One wrong pitch put the game away for the St. Louis Cardinals (13-13) when Paul DeJong hit a grand slam in the 4th inning to make it 7-1 over the Cincinnati Reds (15-20). A late 3-run homer by Eugenio Suárez put the Reds within striking distance, but that was the last hit they’d get in a 7-5 loss.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals (13-13) |
7 | 10 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Reds (15-20) |
5 | 7 | 0 |
| W: Hudson (1-2) L: DeSclafani (1-2) SV: Gallegos (2) |
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| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
The Offense
Joey Votto’s infield single to lead off the bottom of the 1st, and the Reds first baseman moved up to second on a passed ball. He scored the tying run on a single by Eugenio Suárez later in the inning. The bats went quiet after that until the 6th when Tucker Barnhart doubled and scored on a Nick Castellanos ground out. Unfortunately for the Reds it was 7-2 at that point and they needed a whole lot more than one run.
Cincinnati put up a fight in the bottom of the 9th inning. Joey Votto led off with a single, and then Jesse Winker singled with 1-out to put two runners on. That brought Eugenio Suárez to the plate and he took the second pitch of the at-bat and put it into the seats under the power stacks for a 3-run homer, making it a 7-5 game. That was all they’d get, though, as the comeback fell short.
The Pitching
The Cardinals got to Anthony DeSclafani early. Back-to-back doubles in the 1st put St. Louis up 1-0, and a seeing-eye single in the 2nd added another run, making it 2-1. In the 3rd inning DeSclafani hurt himself – not in a physical way – by hitting Paul Goldschmidt to lead off the inning, then giving up a single. He didn’t hold the runners on well and allowed a double steal before Yadier Molina added to the Cardinals lead with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.
In the 4th inning it was a lot more of self-inflicted wounds for DeSclafani. He allowed a 1-out single, then with two outs he walked back-to-back hitters to load the bases for Paul DeJong. The Cardinals shortstop took a 3-2 fastball and hit a grand slam to make it 7-1.
Michael Lorenzen came on to record the final out of the 4th inning. He also got the next 11 outs without allowing a run. Lorenzen wound up tossing 4.0 shutout innings before Nate Jones took over with two outs in the top of the 8th inning. After an infield single, Jones got out of the inning unscathed. Jones returned for the 9th and got the Cardinals to go 1-2-3.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds
Tuesday September 1st, 6:40pm ET
Kwang-Hyun Kim (1-0, 1.08 ERA) vs Sonny Gray (5-1, 1.94 ERA)
Great job by Lorenzen and Jones but as you said it was over early.Reds held to 4 hits thru 8 innings and get 3 in the ninth against mop up guys including the cookie to Eugenio.Its hard to imagine this team being this bad of a hitting team over 162 game season but we won’t get to find out.Back at em tomorrow.
Derek Johnson left the brewers to come to the Reds for a reason. Money yes. But input more
The reds signed Dj and got gray
The Reds traded for Bauer because of DJ. They aren’t trading him. The Reds traded for the Dbacks closer because of DJ. Folks want a closer beyond Iglesias . You got one. DJ is transforming this pitching staff . Iglesias is being shown the door just like Reed and soon to be Stephenson
As Brantley noted in the game telecast it was an interesting sequence that led to the grand slam by Dejong. DeSclafani walked the bases loaded. Nowhere to put Dejong. DeSclafani gets in a 1-2 count and misses with 2 breaking balls to go to a full count. Dejong is looking fastball. Barnhart signals a breaking ball and DeSclafani shook it off or made Barnhart go through the signs again and again signals for a breaking ball. DeSclafani steps off the rubber. Barnhart then signals fastball to appease Desclafani and the rest is history.
Brantley then makes the quote of the night, “Probably should have thrown that breaking ball.”
He explained that Desclafani’s actions there just further reinforced the notion in Dejong’s mind that a fastball was coming.
DeSclafani and his stubborness was his own worst enemy tonight.
Probably should have thrown the “slider” is what Brantley said. He shook it off twice.
After walking 2 guys in the inning, he got to 1-2 to Dejong. Then Tucker gives that fastball target in which he stands up. It rarely works, and it was not the time to try that to try that when a guy was struggling with command.
Earlier in the game Tucker called for an 0-2 fastball up and away, when the defense was playing Wong to pull. So that pitch got poked through the hole on the left side for an rbi single.
Yes, the pitcher generally throws what he wants, but I’m generally not a fan with Tucker’s game calling and location skills
I am generally with you here. Don’t recall off the top of my head if there was an overlap between Ryan Hanigan and Barnhart with the Reds; but, many times Barnhart’s pitch patterns remind me of Hanigan patterns that drove me crazy.
A “waste” pitch shouldn’t be wasted; and that’s exactly what happens when a pitcher throws a pitch that has zero chance of being in the strike zone. If the catcher doesn’t trust his pitcher to hit a tighter spot just off the zone at 0-2 or 1-2, what makes him believe the pitcher can get the job done at 2-2 or 3-2 when the batter knows the pitcher doesn’t want to throw a ball.
The more looks a batter gets at a pitcher’s motion and stuff within an AB typically the better things go for the batter. Except for situations where a K is really needed, pitchers need to make batters put the ball in play in on their count early in the AB versus getting into mind games.
Bring up Stephenson at least he can hit!
