The Cincinnati Reds (5-6) had their three game win streak snapped last night. They will look to start a new streak tonight at 7:10 PM as their four game series with the Cleveland Indians (6-6) shifts north up I-71.
Starting Pitchers
Tejay Antone will make his first big league start tonight. Antone was very impressive in 4.1 innings of relief after Wade Miley got shelled by the Cubs last week. I would imagine that David Bell would be thrilled with just getting 4 innings from Antone tonight.
Mike Clevinger is coming off a really rough start against the Twins: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 5 K. Clevinger is one of the best SP in baseball, as he is 12th in fWAR over the past two seasons with a 2.90 ERA/3.12 FIP. That has not translated into success against the Reds though, as he has a 6.06 ERA in 3 career starts.
Starting Lineup
| Reds | Indians |
| 1. Shogo Akiyama (LF) 2. Nicholas Castellanos (RF) 3. Joey Votto (1B) 4. Eugenio Suarez (3B) 5. Jesse Winker (DH) 6. Nick Senzel (CF) 7. Josh VanMeter (2B) 8. Freddy Galvis (SS) 9. Tucker Barnhart (C) |
1. Cesar Hernandez (2B) 2. Jose Ramirez (3B) 3. Francisco Lindor (SS) 4. Carlos Santana (1B) 5. Franmil Reyes (DH) 6. Bradley Zimmer (RF) 7. Jordan Luplow (LF) 8. Sandy Leon (C) 9. Oscar Mercado (CF) |
#Reds David Bell said Mike Moustakas could be in the lineup either tomorrow or Friday. "It could be a lot worse"
— C. ???????????? (@ctrent) August 5, 2020
News and Notes
The Reds are taking two players with them on the road trip to Cleveland and Milwaukee, taking José De León and Francisco Peña with them as their taxi squad this time.
#reds will make up the rainout vs the #Cubs at 4:10 on Aug 29 as part of a doubleheader.
— Mark Sheldon (@m_sheldon) August 5, 2020
Reds GM Nick Krall joins @Buster_ESPN on the #BBTNpod to talk about signing Castellanos, his day-to-day and evaluating trades this season. Plus, @dschoenfield from a CVS parking lot and @PaulHembo's review of the extra-innings rule and the 3 batter minimum https://t.co/mcYgzSORe3 pic.twitter.com/R5d6wVVdUG
— ESPN Podcasts (@espnpodcasts) August 5, 2020
Shildt says the plan is for the Cards to make up all the games missed.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) August 5, 2020
Conclusion
If the season ended right now, your Cincinnati Reds would be in the playoffs. That is quite a good feeling. Tonight will be another tough matchup for the Reds hitters, but I think they are up for the challenge. Go Reds!
Cool. Let’s STAY in the playoffs and move up for home field advantage. 🙂
+500
Working with a client based in Chicago who is a Stupid Cubs fan. I reminded him today his guys are 9-2 right now.
I’ll admit I’m ignorant about the points thing. You’ll have to explain it to me some time. lol I know from our sim season you’re not too fond of the Cubs. lol
Melvin,
The way I do it, it’s entirely random and arbitrary. It was originally born out of people on many forums posting a “+1” as an indication of agreement. I (and others) have taken it to an absurd extreme.
So +250 for asking, sir! 🙂
Thanks. I’ll remember that. 🙂
I like Castellanos hitting #2.
Give him as many ABs as possible while he’s hot.
Is Winker really our best option at DH? His BA and SLG are both a putrid .115.
I’d take Jankowski or Farmer at this point.
In a word … no.
Batting order at least for now.
Votto
Castellanos
Senzel
Moose out today
Suárez
Barnhart
Wink/Ervin
Galvis
Shogo
I just got a feeling Wink and JVM get it done tonight.Time for them to man up especially Wink.
Let us hope. Failing that, let us pray … 🙂
I don’t really get the logic of having Votto behind Castellanos instead of the other way around, but I hope it works. Go Reds!
I’m having trouble getting game on mlb t.v,is it on my end or is it not being televised
Feed hasn’t started yet.
Ok mark thanks,im in Illinois and it had start time 5:10 now I see its 6:10
Quality professional at bats needed.
Question … “Added to the taxi squad” and then 2 names … I thought the full number is 5 now on the taxi squad with 1 catcher mandatory. So are these 2 the ones that brought us up from 3 to 5?
Regardless, let’s take it to the Tribe tonight!!
Up to, doesn’t have to be. These are the only two.
Thanks Doug. I read yesterday that one HAD to be a catcher, so that’s why I asked.
I see what Bell did with the line-up … it’s a complete Lefty/Righty alternating through the whole thing. Let’s see if it produces the results we need.
Will Bauer be in Clevinger’s head, even just a little, tonight?
