| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (35-34) |
5 | 10 | 2 |
| San Diego Padres (41-32) |
7 | 11 | 0 |
| W: N. Crismatt (2-1) L: H. Hembree (1-2) S: Melancon (20) |
|||
| Statcast | Gamecast Play-by-Play | Game Thread | |||
Prologue
There’s only so far this team can go with this bullpen the way it’s currently made up right now.
Game 69
The Reds struck first on a lead off single by Jonathan India, who came all the way around on a opposite field double slashed into the leftfield corner by Jesse Winker.
The curtain on the UmpShow went up early today. Joey Votto was called out by the third base umpire, who determined he went around for strike three. It was difficult to tell, but it looked as if the home plate umpire said something that set Votto off.
Reds radio call of the Votto ejection pic.twitter.com/2a17IrotWg
— Nick Kirby (@Nicholaspkirby) June 20, 2021
Votto was ejected, along with manager David Bell. No one can say Bell doesn’t go to bat for his players.
Vladimir Gutierrez gave up a lead off double to Tommy Pham, but showing his already preternatural calm, stranded two to close out the first inning. Reds 1-0.
Tyler Stephenson walked in the top of the second inning and later scored when Kyle Farmer lashed one down to the leftfield corner, similar to where Winker had hit the ball an inning earlier. Stephenson came all the way around from first to score. Suffice it to say, Tucker Barnhart would never have gotten home on that hit. Reds 2-0.
After Fernando Tatis, Jr. reached on an infield single, Gutierrez appeared to get distracted after making a wild pick-off throw to first, sending Tatis to second, because he then grooved one to Jake Cronenworth, surrendering a 2-run HR in the bottom of the 3rd. Reds 2, Padres 2.
After getting 2 strikeouts in the bottom of the 4th, Gutierrez could no longer find the plate. A double, 2 walks, and a grooved fastball to Manny Machado, gave the Padres a 5-2 lead. Gutierrez would throw 30 pitches in that inning alone.
The Reds would strike back in the 5th. India and Winker would single. And with 2 outs and runners on 1st and 3rd, Tyler Naquin would sneak a base hit past the diving Tatis, plating a run. Tatis would jam his shoulder on the diving attempt and have to leave the game. Stephenson would work a walk to load the bases. Then, Eugenio Suárez came to the plate. 0 for 2 on the day, Suárez—who, since 2019, leads the majors in strikeouts—would work a 2-2 count before punching one into left field, scoring Winker and Naquin, who raced to the plate sliding around the tag at home. Reds 5, Padres 5.
The Arms
Vladimir Gutierrez’s final line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 4 K
Brad Brach came on to pitch a clean 6th, then returned in the 7th to keep the game tied.
Heath Hembree came on and set fire to the 8th inning. After getting 2 strikeouts, he gave up a double to Pham, then a monster HR to Ha-Seong Kim, who was batting in place of the injured Tatis, Jr. Padres 7-5.
What Did We Learn Today?
The Reds missed a golden run-scoring opportunity in the 4th when they put runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs and failed to score. One can only imagine how Gutierrez might have pitched with the lead instead of the tentative way he pitched to the top of the Padres lineup in the bottom-half of the inning with the score tied.
India had 3 hits in the game, Winker and Suárez each had 2 hits. Stephenson had a hit and 2 walks.
Final Thoughts
Today was a bullpen game for San Diego, as they are lining up their starters for the upcoming Dodger series. That bullpen this season is 1st in WHIP, 2nd in ERA, 2nd in Opponents’ Avg., 2nd in Wins, and 3nd in Saves.
The Reds, in contrast, have the worst bullpen in the majors, and they let another game get away from them late in what is no longer stunning fashion, just old news.
There was this:
The Reds have offered to send her a signed Votto ball and “other goodies” after her favorite player got run early https://t.co/vfbch8Gha7
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 20, 2021
On Deck for the Redlegs
Cincinnati Reds vs. San Diego Padres
June 20 at 4:10pm ET
Dinelson Lamet (1-2, 3.33 ERA) vs. Luis Castillo (2-9, 5.83 ERA)
That little girl’s face represents all Reds fans when Votto gets ejected and his replacement comes in batting 4th.
