The Cincinnati Reds are looking to end their 5-game losing streak and get the bad taste out of their mouths after an extra-innings loss last night to the Minnesota Twins. First pitch is set for this afternoon at 1:10pm.
Starting Lineups
Cincinnati Reds
|
Minnesota Twins
|
| Jonathan India – 2B | Jorge Polanco – 2B |
| Jesse Winker – DH | Max Kepler – RF |
| Nick Castellanos – RF | Nelson Cruz – DH |
| Tyler Stephenson – 1B | Trevor Larnach – LF |
| Tyler Naquin – LF | Ryan Jeffers – C |
| Eugenio Suárez – 3B | Miguel Sanó – 3B |
| Shogo Akiyama – CF | Alex Kirilloff – 1B |
| Kyle Farmer – SS | Andrelton Simmons – SS |
| Tucker Barnhart – C | Gilberto Celestino – CF |
| Wade Miley – SP | Bailey Ober – SP |
Starting Pitchers
Wade Miley
Through 12 starts this season Wade Miley has been the Reds best starter. He’s posted a 2.88 ERA and thrown 68.2 innings pitched with 19 walks and 56 strikeouts.
Miley, as a lefty, has very big splits. Teams don’t get left-handed hitters many chances against him, but in 48 plate appearances against Miley this season left-handed hitters have hit just .156/.208/.156. Right-handed hitters have had a lot more success, but that’s just because of how they’ve hit compared to lefties. Righties have a .227/.280/.361 against him this season.
Pitch usage from 2021
| 4-Seam | 2-Seam | Cutter | Change | Curve | |
| Velo | 89.8 | 88.2 | 85.3 | 81.5 | 75.1 |
| Usage | 16.9% | 1.2% | 50.4% | 27.5% | 4.1% |
Bailey Ober
The rookie has made just four starts this season and they represent his entire big league career. He’s off to a solid start, posting a 3.71 ERA in his 17.0 innings where he’s walked just two batters and struck out 21 of the 69 hitters that he’s faced.
Bailey Ober has only pitched into the 5th inning once and he got through it with just 73 pitches. His pitch count has been incredible limited, throwing 82 pitches, 51 pitches, 73 pitches, and 63 pitches in his four starts.
We’re dealing with a very small sample size, but Ober has huge splits. Lefties have hit .387/.441/.677 against him on the season in 34 plate appearances. Righties have hit just .176/.171/.324. He’s also had big home/road splits, but again – small sample size alert – his road ERA is 1.13 and his home ERA is 6.00.
Pitch usage from 2021
| 4-Seam | Slider | Change | Curve | |
| Velo | 92.0 | 79.9 | 84.9 | 74.1 |
| Usage | 57.6% | 15.6% | 18.6% | 8.2% |
When and Where
- Game time: 1:10pm ET
- Where: Target Field, Minneapolis
- Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, MLB.tv
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 71°, sunny, 0% chance of rain
News and Notes
Tejay Antone is back
The Reds activated reliever Tejay Antone this morning before the game and optioned Scott Heineman to Triple-A. They also announced that Jeff Hoffman would go on a rehab assignment to Louisville.
Sonny Gray to make a rehab start on Thursday
Sonny Gray will make a rehab start for AAA Louisville on Thursday
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) June 22, 2021
Jeff Hoffman to make a rehab start tonight
Just Announced: Reds SP, Jeff Hoffman, will begin a rehab assignment in Louisville. He is scheduled to start tonight! pic.twitter.com/2udTKOhFWm
— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) June 22, 2021
NL Central Standings
Playoff odds via Fangraphs
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff % |
| Brewers | 40 | 33 | 0 | 62.3% |
| Cubs | 40 | 33 | 0 | 31.0% |
| Cardinals | 36 | 36 | 3.5 | 10.1% |
| Reds | 35 | 36 | 4.0 | 12.6% |
| Pirates | 25 | 45 | 13.5 | 0.0% |
Alright, gotta accept what it is for what it is and go out and get the win today. Do not like this lineup, but it is what it is. Also supprised that Heineman and not a pitcher got the boot to LOU.
ok, news about Votto suspension is….. News… seems like the Reds are suffering from the Umps failures as well
Votto got suspended. This is the 1st player suspension of a Red this year, that I agree with. It’s not a crack on Votto, I like Votto, but that was unacceptable behavior.
If you want to see something interesting. Jomboy on youtube has a breakdown of the entire thing. Lip reading and all. Quite entertaining.
