The first place Cincinnati Reds (9-6) will begin the final home series before a difficult road trip tonight at 6:40 PM against the Arizona Diamondbacks (6-10). The Reds are 16-4 in their last 20 games at GABP dating back to last season. The Dbacks took 2 of 3 vs the Reds in Phoenix last week, but they are even more decimated with injuries now. They are currently missing three players from their regular lineup: superstar Ketel Marte, slugger Christian Walker and speedster Tim Locastro. The Dbacks scored just 7 runs over their last three games against the Nationals.
Starting Pitchers
Luis Castillo has been far better than his numbers would indicate. The opening day start was a disaster, but his defense really let him down (he should have got out of the first inning down 1-0, instead he ended up giving up 5 more runs that inning). Castillo dominated the Pirates in his next start (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K). His last start came against the Giants and even that was better than the 4 ER over 5 IP might indicate. Castillo got absolutely hosed on a 2-1 pitch to Brandon Crawford that clearly was in the zone. Crawford took advantage, and hit the 3-1 pitch in the seats. Even despite that, Castillo had 7 K with 0 BB in 5.0 IP.
BTW, the 4th pitch in the at-bat to Brandon Crawford called a ball was complete garbage. Luis should have had a 2-2 count instead of 3-1. Next pitch was the home run. pic.twitter.com/3cqJdQp6q4
— ???? ????y (@Nicholaspkirby) April 14, 2021
Castillo has a career 4.25 ERA in 6 starts against the Dbacks (41 K/12 BB in 36.0 IP).
Zac Gallen is really, really good when he can stay healthy. Since the start of 2019, his 2.77 ERA is tied for the 6th best in the MLB. He had a hairline fracture that delayed his 2021 debut until last week (4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K). Gallen threw 82 pitches in that game. He has only made one career start against the Reds, back in 2019: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 HR, 2 BB, 5 K). It was the final start of the 2019 season, and Suarez hit two home runs off him.
Starting Lineups
| Diamondbacks | Reds |
| 1. Pavin Smith (1B) 2. Kole Calhoun (RF) 3. Asdrubal Cabrera (3B) 4. David Peralta (LF) 5. Carson Kelly (C) 6. Eduardo Escobar (2B) 7. Nick Ahmed (SS) 8. Nick Heath (CF) 9. Zac Gallen (P) |
1. Jesse Winker (LF) 2. Tyler Naquin (RF) 3. Eugenio Suarez (SS) 4. Joey Votto (1B) 5. Nick Senzel (CF) 6. Jonathan India (2B) 7. Tucker Barnhart (C) 8. Kyle Farmer (3B) 9. Luis Castillo (P) |
Nick Castellanos is out of the lineup due to his silly suspension. It’s yet another blow for the Reds core lineup. The combo of Votto, Moustakas, Suarez, Senzel, Winker and Castellanos have appeared in the same lineup a grand total of 7 times out of 76 games since the start of 2020. Some of that is due to platooning, but for the most part, it has felt like the Reds have been missing at least one key position player nightly for two seasons.
News and Notes
Mike Moustakas was originally in the starting lineup, but he was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Saturday just before 6pm ET. Alex Blandino was activated from the injured list to take his spot on the active roster.
Nick Castellanos spoke today about his garbage suspension. We’ve got all of what he said about his suspension right here if you want to listen to the entire thing.
How about these jersey concepts from designer Seth Reese?
couple pinstripe concepts as well #ATOBTTR
** also no one said anything about the 2021 World Series patch ** ? pic.twitter.com/WmyH4DK0zS
— Seth Reese ? (@sreesecreates) April 12, 2021
Reds baseball = family
Found a box of letters from 1956/1957 that my dads parents wrote him while he was in Navy. ?? Grandpa passed unexpectedly early Jan 1957. It’s an amazing glimpse of their life during that time. This @reds update was tucked into one of the 1956 letters. pic.twitter.com/Y5XWUhdQ4r
— wendy adams (@qendy) April 20, 2021
Conclusion
Luis Castillo is due for a really dominating performance. The current Dbacks lineup should be a really great matchup for him. Go Reds!
