| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (2-5) |
2 | 3 | 1 |
| Detroit Tigers (5-3) |
7 | 11 | 0 |
| W: Turnbull (1-0) L: Castillo (0-1) |
|||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
Two wins. Five losses. That’s not how anyone envisioned the start to the Cincinnati Reds season in 2020, but that’s exactly where things stand after the first week. The Detroit Tigers are looking unstoppable, the Reds bullpen continued looking terrible, and the offensive struggles returned after a big day on Wednesday night against the Cubs.
The Offense
Cincinnati didn’t record a hit until the 5th inning and they were trailing 1-0. It was doubles machine Nick Castellanos doing what he does – doubling – to break up the no-hitter that was being thrown by Spencer Turnbull. After a strikeout of Jesse Winker, Nick Senzel followed up with a double of his own to tie the game up. Tucker Barnhart would drive Senzel in later in the inning with a single to put the Reds up 2-1. The Reds bats went silent after that, going 1-2-3 in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th innings.
The Pitching
The game began well for Luis Castillo as he picked up two strikeouts in the 1st inning of work. In the 2nd inning he needed just seven pitches to get back to the dugout. But the 3rd inning saw a walk to Austin Romine come back to haunt him as a double and sacrifice fly followed to put the Tigers up 1-0. Holding a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 5th and saw two doubles and a single score two runs for Detroit, who grabbed a 3-2 lead. After a scoreless 6th inning the 7th inning saw the Tigers dink and dunk Luis Castillo out of the game. An infield single led off the frame, then a blooper into center kept things going. Austin Romine followed with a single to make it 4-2 and ended the night for Castillo.
Nate Jones came in with runners on the corners and no outs and quickly struck out the first two hitters he faced. A pitch away from getting out of the inning with no further damage, a wild pitch brought in another run to put the Tigers up 5-2. The wild pitch may not have mattered as a single came later in the at-bat that would have scored the run anyways.
Raisel Iglesias came out for the bottom of the 8th inning and things didn’t go well. He gave up a leadoff ground-rule double, a Joey Votto error put another runner on, and then both runners scored on another double. It was 7-2 when the inning was over, and that is all she wrote.
Notes Worth Noting
The game time for Saturday’s game has been moved to 1:10pm ET.
Spencer Turnbull picked up his first ever win at Comerica Park.
The Cincinnati Reds designated hitter spot is 1 for 7 games. Not one hit in seven at-bats, no – they have one hit through seven whole games.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds vs Detroit Tigers
Saturday August 1st, 1:10pm ET
Trevor Bauer (0-0, 1.42 ERA) vs Michael Fulmer (0-0, 13.50 ERA)
I recall commenting a couple of weeks ago that predictions weren’t worth the pixels they were printed on. Looks as though that is one prediction that is true through 7 games. That’s why they play the games.
Reds will be the only team that loses on he year to detroit this year
I am really praying hard, that this season will be cut short and cancelled in the next week…due to this corona virus thing. That will help save the Reds embarrassment for the awful and dreadful way that have played so far.
The only reason the season gets cancelled is because more people keep getting sick.
I’d rather the Reds go 2-58.
I agree- it’s baseball. A game. I will absolutely take watching fun games over people being sick, any day. Plus, baseball is awesome. Even losing baseball, I dare say.
Thank you Doug!! Painful as it may be to watch the Reds flounder, I would rather that than the season cancelled.
This team is hard to watch. Castellanos and Moustakas are the only 2 hitting. I’ve about had enough of ” Da Wink” . Let Aquino DH for a few games. Iglesias is not fooling anybody.
I just don’t know what the deal is. So much bad luck, near perfect pitching by Detroit. Ability to manufacture runs by the Tigers was the kill shot. Cannot have Moose, Votto, and Suarez all go 0-4. I’m pretty much done with Iglesias.
Reds aren’t great in afternoon games. Hopefully the bats show up to the ballpark.
Another year, another pathetic start to the season. At this rate, Reds year will be done after game 10.
I hate saying it and admitting it, he’s my top 3 favorite Reds players of all time, but Votto is done, full decline mode. He’s the new Scott Roland on the team with less leadership skills. Bat slowing down, fielding good at times and questionable at others.
