Wade Miley’s seven strong innings were backed by a potent 14-hit Cincinnati Reds offensive onslaught in a 10-3 victory at Great American Ball Park against the visiting Colorado Rockies.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Rockies (25-40) | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| Cincinnati Reds (31-31) |
10 | 14 | 1 |
| W: Miley (6-4) L: Marquez (4-6) |
|||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
The victory drew the Reds back to the .500 mark for the first time since May 16 when they were 19-19.
As the Reds game ended, first-place Milwaukee appeared to be on the way to a win over Pittsburgh, which would maintain the five-game spread between the Brew Crew and the Reds. The Cubs and Cardinals, currently sandwiched by Milwaukee and Cincinnati, play each other this evening.
The Offense
Tyler Naquin led the hit parade with three hits in five at-bats and two RBI. Nick Castellanos, Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez and Miley were two-hit performers. No homers today — just a relentless attack against a pretty bad team that loses five of every six on the road.
The Pitching
Starter Wade Miley was again effective. In 61.2 innings to date, he has walked only 17 batters. His solid control is evident in how well he locates in the strike zone and on the edges. Just think — he was a free agent signee before the 2020 season for $14 million over two seasons. So far, it’s a bargain. Even more interestingly, the front office has a $10 million option on Miley for 2022, with a $1 million buyout. Ten million dollars is a bargain for a pitcher as effective as Miley. We’ll see what the owner thinks after this season.
Brad Brach pitched a scoreless eighth, and Sean Doolittle finished things up.
Notes Worth Noting
A little “inside baseball” …
The Riders crew is a very elite club consisting of Farmer, Winker, Gray, Barnhart, and Miley.
We'd pay money to watch the guys ride scooters around Cincy. pic.twitter.com/sj2MCGvvoe
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) June 12, 2021
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Colorado Rockies at Cincinnati Reds
Sunday, June 13, 1:10 p.m. ET
Antonio Senzatela (2-6, 4.62 ERA) vs Tony Santillan (major league debut)
Let’s win again and get above .500. Big question: Is The Punisher back tomorrow?
Miley would cost $9mil next year if you count the buyout if not retained.
Either way, he has been the stalwart of the staff this year, so previously complaints on this signing should now be retracted.
Not too confident this team will end up above 500, but nice to have this “fresh start” in mid June
I will admit I was one of those people who didn’t like the Miley signing I felt like he was going to be a wash.
My new opinion of him is he is a hard nose pitcher who gets the job done and provides nice consistent outings. The fact he has under a 3.00 ERA is pretty nice too.
I don’t expect this team to win the division but it’s not a bad team. If TJ and Lorenzen can return soon and if the ownership is willing to live up to their open letter to the fans (i.e. spend money to correct the deficiencies) this could be a post season team. The ball is in your court Big Bob.
If they don’t win the division then how do they make the post season? There lies the rub. They could pick up 1.5 games on SF today if they get swept by the Nats in a DH, but its tough sledding. Milw has Woodruff, Burnes, and Peralta. Houser is their 4th starter with a 3.66 era. Hader might be the best closer in the game too. They’ll also trade for guys where the Reds won’t.
They’re almost forced to concede and trade Castellanos imo unless they’re within 3-4 by mid-July or something.
Agreed but ownership ( if they are true to their word) has the resources to make this team a contending team
Like they said in the Redleg Nation Radio Podcast why not go to Castellanos’ agent and say look what would it take to get him to stay here for 2 to 4 more years without having to worry about an opt out. I do know Castellanos has said many times he chose to come here and he likes Cincinnati, Would say 22 to 27 million a year do it. Hard to say, but assuming he continues to have the monster season he is, it’s going to be very hard to keep him here.
It’s like they always say if you build it they will come.. Build a winning team and the fans will show up.
Indy, I love your posts.
But: “They’re almost forced to concede and trade Castellanos imo unless they’re within 3-4 by mid-July or something.”
So, unless they make up 1 game in the next month, you are trading Castellanos. With half of our team on the DL or not performing to their baseball cards….
1 game. Really?
Yes, really. This season so far has truly been a lot of fun. But the Reds need to be realistic. They need to make up 5 games on BOTH Brewers and Cubs as well as 1 game on the cards.