In the late 80’s my father clipped box scores from the Indy-Star newspaper and mailed them to day me on my NAVY ship.
It was awesome to read 3 week old box scores while at sea
The internet and live TV are on our ships now, the mountain of orange mail bags that use to be on the pier when you pulled in is hardly a few bags today
You could be right Doug about Suarez in the 3 hole but it could be that Joey was not going to get anything to hit with Suarez behind him.Just guessing.
*Nick*
My apologies, Nick.
Temperature at GABP expected to be dropping during game.
I live just north of Columbus and travelled further north all day for work … and the grocery stores and gas pumps were being worked in anticipation of Snowmegeddon.
Hopefully, Castillo can get his innings in before he loses feel in his hand, or whatever was going on Opening Day.
It was written here earlier in the month … still true … Diamondbacks lineup stinks. As Nick wrote, worse tonight than in first series.
The first inning seemed to indicate that it got too cold too soon
Mike Moustakas was placed on the 10-day injured list after the initial lineup came out. He was initially in the lineup. Alex Blandino was activated from the injured list to counter that roster move. Updated lineup above.
Doug, With Nick being suspended, I imagine it forced the Reds hand on putting Moose on the IL. Would have been playing two guys down otherwise.
Mark Sheldon implied as much over on twitter.
I just don’t know that I buy it. Teams have 26-man rosters these days. That’s an extra guy than what you used to have. Figure it out…. But, no one pays me to make these decisions, either. Just feels like they didn’t have to do that and be without Moustakas for week.
Castillo needs a strong outing tonight. Otherwise it’s going to get ugly fast. Moustakas and Castellanos both out is a big hit to the lineup.
Ok, so much for that.
Senzel and India need to bounce back from slumps tonight. Pickup Moose and Castellanos. Surprised Schrock isn’t at 3b over Farmer tonight to get another LH stick in the lineup.
Jinx … same thought about Schrock.
Why not Shrock at 3B? Maybe I’m not remembering, but I thought he hit decently during his AB’s. I like Farmer, but he’s not a starter.
Glad Farmwe was in there tonight. Hindsight is 20/20, lol.
2-0 hole already… the India error hurt big time
Not going to plan here.
Barry says he needs to come up and in, but every ex-player says that. You can’t be dusting off everyone, but he does need to work 97-98 up in the zone which he never does. Frustrating
Hung a change-up on 2-2. He’s lucky its not 5-0. That error didn’t help, but Luis is a mess.
I would love to see him have some more emotion though. Killer instinct like Scherzer. Go out there and pitch to embarrass the batter. Maybe he does and I’m far off but they do seem comfortable hitting him.
As good a pitcher as Castillo is, I always feel like he should be better with that stuff. He’s going to look back on his career and think he could have been a HOF’er.
Agree with Larkin that Castillo doesn’t pitch inside. Been saying this for years. Batters are way too comfortable up there.
Who was it on here that said Bell should be skipping the 4th-5th starters so Luis can pitch every 5th day? Oh yeah that was me. He hasn’t pitched for a week now. How do you get in a rhythm when you don’t get regular work? Mahle tomorrow same thing
All of Castillo’s pitches appear to be on the same plane. He needs some up and in strikes….edges of the plate
They gave Luis 2 er….thats not right? That dp would’ve held them to 1-0 without the error.
can’t assume a DP…..thus only 1 runner is perceived out
No they turned that dp. They fixed it….only 1 er for Luis in the 1st.
Sadak keeps using the phrase “pull shift.” What other kind of shift is there? I’ve never seen an “oppo shift.” Reminds me of George Grande calling it an “overshift.” Nails on a chalkboard.