Surely the FSO TV crew will be keeping a camera on Bauer, for any reactions or comments.
Good time to take on a really good pitcher who is struggling.
Oh let’s hope he is … that would be sweet!
Clevinger triggers my hyperactivity
I see lots of weak at bats and K’s on the horizon. This is why losing to Detroit and blowing mahle’s gem and Bauer’s gem against the Tigers is a waste
Reds only hope is Indians offense bad.
Throw the next pitch at the Bull …
Nice way to start it. 16 pitches in.
Pretty sure I could stand there and look at a 3rd strike that way. In fact, back in HS my coach once chided me for doing that (he was doing me a favor by letting me be the DH for a weaker hitter).
Weak swings, bad breaks, mental lapses … yep – that’s our Reds.
Way to go Shogo. Double to LF off elite pitcher.
Wowza.
Antone getting out of a jam there.
60 pitches through 3 innings, though …
I’m thinking Senzel had a better chance of catching that ball, and if he couldn’t catch it of potentially getting an out at a base. I’m glad it worked out, but if I’m right that’s another example of him needing to learn to be more assertive.
But maybe it’s my imagination that he had the better position.
Suarez good at bat
JVM goes up to the plate looking like he is just waiting to turn around and go back to the dugout…
Taking strike 3 right down the middle, and a fastball at that, tells me he is up there guessing, instead of reacting. You can do your guessing on 2-0, or 3-1…never with 2 strikes. Prepare for fastball, and adjust to anything else.
Bell loves to play guys that love to watch strikes without swinging ,hence jvm
Reds starting pitching is light years above prior years. Even at the # 4/5.
Offense/ bullpen/ defense need to step up. It’s winning window. Now.
Pitchers best friend 2 innings in a row. That’ll keep him in there a little longer
Clevinger doesn’t look right. Think he hurt himself on that last pitch
Tejay Antone at 70 pitches, 40 strikes, 4 ground outs, 0 fly outs, 2 GIDP after 4 innings. Good job so far. The only blemish are the 3 BB.
Brooks raley warming up.
Can’t walk dudes like this – just can’t do it
This opening inning trend can cease anytime now
Pitiful offensive effort again – Stephenson can’t get a sniff
Bieber and Clevinger are like DeGrom and syndegaard. Find a way to score though. Mahle and Antone going toe to toe.
And here comes the bullpen……
Raise your hand if you didn’t see that
Coming – Bell is completely lost
Bell will never learn. A starter who has given up two hits, and he’s only left out there for 4 1/3 innings. What a joke!
Lorenzen with the gas can and blowtorch – call the Cleveland Fire Department ….
Glad that first pitch was outside. He was shaking off Tucker before the first pitch. I could tell from my couch he was going with the heater. I’m half surprised he didn’t groove one down the middle.
Maybe he tried to groove it but he can’t throw a strike!
I was thinking 2run homer now im thinking 3 run homer,for 4 year’s now ive been wondering why lorenzen is ever allowed to pitch
And the dumpster fire begins … a good throw had a chance to cut that runner down at the plate.
To paraphrase Gene Hackman from “The Replacements” … we seem to be out of HEART.
Look on the bright side, at least Antone will be nice and healthy. We get nice healthy starters so we can lose ballgames. So frustrating.
Lorenzen needs to be in mop up duty only – got no business in the field in meaningful situations – he’s not a major league reliever
Typical lorenzen outing
Great hustle, total lack of baseball acumen by the Reds on that 2nd run. And more crappy bullpen work, chalk up another loss
Lorenzen doing what he does. Inherited runners are not his friend.
Vanmeter ugh…
Josh van meter can’t hit or throw.
Terrible defense again.
Mercado was before 3b when Van meter caught the ball and still scored. Lorenzen is lost.
Reds need to tell fans what’s going on with Moose.
Van meter/ Winker/ Ervin / aren’t getting it done. Davidson and Colon aren’t major leaguers. Get Aquino up now.
Bell is lost as well – no feel for the game whatsoever
This team is lost .They have talent. Leadership not there- yes. That starts with the manager.
Aquino, Garcia and Stephenson. Might as well see what they can do.
Thom: ” I don’t want to get all Freudian here…..”
I promise you I covered my ears and started singing just to avoid whatever was coming out of his mouth next……
You should have listened. Thom was gently bringing up how darn stupid Bell is for continuing to take his starters out too early, only to give the game away with his bullpen, NIGHT after NIGHT.
I was just too afraid to take that chance…..
How was Nick out?
He was safe, but he had no business wandering that far down the line
They just can’t get a big hit with runners in scoring position right now. The only way they are scoring is on home runs.
Yes. 2 hits. No runs
Gotta play guys who get on base.
Winker and Ervin used to give you a good at bat. Now they swing from their heels. Suarez too.
