| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (68-79) |
11 | 11 | 0 |
| Seattle Mariners (60-87) |
5 | 10 | 0 |
| W: Romano (1-0) L: Altavilla (1-1) |
|||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
The Reds offense got going in the 1st, went silent for the next few innings, then exploded for 9 runs in the 7th and 8th innings as they played long ball to pull away from Seattle and avoid the sweep.
The Offense
Things started out right for the Reds. Well, sort of. They got a whole lot of help from Justin Dunn, who was making his Major League debut. He walked 5 of the first 7 batters he faced, and the two that he didn’t walk both had sacrifice flies. That put the Reds up 2-0 after the first inning despite not having a hit.
But after that the Reds offense didn’t do much. Joey Votto added a single in the 2nd inning and Phillip Ervin lined a single into left in the 6th inning. But the Reds didn’t do much with either opportunity.
Then the 7th inning happened. Jose Peraza lined out to lead off the inning, but was followed by a Curt Casali single. Then Michael Lorenzen, who was playing center field at the time after taking over for Josh VanMeter in a double switch, lined out. It started to feel like another wasted opportunity. But Joey Votto followed with a single to bring up Eugenio Suarez. He missed tying the game up by a foot or two, doubling off of the wall and bringing in a run to make it 5-3 for the Mariners. Two feet felt like a let down because the game would have been tied, but instead the Reds were trailing with 2 outs. Aristides Aquino worked a walk after a 7-pitch at-bat to load the bases.
That led to the play of the game. After taking a called first strike, Freddy Galvis unloaded on slider at the bottom of the zone for a grand slam deep into the right field seats to put the Reds on top 7-5. The late night Reds weren’t done, though. Alex Blandino singled to lead off the 8th inning and after a ground out erased him but allowed Jose Peraza to reach first, Curt Casali crushed a 2-run homer to extend the lead to 9-5. Joey Votto followed up with a double and then Eugenio Suarez did what Eugenio Suarez does: He homered. His 45th of the year and that made it 11-5.
Joey Votto went 3-4 with a double and a walk. He also stole his 5th base of the year, because why not? Josh VanMeter went 0-1 with a walk and he stole 2 bases before being pinch-hit for when Seattle went to a lefty. Eugenio Suarez went 2-4 with a walk. Freddy Galvis went 2-4 with his grand slam and a walk. Curt Casali added 2 hits in 5 trips to the plate.
The Pitching
The old saying that walks will haunt certainly got to opposing pitcher Justin Dunn. But the saying that home runs will haunt got to Tyler Mahle. He gave up a pair of 2-run home runs and only recorded one out in the 4th inning before being replaced by Lucas Sims. He got through the 4th inning without any damage, but that didn’t extend itself into the 5th inning when he gave up a 457-foot home run to Kyle Lewis, who has now homered in every game of this series (and his career). That put the Reds down 5-2.
Sal Romano came on to finish the 5th inning, recording the final out with a strikeout to strand a runner. The big right-hander came out and worked around a leadoff double by former Reds prospect Shed Long (Sonny Gray trade) with a line out and two strikeouts to keep the score where it was when he entered the game.
Robert Stephenson came in for the 7th and tossed a perfect frame, needing just 15 pitches and recording a strikeout along the way. Matt Bowman came on for the 8th and he did the same as Stephenson before him, recording a perfect inning with a strikeout. With an 11-5 lead he came back out for the 9th, too.
Notes Worth Noting
Eugenio Suarez now has 45 homers on the season, which is 2nd in Major League Baseball and 2 behind the Mets Pete Alonso. The 45 home runs for Suarez are the most for a 3rd baseman since Alex Rodriguez hit 54 in 2007.
The Reds pitchers would have gotten the fans free pizza if they game were at home. They racked up 13 strikeouts, but those poor souls in Seattle don’t get LaRosa’s Pizza. Sucks to be them.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds vs Arizona Diamondbacks
Friday September 13th, 9:40pm ET
Luis Castillo (14-6, 3.21 ERA) vs. Mike Leake (11-10, 4.64 ERA)
Every Mahle’s outing has been worse than the previous one, hard to believe he’ll be able to make the rotation next season.
At this point his assault on Foster’s record is the only compelling story with this team.
I know some of you folks are in love with the idea of Lorenzen as a hitter….but just let me say this. Using him as a pinch-hitter for Van Meter is pure insanity.
@indy,
Blasphemer;). I agree.
The manager throws crap against the wall in hopes that it works. But that’s the way the entire franchise works. How could any manager look down the Reds bench or in the bullpen and think “well I know I can count on him to deliver”? There is absolutely zero consistency with this team which is why they lose. Bell might not be a good manager but he’s not the reason why this team is a loser. There are LOTS of reasons.
You are correct but at this time he is the captain of this sinking ship. Wins are not important at this time. Getting playing time for younger guys is. Arizona and the Mets are licking their chops to get at this team and help their chances of getting in the playoffs.