It just feels like by June … Castillo will be what we all expect him to be .. and the posts from us will be, “remember April. He could not get off to a good start.”
The hole tonight feels a little deep, if Gallen is on … but things turn quick at GABP.
We can hope. But the hole feels deep after watching our AB’s so far.
This is going to be hard to watch tonight. Digging that hole and then not finding green just hurts. Hoping Castillo repeats his second inning and we start hitting, but the bottom of the line-up doesn’t inspire confidence in me.
Closing in on 60 pitches … not good.
The way he is pitching maybe it is good. Get him out of there.
Man, wth is going on with Luis Castillo? Just doesn’t look like himself.
Gonna have to start holding Castillo back in Spring Training so he only pitches when it’s 70 degrees and warmer.
What a catch by Suarez!
Nice focus, Geno!
What could we have gotten for Castillo? Kidding, but come on, start pitching like a top of the rotation arm.
When he starts pitching inside. No fear…hitters can look middle- away
We’ve all been on Geno about his D (deservedly so), but that was a spectacular catch….huge difficulty.
Now Castillo looks like a different pitcher after Suarez catch. He should give his game check to Eugenio.
Ok, this week’s #4 ranked team, at home, with their ace on the mound, vs. #28. Not a pretty site thus far. These guys better start hitting.
They really haven’t been hitting for a while. Senzel, India hitting like rookies. Farmer as punchless as ever and Castellanos cooled significantly (not that he is playing anyway). Only real positives lately are Votto and Barnhardt
Stephenson is hitting pretty well also. It seems like once they hit the road in AZ, Bell reverted to lineup juggling and everyone started swinging for the fences and the team BA dropped 50-60 pts and runs scored dropped by more than half. Had it not been for very good luck Saturday against Cleveland, they’d not be in 1st place. Now would be a good time to find that luck again.
Well Farmer brought the punch tonight.
#4 is a little ridiculous at this point. Our offense is scoring, but they’ve been held to 3 or less in 6 of the last 8 games. If we get Antone in the rotation and Luis/Sonny are right then maybe?
OK – this is inexplicable from my seat.
Then of course he doubles … at least we didn’t burn a PH’er.
Got to love Da’ Wink!!
Thinking Geno is going to need a bigger storage unit for all those Golden Sombreros he’s accumulating. 2/3 of the way to another. He just can’t lay off the garbage down and away.
2/4 😉
3 is Golden, isn’t it? 4 would be “Platinum”.
OK, mixed definition results when I checked. References to both 4 and 3. Either way, he’s far from dialed in on hitting line drives.
4
Well he’s 3/4 of the way now anyway … (heavy sigh)
4 Ks in one game is wearing the Golden Sombrero,…and Suarez routinely wears it.
Love the Castillo double, but Suarez is killing us. Did they officially announce the ball has been deadened or is it the cold weather, but HRs are down and thats the only value Suarez has at this point. The big golf swing is not getting it done.
I would sure like to see Suarez occasionally look as if he’s making at least a tiny effort to occasionally hit an outside pitch to right.
Its entirely up to Eugenio.He will not be traded or benched.He is at a new position and I think that has hurt his hitting but until he changes at the plate would anybody throw him anything except low and away.
He hit like this last year too….as a 3rd baseman
I’m thinking it’s in his head, either 2019 went to his head or the shoulder injury is haunting him. Either way, start hitting the ball. If he he only hits 20 hrs, so be it.
>>>He hit like this last year too….as a 3rd baseman
You got that right. This is nothing new. He’s the Strike Out King!!!! He is simply killing our chances to compete. And we don’t have Trevor Bauer this year.
Suarez swings so hard there’s next to no chance he’ll hit to the opposite field. And his hitting goal seems to be homerun or nothing. The Reds need him on offense if they’re going to win. The move to shortstop, so far, is not working out.
Sometimes, I watch a game at Coors Field … team gets up 3-0 … I think, “no chance that is holding up.”