The devastation, poor girl. It’s easy to forget that these guys are looked up to by kids. Not only did her favorite player get thrown out, but she saw him acting like a moron. I like Votto, I like fire, but there was no need for that. Castellanos, and even Garrett outburst were exuberance, not anger.
Yeah, that was not a good look by Votto, I must admit (and I love the guy). I hope he sees this little girl’s face and realizes how one’s behavior can unknowingly affect others.
In terms of the game, Votto’s tantrum hurt the team early in a crucial game and left a gaping hole in the middle of the lineup. We don’t have enough quality reserve infielders on the team right now to do things like that, regardless of who said what to whom on the field.
And looking at the replays, he DID go on the swing. So in this case, he was just wrong all the way around.
I notice now that Votto was made aware of this little girl and signed a ball for her with an apology on it:
https://www.mlb.com/news/joey-votto-david-bell-ejected-in-first-inning-for-reds
I give him credit for apologizing. He’s done that in the past, too, when he realizes he was wrong. Aren’t a whole lot of people who do that these days …
The Padres lost their best player, and his replacement hit the game winning HR.
Off of the worst bullpen in baseball
Kim > Freeman. Their replacements are better than our replacements. Especially since with all the injuries lately, our bench is really the third-tier of replacements.
Its just old news but what or when or what situation is Bell saving Sims for.Maybe you win Thurs if he comes in or maybe tonight if he comes in.Always saving a guy for a situation that never happens and he did and does the same with Antone.What about Warren in the 8th? Oh thats right he has pitched in the first 2 games and he certainly can’t go 3 in a row.Bell went all in against the Brewers by using Sims the last 2 games and we won and he lets him watch 2 games we could have won.This is crazy
Hembree was really good against Milw. and somebody has to save the game if you get the lead. Hembree then or Hembree in the 9th or 10th? He just made a stupid pitch.
Mofo’s dont trust Stephenson when the chips are down. Again, watched a pitcher shake him off only to serve up a 2R game winning HR. Hendrix two nights ago. Hembree tonight.
+1
One day, probably even by next season, he’ll have enough street cred to call time and go to the mound to jerk a knot in the pitcher’s tail and get it done
It’s another, hey the Cubs lost today game. So still treading water. Unless someone comes along to rescue them, like a new SS, a new manager, and maybe a couple of relievers, they will eventually drown. On.
You guys love to pile on Bell))))))))) So when they win 13 of 16 then its all the players and when mediocre pitchers make mediocre pitches at the key moments and we lose then its on Bell? Granted he makes some dumb decisions like letting Farmer hit in the 9th on Thursday, but he can only play the hand he’s dealt. He’s got the worst pen in mlb. No SS or 3B and his ace lost 10 of his first 11 starts.
Other then that Mrs Kennedy how was the parade?
Not piling on, but his decision to not use Sims on Thursday, it may or may not have worked, changed the complexion of this series.
Not piling on Bell. It’s an opinion formed watching him over the last two plus years. It’s not new. He’s not management material. He wouldn’t last a week in the real world where results matter. Good managers in any endeavor put their teams in a position to succeed, remove obstacles to that success, and rectify subpar performance. Bell doesn’t do that.
All those things I mentioned are obstacles Bell cannot remove. Yeah he could’ve sat Castillo and Suarez, but who’s replacing them?
Moose hurt
Senzel always hurt
I doubt Vlad is better then Castillo. I know the other guys aren’t better
Lorenzen hurt too
I didn’t even list Votto out for a month. Stephenson hit under .200 replacing him although I love the kids game.
They had zero hitting last year. Even Castellanos wasn’t good.
What amazing Houdini manager would be massively over .500 with what Bell has had to work with? He’s over .500…barely
India is like the first 1st rounder to do anything in God knows how long? They draft badly. Senzel is a utter and complete bust. Other teams draft franchise makers with the 3rd overall pick
I don’t think we’ll come to a meeting of the minds on this topic. While I don’t disagree with your injury argument, there are candidates in Louisville to consider. For example, some have suggested Lopez which with India would allow Suarez to be benched. Yes, the FO has failed. Yes, the owner is a skinflint, on par with Ebenezer Scrooge. But Bell sets the lineups. He sets the rotation. The substitutions, etc. And on those points I think it’s easy to illustrate failure.