It’s time to move him to the 6th spot and call it what it is. I wish it weren’t true
The only thing I can think to add is to recall what that NFL coach guy Parcells used to say; as a team, you are your record.
Every team has a couple of outstanding to very outstanding guys. On paper the Reds seem to have their share and maybe more. But on the field as a team, they continue to struggle to win games. The supposed very good guys don’t slam the door often when they need to on the mound or get the hit they need to at the plate.
Are they not as good as we want to believe they are? Are the pieces mismatched? Is the management lacking (front office down thru coaching staff). Is player leadership missing?
If I knew these answers or had the formula for molding this group into a winning group, I wouldn’t be writing comments here. With that, good evening and safe health.
“It reminds me a little bit of the story of the man who took his young son-in-law out and was going to introduce him to golf, and told him all that he had to do, and teed up the ball. And the kid took a swing, and he missed the golf ball entirely, but hit an ant’s nest into the air. And so, lined up and took a crack at it and again — hit another gouge out of the ant’s nest. And now there were ants flying all the way through the air. And as he lined up for the third try, two ants peeked out of the crater that he left, and one of them said, ‘If we want to survive this, we’d better get on the ball.”
Ronald Reagan
I posted this the other day- AL teams capitalize on the DH to add depth and power to a lineup. Sometimes, the DH is the best, most intimidating hitter in a lineup. I think of Frank Thomas, David Ortiz, Harold Baines, Paul Molitor, Cecil Fielder, Canseco, Reggie Jackson. The Reds are late to this party. AL teams have people like Franmil Reyes just to mash. I think the Reds lineup is deep, but the team needs someone to step in and produce. Now is the time, add a free agent DH. I do blame the FO and management for failing to capitalize – or even recognize – an opportunity to add one more monster bat to the lineup.
If you’re upset with how the Reds are doing- I feel your pain. Winning baseball is fun. I love this game, so even as the team loses, it is what it is. Everyone is playing better than I could – I hope we can each appreciate an opportunity to enjoy this diversion for as long as it lasts. The players are making a real sacrifice to play. Cookie Carrasco wants to compete so badly, he just won a start after recovering from leukemia. It’s a beautiful game, win or lose:
Half in jest and half seriously…. Micheal Lorenzen is really struggling on the mound. Why not give him a start or 2 at DH? He can’t do any worse than what they have been doing; and, past events suggest that at the least he is going to run into some pitches much like suggested here.
I like it….could give him some confidence overall. Especially against LHP like the start Colon got the other day
@Indy: Exactly on the confidence angle.
Not saying you are wrong; but, who would you put in that slot for Votto? Would you consider something more drastic and sit Votto down, bring Castellanos to 1B and insert Aquino into the lineup?
Maybe try Senzel there, with Shogo leading off
Putting aside the question of whether they should continue to play, it is already virtually certain that not all teams are going to complete 60 games. It is also very possible there could be a suspension of the season at some point followed by a playoff tournament in a bubble environment on down the line.
These factors make each game worth even more. It is essential to win as many games as possible as quickly as possible to be positioned for a possible playoff spot.
Different tactics than those used in a normal season may be called for. If a guy is slumping, regardless of who he is, if there is someone on the bench who could come in and light a fire, it might make sense to sit the slumping player for a day or 2 just to see what the alternate guy might do.
This is why I suggested Aquino in my previous comment. We saw last year what he is capable of doing at least over a short run. A burst like that could be a huge difference maker this year.