With the pitcher’s splits, it would have been nice to have him today.
Cincinnati Tootblans
Geno picked off trying the sneak attack steal…left waayyy too early.
Twins defense knows what to do when a guy takes off and time is not out.
With Sano playing 3rd today, some of these guys should be laying some bunts down there. Then again, I don’t think our guys could get a bunt down if you pitched it underhanded to them.
Barnhart is the only one. He is the only guy that takes advantage of the shift.
I have given up on the bunting issue. Going on the way to Corry Patterson, let alone Hamilton, there was a feeling certain players should bunt more, and that was before the shifts. They just don’t value it. Reds are certainly far from alone in that regard, and I will leave it to wiser heads to decide who is right, but I have accepted the Reds are not going to do it.
Barnhart is a good bunter, and you would think that Akiyama and Miley are. There is little evidence that any of the others are.
I’ll take the Barnhart homer, though, even if kills the rally.
And Naquin, of course.
We don’t bunt when the entire left side of the infield is empty. So why would be bunt when there’s actually someone playing 3rd base?
good point
Sano is actually worse playing third, than when nobody at all is playing there.
Kinda like Suarez at shortstop.
looks like the bunt is in play today
I had planned to stay positive today, but Suarez made that difficult. Let’s move on,
ALright tucker i will take it
Didn’t realize this was a day game. I’m between meetings, so I guess I’ll take a peek (starting with the replay of Tucker mashing one out).
Beat the shift bunt by Naquin. What an idea.
Reverse jinx on my part. I’ll take the credit 🙂
Castellanos obviously isn’t this team’s problem, but I listened to the TV guys in the first inning talking about how he “leads by example,” such as running out every ground ball. Ironically enough, in both of his at-bats today he’s stood at home plate for a couple seconds admiring his pop-ups.
Yea, but I can understand the frustration for a pop-up that you know will be caught. Not going to knock him for knowing that he made a small swinging mistake. Now the Baez mistake yesterday, that was inexcusable.
I do not understand why this game is apparently blacked out in Cleveland. Indians don’t even play until tonight…
well shucks
As Cowboy said on the radio, I think this whole team is frustrated and it shows.
Now the Reds will need at least two more home runs today.
After Thursday’s loss, I told someone the Reds were about to go on an 8-game losing streak. I hope I didn’t underestimate.
Does India Sac Bunt to set up 2nd and 3rd
Alright, bases loaded no outs. Jesse and Nick up, there needs to be runs scored here.
needed a smaller wall there,
Jesse is due for a BIG HIT
… but apparently, the moment is not NOW … sigh.
Strike that. Big hit achieved!
Castellanos is kind of in a mini-funk lately, it seems, doesn’t it? Hope he pulls out of it soon…..
The Reds, especially the relief core, has been in a mini-funk recently.
I can’t help but comment on Castellanos again. TV guys claim he “leads by example,” but today I’ve watched him stand and watch two pop-ups and then swing at a first pitch 6 inches inside with a pitcher who’s tiring and struggling with his control. He’s a fantastic player, but I’m not too sure about his leadership.
Castellanos is by nature a free swinging hitter.
How bad was the play at the plate? Only getting gamecast…
bad. Winker gave himself up
He was only a little over half way home when catcher caught the ball. Some reason he slowed to look at the ball being thrown . I think he tied his shoe and adjusted his socks as well.
Thanks. That is what I was afraid of. He can’t help not being fast, but sometimes the decision making seems off as well.
Like I said earlier- Cincinnati Tootblans
not knocking wink for going, but he needs to commit if he does. He gave himself uip there near the end, could have tried to reach the plate with a little bit of agressiveness. Good to see Suarez producing runs 2 days in a row.
The radio said Winker should have scored easily, stopped twice. Cowboy ” I don’t know what Winker was doing”.
Clutch hitting there, but it would sure be nice if this team could remember how to play baseball once they reach base.
+1
Miley Pitch count great right now. Can easily see him going 7. If that is the case then Antone should be able to take it home from there
Antone will probably be limited to two pitches today. Maybe three if he says he still feels strong after two.
Na, he will get into his windup and then David Bell will go get him and put in Doonothing
nice.
If he throws 4…2 days rest will be mandatory
I think Doolittle has a little left in his gas can if they want to get rid of it before boarding the plane.
Antone said he’d be limited to 1 inning games as he returns
Miley 64 pitches through 5 innings.
Antone would be a nice contrast if Miley can get thru 7 or 8.
