| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (7-9) |
3 | 8 | 1 |
| Milwaukee Brewers (6-7) |
9 | 10 | 0 |
| W: Suter (2-0) L: Gray (3-1) |
|||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
The game was going well until the 6th inning. The Reds held a 2-1 lead when the bottom of the 6th began, but Sonny Gray, Michael Lorenzen, and Cody Reed combined for six earned runs, five hits allowed, and four walks in the inning that saw the Milwaukee Brewers (6-7) put the game away against the Cincinnati Reds (7-9) on Sunday afternoon. Painful game to watch, but the Reds won the series against an divisional foe and that’s better than the alternative.
The Offense
Cincinnati didn’t take much time to get on the scoreboard on Sunday. Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suarez both drew walks, setting up Jesse Winker with an RBI opportunity in the 1st and he came through with a single through the opened up side of the infield as the Brewers put the shift on him and paid for it. Castellanos came home to score on the single and the Reds grabbed a 1-0 lead.
After the Brewers tied the game up in the bottom of the 3rd inning, Jesse Winker untied it with a quickness. After working a 1-1 count, Winker took an 87 MPH change up from Brandon Woodruff and deposited it 431-feet away near the back of the stadium in right-center field to make it 2-1.
In the top of the 6th inning Eugenio Suarez and Christian Colon both had singles to put runners on the corners with one out, but a double play ended the threat. And that would be the final threat that the Reds mustered on the day, too. The offense went 1-2-3 in the 7th inning, and they did the same in the 8th with the heart of the lineup coming through. Jesse Winker doubled to lead off the 9th inning and he’d score on a Freddy Galvis single with two outs to make it 9-3. Phillip Ervin came off the bench to pinch hit and worked a full count before walking. Shogo Akiyama was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for Nick Castellanos and put some real pressure on Alex Claudio and the Brewers despite a 6-run lead. It wasn’t to be on the day as a weak grounder to third ended the game.
The Pitching
Much like his counterpart, Sonny Gray struggled with some control in the 1st inning as he walked two Milwaukee Brewers. Unlike his counterpart, he got through the inning without allowing a run, striking out Avisail Garcia to strand two runners. The 2nd inning went quicker and more smoothly for Gray as he picked up two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 inning.
After getting two quick outs to start the 3rd inning, the Brewers got their first hit – a single by Keston Hiura. Christian Yelich took an 0-1 fastball and laced it into the right field corner for an RBI double to tie the game up. A 9-pitch at-bat against Logan Morrison ended on a called 3rd strike as Gray escaped the jam with a runner on third (Yelich advanced on the throw to the plate on his double), but his pitch count was piling up – he had 64 through three innings.
The 4th inning began with a strikeout on four pitches, but Justin Smoak lined a single on the first pitch of his at-bat to put a runner on. Brock Holt followed up with a fly out for the second out of the frame, but then things started to move in the wrong direction for Sonny Gray. After falling behind 3-0 to Mark Mathias, he grounded the ball to third base only to have Eugenio Suarez bobble the ball and extend the inning. Then Gray fell behind 0-2 to Manny Pina before hitting him with a pitch to load the bases and bring pitching coach Derek Johnson to the mound. Whatever he said worked. Eric Sogard grounded the first pitch of the at-bat to second base to end the threat and preserve a 2-1 lead for Cincinnati.
With the bottom of the order coming up the Reds stuck with Sonny Gray to begin the 6th, but things didn’t go as hoped as the Cincinnati right-hander gave up a double to lead off the inning. After a fly out to left, the Brewers put together back-to-back singles to tie the game up and run Gray from the game.
Michael Lorenzen came into the game and walked the first batter he faced on four pitches to load the bases. Keston Hiura singled on the first pitch he saw to put Milwaukee on top 3-2. The struggles for Lorenzen continued as he walked in another run after a full count worked by Christian Yelich. That was followed up by another bases loaded walk, making it 5-2 and ending the day for Lorenzen.
Cody Reed came on and got a ground ball to Suarez at third, who came home for a force out. But the next hitter lined a 2-run single into left and extended the lead to 7-2 as the 6th inning continued to spiral out of control. A line out to shortstop would mercifully end the inning after six runs came across the plate.
Joel Kuhnel came in for the 7th and things didn’t get any better as he gave up back-to-back blasts to Keston Hiura and Christian Yelich, with that latter one hitting roughly 75 feet up the batters eye in center field to make it 9-2. Nate Jones came out for the bottom of the 8th and got started quickly, inducing a ground out on the 1st pitch of the inning. After a few pitches to the next hitter there was another ground out.
Notes worth noting
About an hour prior to the game the Cincinnati Reds announced that they had placed second baseman Mike Moustakas on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Thursday and had recalled right-handed pitcher Tejay Antone.
The Reds have now homered in 11 straight games at Miller Park.
Sonny Gray extended his Major League record of consecutive starts without allowing more than six hits to 37 games. The last time he gave up more than six hits in a game was August 1st, 2018 when he was still pitching for the New York Yankees.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Kansas City Royals vs Cincinnati Reds
Tuesday August 11th, 6:40pm ET
TBA vs Luis Castillo (0-2, 4.76 ERA)
What about Nate Jones, along with Amir G, Lucas S instead of Lorenzen. Is David Bell going to see what we see that Lorenzen is NOT getting the job done, or is he going to keep up his addiction and obsession with Lorenzen, and keep bringing him in when the games are close??
Did you say Dick Williams needs to have a looong conversation with David Bell? 🙂
Don’t think we can understand David Bell this season in a lot of ways.