I’ve been saying all along we ought to play every inning of every game like it is a playoff game and not hold anything back. We already know each game compared to a real season is worth 2.7 games. Our record of 2-5 is really 5.4-13.5. I may be in a minority but I’m having less confidence in Winker more and more and I’m not thrilled about Ervin and that platoon situation. No matter what pitcher we’re facing, lefty or righty, I’m getting more and more inclined to thinking we should use Aquino or Lorenzen as the DH and bat them 6 or lower in the order. They bring a lot more danger to the opposing pitcher. Winker and Ervin are good pinch hitting options IMO. Barnhart is doing okay but, except when we know we will need our best defense for sure, Casali or Stephenson is a better option. I don’t think we should take Votto or Suarez out of the lineup. Votto’s biggest hindrance, to me, is losing all these years. He wash excited at the beginning. We need to find a way to get that back for him. Why do they have to bat 2 and 3 though. Why not move them down in the order for a awhile. Johnny bench one time told the manager, can’t remember which one, to bat him eighth until he got things straitened out. The manager did and it didn’t take very long until he improved. The players we’ve been playing, except for what was just discussed about Winker/Ervin and Barnhart, should be playing every day most of the time IMO. However the order should’t be etched in stone. By the way there is a lot more to coaching/managing than looking at the stats and making out lineups (unless we’re in the sim world) haha. That’s why Sparky was so good. I’m not confident, at least yet, in the ability of David Bell to handle his players and get the best out of them and the team. Whatever is his best he needs to show it now if he’s got more to give.
Well, just another season flushed down the toilet. It would not mind much if they cancel the season, but if they don’t start thinking in a Bell’s replacement.
I work graveyard so Korean baseball on espn at 5:30 has been fun to watch and wager on. Mel Rojas Jr. is a triple crown threat and could help someone in mlb, but he’s a good DH as an outfielder. Our old buddy Dan Straily is the 2nd best starter in kbo with a 1.95 era. They interview for 5-10 minutes during broadcasts and he’s such a brilliant guy! 14-8, 3.76 for our Reds wasn’t half bad. He could atleast help in the bullpen next year! He’ll be prepared and he can change speeds enough to find a guy or 2 to get a key out as a reliever. I’ll take that over our powerlifters trying to throw 100 mph. Iggy has gained 30 lbs since he got here…..isnt helping
Ok guys, we need to have “the talk.” This will be painful for all of us. And believe me, it was painful for me as well. I don’t think David Bell and his staff have the “intangibles.” Reds are always off to a slow start with Bell, and they can’t win close games. I love analytics as much as David Bell. But, he takes it too far and every single batter has the same approach: Yank the ball over the fence. No situational hitting. No going opposite field. No trying to drop in a single on a tough 0-2 pitch to score a run. Shogo, and for one HR Castellanos, is the only guy who tries to go opposite field. Every pitcher now knows just pitch the Reds outside and Reds hitters will continue to try and pull the ball. The strikeouts then pile up. Old school managers see this and tell their players to change their approach. Analytics managers can’t manage the game off the spreadsheet.
You know who actually managed the “intangibles” well. Dusty Baker and every other old school manager.
Real talk: What would 2020 Reds record be with an old school manager?
True on Barnhart. He also singled to left on Thursday.
Everything changes. Analytics is in the drivers seat now. Lou Pinella or Jack McKean would probably do quite well with this team.
As I have said many many times the Reds are exactly the same team with just a couple or so new players.Just like in the past there is enough blame to go around but to change the culture you have to change the players or find a leader in the dugout that can change the existing players.It won’t happen.ClevelandRedsFan pointed to several issues this team has had for what seems to be like forever and again just because we want them to go away doesn’t make it happen.The Reds are not a team but rather just a bunch of individuals who play as individuals.Finally for those of us that think that Eugenio and Joey need to be dropped down in the order or set a game or two well it won’t happen either.
The tolerance here has got to be minimal. Votto is coming off 2 straight down seasons of 260 and 55 rbis. Batting him second and hoping he will hit 310 is weak and is destined to hurt the Reds. We don’t even know that this will be a 60 game season and we better get to 500+ in the next 8-10 games or else this ship isn’t going to sail. I would bet Votto 6th or 7th until he shows signs that he is something other than a 260 singles hitter. Suarez however has recent history on his side and is in slump imo and needs to snap out of it real fast. Maybe we sit him for a couple games but I don’t know if that hurts or helps. The problem is that we need to play with urgency and we don’t seem to do well in that situation.
Just got a notification that Joey Votto has C19 symptoms and is out of the double header. JVM and Davidson ugh are filling in.
Who’s next?
Seems like we ought to use our imagination and come up with something better than those two. Aquino played there one time. 🙂