Just threw 2 breaking pitches for balls…maybe Disco didn’t feel in control of his breaking balls at the point… fair enuff…tried mano-a-mano…but point taken, all the back and forth probably reinforced Wongs guess on fast-ball…and it was right down the middle. That’s on Disco.
Disco was already burned out in the 4th inning before the GS and after walking Goldschmidt with +80 pitched count. Those decisions are really hurting the team: bullpen usage, bunting, shifting, pinch hitters, left/right switches. I wonder if field management is really missing it.
Don’t think you have to wonder too had, I would say yes.
+1
Disco is flirting with disaster all night and is at 80+ pitches and he is gassed. He puts the first 2 batters on and then Freddie gets Lorenzen up and throwing! He should have been warm at the beginning of the inning. Disco then walks the next batter and has to pitch to Dejong because Bullpen isnt ready. Bad coaching ….again.
Lorenzen is making a case to re-convert him to starter. If his temperament isn’t suited to high leverage, short burst situations is not good, perhaps Lorenzen is best suited as starter. Thoughts, Doug?
a guy named Mike would agree
I like it what do we have to lose all of the starters have taken steps backwards so why not.
Disclafani is a reliever. Put him in the ‘pen. I’d rather see starting shots go to Antone, Lorenzen (yes, Lorenzen), or even Iglesias (yes, Iglesias).
The Cardinal and Cubs hitters are way too “lucky” for me to believe that the Reds hitters are just “unlucky”. It was a breath of fresh air to hear Brantley talk about the SKILL of successful hitting, even in the age of shifts.
Reds fans still missing the point with this team there is NO SPARK and that comes with leadoff hitter. Shogo still has’nt hit a fastball over 92 we are not in JAPAN! You have a hitting coach that should notice all these problems.
Gray, Bauer, Garrett, Sims, Winker, Casali, and Castellanos have played up to or surpassed expectations. Antone has been a nice surprise contributor. When only 8 of your 28 are playing up to expectations, a lackluster season is to be expected. It’s really as simple as that. Guys need to start playing up to the level expected of them, before it’s too late, if it’s not already.
After tonight it’s over with a Capital O!
Glad to see Suarez reach out and poke a little blooper into center for a run scoring single in the 1st. Now the count was only 1-1, and it could have just as easily been the third out, and we all would have shook our heads, but it dropped. I think it showed some bat control and going with the pitch, which I think the Reds need more of, especially after 2 strikes…meaing, put the ball in play.
Everyone trying to do too much and hit homeruns every time up.
I love me some Aquino, but man did he look awful at the plate last night.
I predict Goodwin will replace Payton on the roster and will be the everyday LF (or at least against righties).
And please, please bring up TySteve and play Garcia. We need a youth infusion.
Send Tucker to Prasco to work with the pitchers down there.
End of screed.
Tucker is also visibly frustrated at his offense. Really getting angry and at himself and cursing after every at bat. That can’t help and is counter-productive….putting too much pressure on himself. Has anyone else noticed this.
He may need a mental break.
Yep. I hear him dropping bombs after every strikeout.
His offense was lacking last year. We know going into the season catcher was a weak point and its ugly head is showing. Honestly you cant do any worse so bring up the kid.
Walking the bases loaded in the 4th inning, down 3-1. Disco should have been pulled then. Lorenzen was probably ready. Instead, ML gets put in AFTER the grand slam, which is like rearranging deck chairs on the titanic.
Kind of like Dusty not pulling Latos back in 2012. Maddening. From this point on every game is critical, but Reds still treat them like a 162 game slate.
How many times are we going to see a pitcher removed at the wrong time.. There doesn’t seem to be any feel for what they see in the game by either Bell or his staff. Thus goes back to last year. Having the losing record that they have in 1 or 2 run games is not an accident.
Mikey never got up until two guys were on. There was no way he was ready. He should have been throwing at the start of the inning because Disco didnt have it.
Aquino needs to channel his inner George Foster.
San Diego has what is considered one of the best farm systems with depth. The Padres acquired 10 players and traded away 17 players. Not all of those 17 players traded away were on their 28 man roster and 40 man roster. I am not sure if all 10 of those players they acquired will fit within their 28 man roster and 40 man roster without making some additional roster moves. So, there could be a couple of good players SD will have to maybe DFA today to make room. Reds should keep a close eye on the waiver wire today. No more trades so can’t make one on DFA players like the Reds did with Cody Reed. They will have to keep watch on that waiver wire today . Might be able to find that elusive LH reliever.
I don’t think teams can add a player to their rosters without passing the COVID 19 protocols first when they get to their new team. It could be a busy day today with roster reshuffling from yesterday’s moves.
Going the other way, Phillip Ervin did not get traded; so, the Reds will now have to try and get him through waivers (unless they had already done this which seems doubtful with the trade deadline looming).
With no other RH hitting OF bats coming into the organization and Stuart Fairchild leaving, it is going to pose a real depth issue if Ervin gets plucked away on waivers.
Given the Reds seeming reluctance to promote Aquino previously, my thought all alone was that if they coudn’t get another RH batting OF bat in trade, they were going to try and hold onto Ervin with the plan being to get him work at Prasco and likely later flip he and Aquino, who can be safely optioned to Prasco, ahead of the playoff roster date in mid September.