Cincinnati Reds reliever Amir Garrett is taking the blame for the Reds last two losses to Arizona. On Tuesday he took the loss after giving up a run and recording just one out in the 8th inning. On Wednesday he allowed three earned runs in the 9th inning and recorded just two outs. It’s been a tough start to the year for the lefty, who currently has an ERA of 16.20 through seven games. The fewest amount of base runners he’s allowed in a game is two.
Here’s the full post-game interview from Wednesday night where he talks about what’s been going on.
Pitchers struggle. The losses are on Bell, but he will not similarly step up and own them.
At this point, it seems like Bell can’t do anything right; which is farther than the truth. Somewhere a balance exists with Bell. Its like we as fan have predetermined that every bad decision and/or every loss is his fault no matter what.
Back to the article, I like to hear players take accountability
Garrett is one of my favorites for that reason. He’ll stand up and be accountable.
Hit the video room check to see if something has changed. I think he will turn it around too. I’m not giving up on Garret.
It’s a delicate balance between humility and confidence. You need both. I like to hear a player take accountability like Garrett has.
The thing about showing your emotions, good or bad, is that opponents feed on that. If your gonna talk it up, you have to understand that you gotta be ready to handle the target that is now on your back. It’s real- people, opponents, and even umpires are motivated to bring you down. And if you’re part of a team, it’s put on them, too.
Talk less. Do more.
Ok, Amir. Now will you/can you get it right?
We sure hope so. Because your manager will keep marching you out there.
What is different? This is the guy in ST who struck out 10 of 12 batters. It was late in ST so the excuse of not getting in enough work doesn’t fly, although he could have been whiffing scrubs, not major league hitters. Suddenly he can’t get my mother out. Is it pitch selection? Is he hurting and concealing it?
Everyone rags on Bell, but where is DJ? Isn’t this the role of the pitching coach to straighten out? Heaven forbid that Bell and DJ might not be in the same book, much less on the same page. Perhaps Garrett needs to tweak the pinkie on his glove hand so he can go on the IL, then get a rehab assignment now that the minors are getting ready to crank up.
Or perhaps it is the weather. Maybe his style doesn’t work in monsoon rains, sleet, snow and freezing temperatures. Maybe he is thinking too much now, but was just ‘see the target, hit the target’ during ST. Maybe he needs to throw a simulated inning or two during BP every other day. It is disconcerting that he appears no better now than two weeks ago and that is not on Bell; that is on DJ and his staff. Remember that Price was a pitching coach who as a manager presided over one of the worst pitching staffs in the league.
Dittos – make an adjustment already. It would b nice to know what they have tried so far. Since nothing is being reported, it makes one think they haven’t tried anything different
OK, he’s at least being candid about it all including his struggles. I agree that DJ needs to give him some specific focus, but we’ve all seen times in the past where “anointed pitchers” don’t always take that advice to heart.
Nothing we can do about the past couple days and the weather, umpires mismanagement of the weather, and David “Tinker” Bell’s plan still played huge parts. I still don’t know why House sent Payton, but I’m not looking through his eyes.
OMG. “Tinker Bell”… genius!! lol
Where’s the Pixie Dust when they need it ?
If Payton had not stopped and looked back rounding second, there were two outs, he would probably would have been safe…..
Or he would have been out at third. He had to slow down, preparing to stop if the ball were fielded cleanly on a short hop. Had he kept running and been thrown out at third, then people would have been all over him for making the third out at third.
House should never have sent him, in my opinion. He should have seen that Payton slowed considerably, and that the ball did not get very far past the RFer. Whether the Reds would have scored no one knows, but Payton had no chance. Basically House was asking Payton to score from a standing start at second on a base hit to short right field, without leaving the bag until the RF had touched the ball.
I’m not convinced House knows his players, or the arms of the other teams’ outfielders. Payton is not the first Red thrown out by a wide margin.
I was of the mind a few years ago of moving Homer Bailey to the bullpen and give him a shot at the closer role. From what I’ve seen of ‘AG’ the past two seasons, I still feel that wouldn’t be a bad thing to try. I think he’s available, go get him. I’m tired of seeing relief pitchers coming into the game overly ‘amped up’ and over-throw everything. C’mon AG, you’re not the Goose nor the Mad Hungarian.
I am agnostic on Bell but it seems people want to blame him for the sun rising and setting and give him no credit for either. Maybe our collective just needs to play better less missed plays and poor pitching at inopportune times. Take a deep breath it is long season and we have lost bad games to Arizona in last week it happens.
I agree about the long season. I think the argument that Bell is not good, is because he has zero feel for the flow of the game he makes a move because it is what the book says, and not what the game dictates. He is also not putting the players in positions to succeed, and thus the team succeed, and refuses to make adjustments for the betterment of the whole. He thinks one way, and does that regardless of the circumstances, or ramifications.
+1 Chris
I guess this means Garrett can be labeled “Captain Obvious”?
Seriously though, I was a little disappointed they weren’t able to trade him at the 2019 trade deadline, when his value was at its peak. But that’s water under the Roebling Bridge.
In 2019 up to the deadline, he was great. Since then, he’s not been very good.
First 46 games of 2019 (up to July 28, 2019):
46 games, 40.0 IP, and a 1.80 ERA
The remainder of 2019 and all of 2020:
44 games, 34.3 IP, and a 4.46 ERA
The remainder of 2019, 2020, and 2021:
50 games, 39.3 IP, and a 5.95 ERA
I still dont understand why AG was handed the closer role coming into this season. His past and current performances does not justify this.
This is the same team that handed Suárez SS when he wasn’t asking for it
Go figure.
Who named AG closer except for AG boasting before ST that it was his to lose? I never saw that from Bell.
I don’t recall AG was given the closer role prior to opening day. All I recall AG saying was the closer role was his to lose. I also don’t recall a defined closer among the Nasty Boys thirty years ago. if it was up to me, the closer would be by committee.