GABP is Coors Field East some nights … and it feels like tonight could be one of them.
Feels like a lot has already happened and it’s only 3 innings in.
Reds might be figuring Gallen out.
Its the same team with the exception of India,Naquin and Stephensen but they have done as a team pretty good so far.They looked helpless though Saturday and again so far tonight.As long as they don’t dig a hole in the box when they swing I am good.This team has talent but the guys that have to get it done just have to get it done.Tonight Luis gives up a bunch in the first for the second straight game and will be lucky to go 4 innings.The error hurt but 70 pitches after 3 innings is not acceptable from any starter and certainly not him and I am sure he knows it.He must fix it.
They need to get Castillo out of there. He has basically been smoking in the dynamite room every inning.
You ain’t kidding.
With pitch count, probably done now after 4.
Its a bunch of things with Luis I think. He goes 1-0 on everyone. His velocity is down 2 mph which really hurts because he’s mainly only throws 2 pitches.
Still only 1 er tonite though which seems hard to believe but true. Lets Go!!!
How do you intentionally walk the bases loaded with a guy who couldn’t throw a strike the previous inning?
And he gets away with it after going 3 and 0 on the hitter.
Living the good life tonight.This game is very much a winnable game if we can put the hitting shoes on this inning.Luis is just smoke and mirrors right now.Dude has work to do before his next start.
Not checking any stats, but Senzel seems to hit the ball around 90 mph every time. Doesn’t get fooled, but never crushes a ball either. Out every time(((
Senzel is speedy on the bases and plays decent CF,… but he’s another automatic out. He’s WAY over-rated!
Two bloops so far is all we can muster.Still fighting though.Go Reds.
I wish more lefties would take the free base and bunt more.
Du du du….du du du. Shrock the monkey…..shrock the monkey
I think you got one too many “du’s” … du-du-duuuuu-du-du. 🙂
Schrock doesnt like to strike out and he let’s that pitch go? Cant put it in play with the bat on your shoulder.
Looked the kid up the other day. He didn’t have good stats in the PCL in 2018-19 so not sure why we got him? Nice 2 out mini-rally though
1. Antone
2. Sims
3. Fulmer
We’ll get Big Sal or Perez instead. 1 run deficits are boring….you got to make it interesting
Ok forgot about the other D teamer….Mr 11 ER in 6 ip last year
Ok maybe DeLeon will make it in the pen? He usually throws strikes atleast
A thought for the two games that Castellanos must sit out—will anyone step up as the energetic leader in his absence?
Nice jobs by India, Tuck, and Farmer.
Taking strike 3 called by Schrock was a killer…that pitch was in the happy zone for the lefty.
Best ump we’ve had all year. I have mlb extra innings and everyone calls strikes like they’re late for dinner. Some might enjoy 2-1 every game, but I don’t.
They want more offense and higher tv ratings then start the robo strike zone and problem solved. Actually might be too much scoring. These umps just reward the good pitchers by coming close to the zone.
And that is why they are too intrusive to pure game play
I’m agreeing
He’s very consistent and is not giving away strikes to pitchers. I know people feel it will destroy the integrity of the game with consistent zones, but keep the umps and let them call strikes off a handheld device
How many more walks or higher avg would players like Votto have if bad strike calls didn’t change the at bat or rung them up on full counts?
Suarez is pulling his head. Needs 1-2 days off to get his swing right. Try Blandino at SS tomorrow
3/4…
@Mark….3 was always the hat trick.
I think Dave Parker coined 4 the Golden Sombrero (bigger hat …lol)….
I’m probably wrong.
Why even throw Suarez a fastball. The guy cant hit anything off speed.
Geno is killing the Reds at the dish.
Votto just missed sending that pitch to the equator. Not great results right now but the way he’s been lately, look out when the weather warms up
I wish I could sit in the 1st row by the Reds batters box. I’d slip a hundo in the net and tell Geno it’s his if he can hit the ball between 1st and 2nd.