That works for Aquino and Castellanos. Other guys need to give a good at bat and hit to all fields.
Shogo and Senzel get the at bats. They are also good defenders.
After 30 games all our starters will be well rested, Reds will be 12 games out but we have that to look forward to
Thom and Chris can talk all they want about the bullpen but you cant win games when you cant score. Offense is terrible.
It could be better but they are 12th out of 30 teams in runs
Absolutely correct. The team is losing games because Bell has decided that the best rotation in all of baseball is so good that it must be protected, even if that protection means losing games.
Yes. 2 hits. No runs
Gotta play guys who get on base.
Winker and Ervin used to give you a good at bat. Now they swing from their heels. Suarez too.
That works for Aquino and Castellanos. Other guys need to give a good at bat and hit to all fields.
Shogo and Senzel get the at bats. They are also good defenders.
Well if anything, we can be glad bell will not be back next year or any other year
Look at the two right handed pinch hitters we just sent up there that inning. Does anyone in here really think those are better options than Aquino? How is it that Aquino is not on this team?
You’re not impressed with Christian colon?
Should save my comment and repost every night… great starting performance, pen awful again. Not enuf hitting.
Reds Blowpen is garbage but the team can’t win if they don’t score runs. Free Aquino!
Seven innings in, two hits. Moustakas and Aquino needed for offense.
I’m a die hard reds fan. But Christian colon and Matt Davidson DH ing and pinch hitting…is an insult to my intelligence. Cut them now and bring up Aquino and Stephenson or I just won’t care anymore.
Dick Williams… Bring up Aquino now and cut colon and Davidson.
How come it always seems that Garrett comes in after this team is in a hole?
Exactly, what has Lorenzen done to earn all these high leverage situations?
I don’t like pulling akiyama here
You got to let him play
Like I was saying.
Probably doesn’t matter at all, but why switch Castellano and Votto in the batting order?
Cassiano’s has a hit in every game this season, and it’s the first week of August. That has to be some kind of record.
WHO?
2-0 should be 1-0 and 7 combined hits. When did mlb turn into Manchester United soccer league? Every game tonite is Under. Every.single.game.
Cork the bats. Cork the players. Cork the ball. Ban the shift.
Americans like scoring. Period
Marty would call a 1-0 game “A good ole good one” but he’s 114 years old
What we’re seeing, unfortunately, is a team with possibly the best starting pitching in the game (Cleveland) shutting down what the Reds have to offer on offense. The question which we will learn the answer to in the next week or so is:
Is the pitching the Reds have faced so far (Tigers, Cubs, Indians) really that good? Or is this another year of a team that can’t hit? Moustakas has been a super-big loss from the lineup, so perhaps when he returns that will make a difference.
I’m 65 and I like a good 1-0 or 2-1 game too.
Josh Van Meter, Colon and Ervin gotta go bruh
Don’t look at the on deck circle….
Davidson lol. I’m sure Thom be roaming around Redlegnation as he brought up many Reds fans are wondering why Aquino is not in the roster lol. 2020 Reds are just like the 2019 Reds
Game over. Send about 10 guys out and bring 10 up. Somebody has to want to hit.
Hanwha did that in the Korean league. 10 out and 10 in….still in last)))
Disappointing all around.
David Bell making sure to enforce little league participation rule …. dude is in way over his head
Is it just me, or did the Indians get every borderline call all night?
Definitely a very liberal strike zone and yeah Nick was safe too
I’m afraid David Bell only half understands the urgency thing. I’m afraid he just doesn’t get it. He sure seems as if he wasn’t prepared for this kind of season. Some will say only 12 games so far. We can’t get going at about the 60 game mark. The playoffs are not a sure thing.
Reds just lost two games in a row on walks, infield hits and good base running.
But hey I’m sure they will but that 10-pointer 600-foot homerun tomorrow.
Same team that just can’t get the little things right.
Tejay looked pretty good- he muscled through some tough situations and refused to fold. Amir is pitching great and looking confident after his 2019. There’s a lot of potential here, but not a lot of production. Bring up Aquino, sign Puig.
I’d like to see JVM sent over to Prasco for a week or two to find his batting stroke.
Farmer gets his ab’s as backup inf.
I’m fine with Colon as the 26th man (that being the last player on the roster in the revolving roster limits).
I’m guessing the communication between Prasco and GABP would be sufficient to know if Acquino is raking or flailing like he did in Sept of last year.
After today, with roster moves coming anyway, we may find out what the Reds plan to do, if anything, to correct this course.
I still do not understand why we hired Alan Zinter as batting coach
This team is not worth stressing over guys. At least they’ve been consistent and by now predictable. Dominant starting pitching, mediocre offense, weak defense and when the bullpen comes in we know they are going to blow it.