Enough with Lorenzen already! The job of a reliever is to put out the fire, not carry gasoline to the mound Limit the use of Lorenzen to blowout games or pinch running or the outfield. Bell’s selection of relief pitchers is proof that he does not have a grasp of the game. The season is essentially at the 25% complete and the Reds still are struggling to hit, hold leads and score runs. Every game is important from here on out! Day off tomorrow may help. Need Moose back ASAP!
I’ve been an advocate for Lorenzen for the last couple years. His confidence is shot. The only time he should come in for the next week is bases empty, with 2-3 run lead. The f bombs shouted into his glove, shows how in his own head he is. I would like to see some relief innings from Antone and aside from a couple dicey moments Nate Jones has been good.
The extremely shouted f bombs made me wonder if he is roiding
This is a stupid reply and this is the only warning we’re giving to anyone about the speculation of anyone using PEDs on the site. Don’t do it.
???
Sorry Doug, tell me what to think and I will comply.
I will keep my stupid replies to myself.
In retrospect, my apologies to Lorenzen. I had no knowledge to speculate as I did.
I stand by my comments to you, Doug.
You can think what you want. You can’t just say whatever you want without repercussion. We’ve got rules here.
Reds pen has a 7.77 era so far. Thats not good. Colon is 31 and 1 career hr in mlb yet he’s batting 6th? Thats not good although he’s far from the only one with a terrible batting average. Atleast they won the series.
KC is starting a lefty on Tuesday. Get Aquino up and get him into LF. He helps the team defensively if nothing else. An outfield of Winker, Ervin, and NC might be the worst defensive OF in mlb. DH Davidson or sit Joey and play him at 1B. Joey is going to have to swallow some ego and drop in the order (or sit) vs lefties.
Lastly get Mahle going in the pen. It may not work, but it can’t get worse? Nate Jones in high leverage or Antone? NC may not be around next year. Disco or Bauer? The time is now. This is a great opportunity! Most of the Reds killers are gone from Pittsburgh. They’re a AAA team. KC has some nice hitters, but 75% of their roster consists of minimum salary guys because they’re cheap. I was thinking Bell deserved the benefit of the doubt, but someone mentioned David Hernandez today and Bell’s horrible mismanagement came flooding back to me. Its time for Bell’s feet to be held to the fire! If he can’t see what Joe Public can see then he needs to go! No excuses!
Ahhhh…Hernandez. Reminds me of last May in SF when Bell used him in a night game and he was lights out. Then less then 12 hours later, he brought him right back into a day game and he imploded. Had fresh arms in the pen but Bell works in mysterious ways. Seeing nearly the same with Lorenzen this season. Hope I’m wrong but I have zero faith in Bell making the right moves. While we’re at it, I know Tucker is an outstanding defensive catcher but let’s face it, he can’t hit at all.
KC just swept Minnesota so they might have cheap guys but the Reds better be ready Tuesday night.
Just going to note that after the game Sonny explained the “down velocity” – he was not throwing his fastball, even if the pitch was classified by a fastball. He felt fine, he was just throwing a split/change at 89-90 instead of his fastball.
I am of the notion that players win or lose games and not the manager.However when players don’t perform its up to the manager to figure out a way to right the ship because if you ask a player he will say I am just this close or that close or leave me in or I have got this.Thats what pro athletes do and often.The manager at some point must stop playing players who aren’t performing.If we want to win then Eugenio and Joey and Shogo don’t need to get the most at bats in any game starting Tuesday.Both Nicks and Wink need that honor right now and maybe the others do better down in the order and after a few more games if they start hitting you move them back.Same way out of the pen.Right now Sims,Garrett and Iggy should handle the high leverage situations while the rest build up confidence.Just can’t continue to give games away by doing the same things over and over.Does anybody realize that we have given up 5 bases loaded walks in the last 4 games?Thats little league stuff.
Agree.
The Reds get me every year. I can’t believe I am such a sucker.
Always something. Just “that close” to winning.
This year starting pitching is great. No hitting and poor relief pitching.
Going in, hitting was supposed to be improved.
Not only are they not more consistent, many aren’t hitting.
Or going back a few years should I say STILL are not hitting.
Dennis Westrick said it perfectly about Reds relievers carrying gas cans to the mound, when they should be using fire extinguishers.
If the relievers were top notch then the Reds would have more wins because the bullpen has given up the lead in several games.
Bell’s decisions are puzzling (or wrong) sometimes but ultimately the players have to perform.
I don’t think the Reds will catch fire later this season, what we see is what we get.
He hit 3 fly balls to left field, essentially jamming himself on inside pitches. If he is going to stand on top of the plate, he needs to watch video of Rizzo or Bonds to see how you hit inside pitches.
Nobody on this site is holding Derek Johnson responsible. He gets the love/credit early in the off-season. He should now take the fall/critique.
I have thought the Johnson was overrated. he has done nothing to change my mind.
Not sure what he would get blamed for at the moment. Starters have been lights out. Bullpen is short a few arms, especially from the left side, and the front office failed to bring in another high-level guy in the offseason.
But mostly, it’s been a Cody Reed and Lorenzen problem, and Bell is the one that keeps throwing them out there in close games. He could have gone with Garrett to face the lefties that Lorenzen did or gone to Sims.
Votto will be 37 next month. The Reds dont need home runs from him. They need him to spray it all over the outfield. They need him to be a walk, singles hitter with a high OBP and about a 280-290 average. He needs to become Hal Morris. The next 3 years are going to be unwatchable if he doesnt.