Is it possible? Sure. Is it likely? No. Additionally, Brewers, Cubs, and maybe even the Cards will get better at the deadline.
Reds problem lately has been that they overvalue their team. The worst case scenario is that the Reds keep Castellanos, miss the playoffs, and he walks. Avoiding that needs to be the front office’s #1 job. If you’re not within 2-3 games and only 2 teams to jump, then shop Castellanos. If you can get a better return than the comp pick, trade him.
Simply put, 2021 is not a World Series year for the Reds. Do what you can now to make a future WS team.
I agree. With Castellanos, they have a huge trade chip at the deadline.
If they can re-up him, then that is fine.
If they can’t, then they can’t be caught in no man’s land. They are either going for the division or selling. There isn’t middle ground. The NL West will likely gobble up the WC spots without expanded playoffs.
I’d feel a heck of a lot better about this team I’d they locked down Castellanos for the next several years.
With the pitchers that are coming up and with Miley, Mahle, and (fixed?) Castillo, this lineup can be explosive and deep for a few years. While I hope they get bullpen help this year, the odd seasons should be about building the best bullpen in baseball. Locking up Castellanos could be the key to a multi year window of playoff opportunities.
I hate that I can’t correct typos.
Sorry guys but 1 game in a month is nothing. ClevelandReds moved that mark from 1 game to 3 games. But 3 games in a month is nothing as well.
You get 2-3 guys back in the next month. Yes the bullpen is horrible, but 3 games in a month is budget dust. You sound like we are 10 or 12 games out, which we are not. Just back to 500 today with another game against Colo tomorrow. Yes we have to keep playing better but talks about selling now are unfounded, be that 1 game or 3 games they have to make up by the trade deadline. That is something we could get done in a week. In a month, we could be in first
Even if they decide to trade Castellanos, the receiving team will also face the same uncertainty regarding his opt-out clause after this season, therefore I wouldn’t expect a major return. If by the trade deadline Reds are still in the race, I’d try to renegotiate his clause in-lieu of a higher salary or longer contract (or both).
I don’t care about making the playoffs. I want the Reds to win the World Series. If this team made the playoffs, it would have a miniscule chance to win it all. Remember last year? They made the playoffs. Anyone feel good about that? I don’t. Now they’re drafting 21st or something like that.
What I don’t get about all of professional sports is the hope to be competitive. I could not care less about competitive. I want a winner. To build a winner, especially with limited cash resources, you have to build from the ground up. Trade Castellanos and maybe even Winker. Get a haul. Lose 100 games for 2 or 3 years. Draft first. Get busy in the Latino World.
That’s how you win the World Series.
What open letter are you referencing? Did this happen recently?
There was an interview done by Bob Castellini at the end of spring training that I listened to and they asked Bob directly if the team was close to contending would they go out and get some help for the team to make the playoffs. He said something like we have held back some money for just that reason. Lets hope he does just that.
This team has an explosive offense.
You figure the league average BA is .232. Looking at the reds, Winker and Castellanos are top talent, India, Stephenson, Barhart, and Naquin are above average, Votto is league average (and hopefully heading to a hot Votto summer), Farmer is tad below average at a defensive critical position, and Suarez is a mess but maybe improving. He’s above average if he bats his baseball card.
This team does a lot of things well offensively.
The starting pitchers have really started to sort things out.
With a bad bullpen, it’s going to make for a few games like last night where we score a bunch of runs, pitch well for 5-6 innings, and then pray we can score more runs than they do before the end of the game. We won’t win all those and that will suck to watch.
But, at least this team is interesting. The team hustles. It doesn’t give up. Has good energy. And, because of the offense, are in most games.
Definitely need some relief pitching. They are pretty solid with the hitting and defense if they can stay healthy but that pitching is down right scary.
this was a letter that Bob C. wrote to the fans after becoming the principle owner
https://www.redlegnation.com/2018/05/22/holding-the-ownership-group-accountable-for-its-2006-promises-chad-dotson/
Relentless is right. One more day beating upon the Rocks works for me.
I swear – If one of them is injured riding a scooter…
Or jumping off a boat…
Cubs up on Cards 7-2. Sweep needed tomorrow before tough road trip to Milw., S.D., and Minn.