If the Reds are actually still trying to figure out what they have at this point of the season then next season is doomed too. There is very little talent here especially with the endless array of castoffs that’s here. If they are trying to figure who they should keep as far as bench players for next season because they’re planning to bring in more talent then I would be all for it. But if it means trying to figure out who starters will be out of this group then we’re in for another long season next year.
I agree except Bell is the reason they are losing a lot of winnable games. I don’t think the players like him. There seemed to be more energy, sound fundamentals, and hustle when Freddie B was filling in. Just my thoughts.
Pinch hitting Blandino for O’Grady in the fourth inning isn’t much better unless O’Grady was physically unable to continue.
I usually agree with what you post Jim. On Lorenzen I disagee some.
He has not had more than 41 PAs in any season since 2013 (College).
If Lorenzen is going to be a position player in MLB. He has to be sent to AAA out of Spring training 2020 and play CF everyday, got 4 to 5 ABs every day for 2 to 3 months. If he hits >280 with >20 HRs (like Ogrady and Aquino) or 350 with a 430 OBP (JVM) then he is qualified to be a MLB position player.
Anything else is just wishing and hoping. Having him try to learn to be an full time hitter at the MLB level to me would putting a player is a position which is not optimal to succeed.
Oh wait, never mind I have watched a season of players being out of position and being put in situations which they have a very little chance of success and then they do not have success.
1) Freddy Galvis is not himself again. Please dont do that. If the Reds go into 2020 with a Shortstop with a lifetime 290 OBP they are doomed. This is just Reds fans excepting mediocrity again. Dont let a home run once in awhile cloud your memory of how terrible he is.
2) The late Chuck Schick must be rolling over in his grave, as Bell and the front office sacrifices playing time of younger players , to get that elusive 73rd win.
This is SPOT ON analysis.
We cut Hamilton with an OBP of .299 How can you justify Galvis with a .284 OBP this season?
And we should be playing every rookie possible now. Instead, Bell plays veterans and guys who aren’t part of the long-term vision. I don’t get how a guy who was hired because of his love of analytics and vision (their words) does THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
We are wasting valuable time to develop for next season. This reeks of Riggleman the year before. We can’t cut Bell after one year, we don’t want to be “that team”, but if he does this again next year, I hope we cut bait.
I do, too, Jim.
I gave up on this one after the 5th so it’s a nice surprise to wake up to a win, finally. But I’m frustrated by what I’m seeing from David Bell. VanMeter and O’Grady both got the start, but neither actually got to play. The minute a lefty takes the hill for Seattle both get pulled in favor of Lorenzen and Blandino. Those guys need at bats too, but seriously? How will any lefty not named Votto ever be prepared to hit against a left handed pitcher on a critical at bat (or just an every day one) if they’re relegated to platoon status in their rookie year (or month in O’Grady’s case)? This game was meaningless so when better to let the kids learn? Maddening.
A nice job by the bullpen for a change, and great hitting from Votto, Casali, Suarez and Galvis (though that’s fool’s gold). Not so much from the manager.
Opposing pitchers don’t have to worry about facing hitters the third time through the lineup; Bell sees to that.
thanks for the link Jim. It is hard to imagine Senzel and Winker as everyday players at this point. That is why Ervin and Peraza still have a lot of value to this team. they just seem to be more durable options. the question for the reds FO is can the live with Senzel and Winker playing 100-110 games a year or do they move on with other options.?
A smart FO and manager would tell the players the 2020 strategy going into the offseason.
This would be what I would tell the 2020 Reds players to come to Spring Training prepared for these roles.
My 2020 lineup barring injury would be (expect to start 145+ games)
JVM – 2B
Senzel – CF
Winker- LF
Aquino – RF
Suarez – 3B
Votto – 1B
Barnhart/Casali – C
Peraza – SS
Pitcher
Bench (only going to pinch hit for pitchers and spot starts (once a week max)
Farmer
O’Grady
Ervin
Blandino
Offer Garrett Cole $30 mil a year for 5 years to be 4th starting.
Go with a 4 man rotation of Gray, Castillo, Bauer, Cole. Tell them they will throw 120 pitchers or 6/7 innings every 4 days which ever comes first and the expectation is 35 starts for the season.
Put Sims, Disco, Mahle, Gaussman in the BP and when they are called upon of the bullpen they are expect to pitch 3 innings or once through the lineup every time and anyone of you can be used a spot 5th starter during long stretches of no days off for any of the top 4 guys so be ready to go 5 with a couple of days notice.
Reed, Stephenson, Garrett, Lorenzen – You are expected to pitch up to 2 innings every time out of shutdown baseball regardless of whom the batters are.
Iglesias, you will pitch in tie games at home in 9th inning and later and save situations on the road in 8th or later innings.
If the manager/FO lay the plan out, tell the players to prepare for those roles and demand excellence it is then up to the players to succeed.
If the players feel that they are not being put into position to succeed they will not succeed. That is leadership and human nature.
Winker platoon would be fine or play O’Grady most days as he had more speed and better defense and could be a more rounded player. He had reverse split in AAA this year. Better vs left than right.
To me getting another #1 starter and making Bauer a #4 would win more games than any one batter would