I agree with you, Indy. We have the luxury of hindsight, and lack critical information about the situations of individual players. It’s what fans do, though: second guessing.
@indyman,
Are you skipping over Winker, lorenzen and Stephenson as productive first round picks?
Well Sims had 22 pitches on Wed and 18 pitches on Tues plus 20 more last Sunday. IDK? I wouldn’t have went Hendrix I tell you that. I would’ve lost with AG or maybe even Vlad for 1 inning. It was a tough loss, but the division is bad. The Cubs are not good. They will come back to Earth. Marlins just beat them by 8 and 10. Milw is losing again
Yeah when will ownership step up to the plate and acknowledge this team cant win consistently without a bullpen and not this lot of retreads? Promised a winner by Mr. C and still nothing. At least Marge would go out and get what they needed.
Taylor Rogers with the Twins. 30 saves in 2019 and 7 this year with a 2.73 era. He’ll be 31 this year and the Twins should be rebuilding. I want a trade like Moneyball. We’re in Minnesota on Monday so he can just walk into the other dugout because I don’t want him pitching against me tonite.
He’s a lefty too which we need in the worst way
Marge did not go out and get what they needed EVERY time. In 1991, Lou begged her for one more quality starter, which he thought they needed to repeat. Her reply? “You’ll just have to deal with what you have, honey”
A new manager is going to fix the bull pen. Your funny and predictable.
not mad at the Votto throwout, but you have to keep those umps honest. They weren’t. The reds really needed this game but didn’t get it. They made the over, and the HRE over, so I am not mad but….. it would have been nice if they had experimented with Aquino at 1st for once.
Yeah I’ll give Votto the benefit of the doubt. Seems like the home plate ump said something out of line to cause Joey to react that way. We’ve seen him tossed before but usually not that animated, there had to be a reason other than the called strike.
Richard–“The curtain on the UmpShow went up early today.” Is so elegantly ironic, scathing, and funny simultaneously, that I nominate it for sentence of the year.
Umpires need to know their role and slow their roll
Most players know when it’s time to retire. Votto’s production has gone done each year for the past several years. Being ejected for arguing balls and strikes is pretty stupid, and I suppose a sign that even Joey is in decline. What’s worse it, it was a good call by the umps.
Well I guess Joey can ask Albert when it feels right and Rizzo for that matter
It is not time for Votto to retire in my opinion
I agree Rojo. Votto is still productive and the team is better with him playing right now. Plus, come on, it‘s ridiculous to expect someone to walk away from $70,000,000 or whatever it is remaining on his contract.
EXACTLLY and we have no prospect pushing him out the door.
The way Votto was really livid and yelling at the umpire, thats me wanting to yell at the Reds owner BC for not coughing up some money for relief pitching and a short stop.
That lost in series first game is now heavier than heaven. Reds had to win that one and tomorrow’s, leaving San Diego 2-2. Looks like both, Moustakas and Senzel, will come back very late into the season, so no options for Farmer/Suarez in the short term.
When they return both should be on the trading block if Barrero and Lopez can fill the gap
While I will agree with others that it wasn’t a good look for Votto. They is zero reasons the home plate umpire should have said anything. Votto was walking towards the dugout, disagreeing with third base umpire. Players disagreeing with umpires happens all the time. If the homeplate umpire keeps his mouth shut, Votto goes back to the dugout and nothing happens.
This another situation where an umpire escalated the situation and baited a player into an ejection. Votto shouldn’t have reacted, but the ejection is 100% on the home plate umpire.
Its a shame MLB umpires don’t realize that that little girl didn’t come to see the umpires but they came to see the players. Umpires should do everything in their power to keep players in the game. Letting them air their greviences as they WALK BACK TO THE DUGOUT is a very easy way to keep them in the game.