Milwaukee is rolling but this team is ready for them. Hitting long and hitting small on consecutive days at GABP is a good sign.
9-3 over their last 12 games. Keep it up!
Waiting until the trade deadline to get bullpen help is senseless. Why play another 2 months of games, when they need help now?
Starters going at least six, preferably seven, makes a big difference.
And scoring 10 runs doesn’t hurt
2021 Reds team is at least entertaining to watch most games.
31-31 with 100 to play
My best guess is 92 wins are needed to win NL Central as the top 4 teams will be close to 500 against each other.
92 wins is low division winner total (2017 and 2014 are the only years with that few wins).
Reds need to go 61-39 (0.610 win %) rest of year.
There are only usually only 2 or 3 teams in a MLB season that will win at that rate for 100 games.
I am hoping they figure out a way to be one of the top 2 or 3 teams in MLB the rest of the year.
There is certainly cause for hope. Fought back to 31-31 with half their team missing, either physically or performance wise.
Let me just say that the year Castellanos is having…as a fan…if the Reds traded him…I don’t care how sensible the trade may seem. He is having an historic season…it is absolutely incredible to watch frankly. Its hard to imagine the rewards of trading him outweighing his daily highlights even for the rest of this year… this year is special. I think it will be interesting to see how the Cubs handle the Bryant situation similarly…I know that we homers love our own players too much… but after years of watching baseball…most of my treasured baseball memories aren’t even World Series ones…though there are a few. Am I glad I got to see a Cy Young award winner in Cincinnati? You bet your you know what…
Well said. Every season is special and certainly this year is with Castellanos and Winker. How are they going keep those two off the All Star squad? And Miley, Mahle and Antone have kept the Reds afloat. And it’s not just winning, although that’s why the game is played, but baseball provides memories you don’t forget. A few of mine are Ewell Blackwell pitching, Big Klu hitting, and Jackie Robinson playing at Crosley Field.
ERA might not be the best statistic.but looking at his career it seems like he has a good year then a bad year then a good year then two bad years then two good years. It just looks like he’s all over the place. So we got bad hurt Miley last year and good Miley this year!
Jose Garcia-Barrero with 3 hits and up to .330. Lodolo pulled after 3.1 ip. Hope its nothing serious? Didn’t he have blister issues?
AA didn’t play tonite so I’m thinking they’re swapping him out for Payton or Heineman tomorrow.
Payton was already sent down, leaving Winker, Naquin, Castellanos, Shogo, Aquino & Heinemann. Winker, Naquin & Castellanos aren’t going anywhere, Aquino makes more sense as 4th OF to spell Naquin against lefties and others’ days off. Heinemann can be sent down, leaving Shogo as a very expensive 5th OF (+/-$3.5MM in 2021 + $8MM in 2022) and a good trading chip.
Sit Suarez and start Payton.
He was tearing it up this spring with more at bats.
It sure cant hurt.
Looking at the Reds schedule between now and the Pirates in early August is brutal. But their fate is in their own hands. I still like trading Suarez for a decent SS. They’re going to need one. They aren’t going anywhere with Farmer starting at SS. And my confidence that Suarez will ever be the guy he was in 2019 and before is low. I don’t expect Castellanos to stick around unless the Reds starting showing some serious playoff intentions, though I’m sure he likes what GABP does for his stat line.
Why would anybody give us a decent shortstop for Suarez unless he starts hitting the way he used to? I think we’d have to add a good prospect to the package, and that seems short-sighted with Barrero waiting in the wings. Unless, of course, you believe that the Reds are only a decent shortstop away from being legitimate WS contenders this year. I don’t. They’ve become fun to watch lately, though.
Hunter Greene to big league shortstop. Late innings come into throw gas. Unparalleled move. He is the most athletic SS in the organization. As sad or as interesting as that may be. Think on it. Groundbreaking.
Hunter Greene thanks Chattanooga for the experience.
https://twitter.com/HunterGreene17/status/1404052842911051785
Wow, there is a scoop. AAA time for Mr Greene?
They won another one that they were supposed to. Not always the case in baseball. Good job!