Suarez in 2020/21 is now well over a normal half season and the numbers are abysmal
Hitting under .200
K% well over 30%
OPS falling closer to .700 than .800
This is a guy in his second contract who is in his prime and paid to hit in the middle of the lineup.
Hes not done that since 2019
I knew when they said he’s talking about 50 hrs that we were in trouble with him. Senzel getting severely outplayed by Naquin from off the waiver wire…..thats a problem too.
I heard that. 50 homers indeed!!! You first have to be able to put your bat on the baseball before you should be talking about hitting a single homerun. He’s ripe for another “lead the league in strike outs at 200/year or more”. He’s the worst hitter I’ve ever seen. He was headed for wearing the Golden Sombrero again tonight until the rains came. It is what it is. He can’t hit a baseball. Even in 2019, when he hit 49 homers, he still struck out 189 times. His Ks kill our rallies.
Don’t know if it would make a bit of difference, but they should let Stephenson catch Luis next time. Switch things up a little. Can’t hurt.
Bottom of the lineup is taking care of business.
Well that certainly helps the mood …
Farmer is such an asset to this team.
Farmer hot all of a sudden!!! Its a team game!!!
2 out thunder!!!
Big time homer from Farmer… but what a nice at-bat from Tucker to draw that walk from an 0-2 count
Doug,
What do you think the Redlegs can do to get Suarez back on track at the plate?!! I wanna see 2019 Geno again!
Antone, Sims and maybe Garrett gets 1-2 lefties to end it
Tea time
Nice!
Antone should have hit the runner in the back….he was WAY inside the baseline
Got to love Anyone! Dude is a stud.
Antone!
This isn’t Woodstock…..you can’t love anyone anymore))
Naquin draws a walk twice but ump disagrees. Why change your zone in the 7th inning? Hope we get those edges
Why change the zone pitch by pitch? Oh, that’s right … he did that on Naquin’s AB.
Ouch. Antone’s 94 mph touched up. He’s down some velocity tonite, but maybe we get another walkoff tonite?
Noticed the 94… He hit 97 earlier.
I didn’t think he was human, but I guess he is
Perhaps Antone did not realize he was pitching to A Young, position player and not the A Young who finished off pitching the last inning.
/s
And I’m afraid that’s a wrap …
Here we go Amir.
Throw strikes my man
Garrett? If Joey doesn’t turn the triple play then he gives up a crooked number in that game. He’s wayyyyyy off. We’ve got to find a way here
Garrett is horrendous right now. Maybe he should leave AG and his theatrics in the bullpen and let Amir pitch.
We’re some rootin tooting beef feeding sky high ERA flying fools alright
nice
Bell burning right through that bullpen tonight. Guarantees We will see Romano tomorrow night.
Why only pitch Antone for 1 inning? Isn’t this the exact reason why he’s still in the bullpen, so he can come in and pitch multiple high leverage innings?
If Reds lose this one, it’s on Bell.
A lefty was due up. Bell’s hands were tied.
So you take out a pitcher with an ERA < 1.0 and bring in a reliever with an ERA of 11+
For the life of me I'll never understand why Bell does what he does!
The guy with the low ERA throws with the wrong hand.
If Antone cant pitch against lefty’s then how in the world will he be an effective starting pitcher?
Oh, once you’re a starter you’re allowed to pitch to guys with the wrong hand. You’re just not allowed to do it as a reliever because… um… because smart managers just can’t let it happen. Or something.
Well Antone’s velocity was down and Garrett is supposed to be the closer. You think he could get a lefty out now and then.