It looks to me like the Reds ownership/front office has gone into wait and see mode regarding the big question marks: whether the return of Lorenzen is the answer for the bullpen, whether Garcia Barrerro can offensively handle shortstop, and if Castellanos will stay or exit. I’ve been a Reds fan too long to be negative so early, but with little action from management it’s looking like the Reds will compete with the Cards to stay out of 4th. place.
The Reds just came off of an outstanding run and ran into a good team on the West Coast. They weren’t going to keep winning 13 of 16. Only a few days ago many of us were euphoric, and now 3 losses have us ready to jump off bridges. Ownership/management signaled unmistakably that this was not a year when all of the stops were being pulled out, but the team has mostly played hard and often exceeded expectations. There are young players waiting in the wings for next year, and waiting for them and building around them looks like the plan, doesn’t it? Still frustrating.
Does anyone know anything about Dauri Moreta. He has an ERA below 1.00. Seems very consistent . Should he be brought up to help in BP? At this point it is worth trying something different.
These last two games have shown that the offense can hang–even with Suarez having a terrible season, and last night, without Joey Votto.
If the Reds’ owners don’t try to fix the bullpen this season before it’s too late, it will be yet another piece of evidence that, for them, this is a dog and pony show, and they have no truthful intention of actually winning a championship.
100% agree about the pen. That being said, the Reds need to bring up Lopez now. 4 more hits last night got him to a .403 BA in AAA. I’d say Suarez and Farmer could both sacrifice 2 to 3 games a week for Lopez to get his AB’s. Who knows, maybe that will be what Suarez needs to come back to form.
I think the relief pitcher coming in should be required to tell the manager ” Skip, I am going to walk the 1st batter and then throw an 0-2 pitch for a homer.” Then the manager could just not put him in, Easy-Peasey and no manager squeezy.
Wash, rinse, repeat!
Hembree barely got through his Milwaukee outing by throwing 31 pitches. It seems he always gets 2 K’s then implodes by giving up a HR. Can’t rely on him.
It’s not too late to fix this mess. Send a message to the players that help is on the way. We have an abundance of OFers so make a trade and get some help. Team is too good to only play .500 ball because of the incompetent bullpen.
“Team is too good to only play .500 ball because of the incompetent bullpen.”
The crazy thing is how surprisingly effective they’ve been in spite of all this.
Not the bullpen–i mean the team in general with being above .500 now
I think two “trades” could happen in August. I think Lorenzen will be back and I think, in an effort to manage IP, and only if we are in the race, Hunter Greene comes up as a reliever. That does not mean we should not go after more relief help if we are in the race. Excuse the double negative.
Bringing up Osich is a head scratcher He could not even perform well at Louisville . Clearly Santillan and Guiterrez have been exposed so best guess is that only one of them keeps a place in the rotation both short and long term. Maybe the other heads to the pen. I mentioned Mareti earlier. Doug is he perhaps a short term fix?
Exposed? Wow quick to trash Gutierrez, 4 good games, 1 bad game. Some (most) people would say Gutierrez has done a great job. Santillan is a different story. I’m not ready to throw him under the bus yet, but he needs to show improvement in his next start.
It is fine for Votto to go. He is an embarrassment to himself and team. David Bell is just as bad. I like to watch an old fashioned Manager/Umpire argument but yesterday was stupid.Lou Pinella might throw his hat or a base but it never looked like he wanted to physically attach an umpire. Hope they are both suspended for a week. He should have written on the ball Sorry for looking like an jerk.
Time not fine
Wow if Votto is embarrassment to himself there are a lot of embarrassed people in this world. He was upset with call but obvious home plate ump said something that totally elevated situation he could be the embarrassment we will never know. I really think umpires become over involved sometimes as player is walking away. Seen it against players on all teams and sports.
I got home in time to see the Reds comeback from 5-2 down on through the Kim HR. I Cleted before Kim was around the bases. What is there to say that hasn’t already been said. Maybe the Reds can salvage 1 on Sunday.
Wow if Votto is embarrassment to himself there are a lot of embarrassed people in this world. He was upset with call but obvious home plate ump said something that totally elevated situation he could be the embarrassment we will never know. I really think umpires become over involved sometimes as player is walking away. Seen it against players on all teams and sports.
Sorry double post