proudly with hats and shirts on! Glad to be a member of the long suffering Reds fans who are in other parts of the country, I live in NC, and can’t wait for when they start winning games like this instead of just managing to lose.
Yay for 1st comments! Looking forward to hearing more from you.
I suppose the general logic was that everyone on the team needed to get a start, else a couple of them would have had one AB in a week. But I thought Votto and Puig should have started, and Ervin and DD should have sat.
It would have made a big defensive difference, too, because 1B and RF has a lot of chances yesterday.
Bell left Mahle in too long, although I understand the attempt to save the bullpen for upcoming games.
My general issue is the one I expressed the other day – if you aren’t going to use the 13th pitcher, then why carry 13 pitchers? Coors Field is no place to tarry with a tiring pitcher. A fresh Bowman was almost certainly a better option than Mahle, who was struggling with command at altitude.
There was some lousy fielding all over yesterday, and it cost them the game.
I usually don’t get the Reds on tv,but I had free MLB for the weekend.I really didn’t realize how bad the Reds are till I watched them.I guess I’m just spoiled from earlier teams,such sloppy defense and mental errors.The Puig throw from right to home,Winker out at 3rd base,no plate discipline by swinging at everything.Very ugly brand of ball.
I agree. No way you run there and yet he ran. Not sure if it was his decision or if the staff sent him. Either way, he should have had a hard red light