I concur. Maybe because Bell can’t learn??? I’m still wondering why he plays “Strike Out” Suarez at all,..much less in the middle of the line-up. He’s an automatic strike out more than 50% of the time. Suarez was headed for the Golden Sombrero again tonight when the rains came. And he kills every rally with his Ks. Bat’s 3rd or 4th, and strikes out 200 times/year. Nice guy. But my next door neighbor is a nice guy. He’s just not got major league ballplayer talent. Same as Suarez! Why would you play someone who strikes out 3 and 4 times most games? Same reason you’d put in Amir Garrett into a close game, knowing he can’t get anyone out. Because you can’t learn!!!!!
You can’t play in a downpour? Whiskey tango
This is malpractice by the umps playing in this.
Suspend it and they have to play the 8th over again don’t they?
I think it reverts back to the last completed inning.
If the Reds didn’t give up the lead, and it got rained out, the Reds win. I think since the tied it, it will be suspended, and pick up where they left off in this inning.
I correct my statement. Umps force Reds to pitch in a monsoon? Are you kidding? Of course Sims can’t command the strike zone.
Why are we the only team in America that can’t beat the Diamondbacks?
Best question asked on this site in a long time. Kudos.
This was the first time in 4 games this season that Escobar hasn’t homered … yet …. if this game is resumed. Reds pitchers now deal with him like he’s Babe Ruth.
At least it isn’t a Pirates situation where the Reds play them 20 times.
Good riddance when they leave town.
4-9 against everyone else. They couldn’t even score in Coors in the series before we played them. I’m thinking sweep when they got 1 hit thru 6 in that first game then they beat us like a redheaded stepchild ever since.
Baseball? It can be frustrating at times. We take the lead and they’re taking such feeble swings on Antone’s breaking stuff then we get to the 8th and Noah gets involved.
Antone needs to learn from tonite. He didn’t have the juice on the heater so just show it to them once in a while, but don’t make it hittable. They weren’t doing squat against his breaking ball.
The rains/footing could have affected him too. Fear of cutting it loose.
I love the Reds, but I’m also realistic. This is Milwaukee’s division to lose. Burnes, Woodruff, and Hader are insane. Best 3 arms in the division. Antone down to 94 on his 20th pitch doesn’t make me think he can start anytime soon. Maybe he could be a dominant guy like Hader, but Woodruff is getting better and Castillo isn’t. Our offense is better, but they draw well and will probably spend money later that the Reds don’t have.
And their manager is waaaaay better.
THom, is that you?
I don’t think you can judge Antone by 1 pitch in a monsoon on a wet mound
I would say that its a long night when Antone,Garrett and Sims give up the lead and can’t get anybody out and the bases are loaded and it pours down the rain.File this one and lets see about tomorrow night.One hopes its that none of them have pitched much and thats all.
At least Bell got to use a bunch of pitchers,some pinch hitters and double switches.So its not all bad is it.
So funny!
Mrs. Bell “How was work, Dear?”
“Well, we were losing, but I had a great day with the lineup card!”
L Castillo has really looked sharp this year. Amir G has not looked good at all….not sure if its because he hasn’t pitched much this year?? If New York or whoever has command of replay and/or whoever is MLB Managment need to override the umpires, if they see its raining and the umps not stopping it….someone in MLB Managment needs to step in and delay it! Why do the umps not have any accountability for anything….Anybody that has worked a job in life knows that any job you have, there is always accountability!
Agree on umps and accountability. Everyone knows this is a problem and has been for years and years, but MLB doesn’t do anything about it. I don’t understand the politics involved, but you’d think that umpires would want to perform at their best all the time—you know, like the professionals they claim to be.
Is it a legacy thing? For instance, once an umpire gets established is he like a professor with tenure and can do what he wants? If there was a threat to their jobs, with up and coming umpires ready to take over, would we see better consistency and quality?
The umpires union must have a strangle hold on MLB
No doubt.Interesting that safety was used to somewhat describe Nick’s suspension but to continue to play when you have a monsoon and nothing is dry especially the ball that is to be thrown at over 90 mph is was never considered.Umps are all full of themselves because they can be.Great job to have if you can get one?