So I see our baserunning is back at 2019-20 levels. That is ridiculous? Are they professional baseball players or not? You’re not going to see that nonsense in the Korean league or college baseball.
David Ross sat Baez after dumb baserunning last night. The next time Winker gets on, Bell needs to send out a pinchrunner and I don’t care if its in the first inning.
These guys do this year after year after year without repercussions. I’m guessing 25 runs a year atleast.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31551774/sorry-had-see-how-baserunning-become-embarrassing-problem-major-league-baseball
Its league wide.
Maybe too much focus on the wrong things and no focus on fundamentals? A team won’t win consistently focusing on launch angle, EV, and spin rates.
great article…thanks
Funny thing is that there was just an article, I think on the Athletic, about how hard they practice their baserunning and that much of it comes from the players, not the coaches.
Maybe they should let the coaches handle it.
The Reds better hold this lead because I don’t see them scoring anymore.
With Donaldson out of the picture, and a few leftys up to start the 8th, I say keep Miley out there until there is a baserunner and then to Antone and the save.
Donaldson is a reason why you dont give 35 yrs old a 4 year 90 mil contract. Twins will be eating that.
Bunt here with Farmer and Tucker coming up?
Lets get some insurance.
Maybe a bit of a neighborhood play, but not enough to overturn it anyway.
Sometimes the bear eats you, sometimes you eat the bear. We got a slice of bear there. Farmer RBI
Sano on defense makes Suarez look like Brooks Robinson. It’s hard to see what he’d do differently, if he had bet $100,000 on the Reds.
Two boots Sano
The strategy to make him field it was real….whether it was intentional or not.
This is feeling much better to me.
And the feeling evaporates just that quickly …
Well I am glad to say I was wrong the Reds have scored again, now lets hold on.
Keep piling it on. Bullpen needs all the help it can get.
Looked like a good AB from Naquin on the computer to get it moving.
Wow, just checked in and Barnhart has 3 hits, a HR, and 3 rbi’s? The bottom of the line up picking up the top for a change. And Miley at 7 IPs. No need for Bell to “manage” today. A good day for the Reds and their fans are many fronts.
Yea, lead is relatively safe with both Sims and Antone available. Have a good feeling about this one. Good to see with the Bash Brothers in a Funk that other people are stepping up to fill the vacuum
“Relatively safe?” “Good feeling?”
I am not calling jinx, but it I am definitely not, not calling it either
Sorry now I am calling jinx.
There’s no such thing as a safe feeling.
Glad for those insurance runs. Man what a groove job from Art
Ow
Therein lies the problem…..they either groove it or it’s outside the zone, where the walks accumulate.
ok, the Warren experiment failed, lets get him out of there.
the Warren Omission
Bell has no idea what he is doing, this team needs a win and he doesn’t put in Sims again. 7-2 to 7-4
This is why you can’t pitch some guys every day. RLN wanted Sims to pitch 5 days in a row last week, but this isn’t Stratomatic
He should have pitched 2 innings last night they would have won. He hadn’t pitched in 4 days and threw 20 pitches. Yet he can come back a few hours later and pitch today?
Antone should be in right now. If he can’t go 2 innings then he shouldn’t have been activated off the IL.
7-2 was a good spot for Warren, who had been efficient so far.
Except he was throwing 93 instead of his normal 96-97? Seems like they could see that when he was warming up and go with somebody else.
Here comes the mighty bull pen
Another groove job!
“You know if you were to put a ball on a tee..” —Chris Welsh
No lead is safe
Here we go again.
Uh is somebody gonna stop this??
Its laughable…..
Pretty sure this team would be in first place if the bullpen was only 50% better than what it is currently. 🙁
He has to get Antone up now.
I’d call it unbelievable, but we’ve seen it too often. Into the frying pan for TJA.
Sims sucks. I’m sorry. He’s nowhere near high leverage on a WS contender
Sims is a thrill a minute – like a box of chocolates . Not high leverage material , by a long shot !
Bell said he was only available for one inning last night all along, referencing ‘this time of the year’ general soreness (i’d say from heavy use last week) … which he gave up 2 singles a line drive out and an INT BB with 2 strikeouts and left the bases loaded
Another day , another gut punch?
What in the name of Coco Cordero is going on?
Now that’s funny
This road trip is a nightmare
I’m giving myself a +1 for Antone surrendering the double to Kiriloff
Never came inside. Never tried to jam him at all? Horrible. Alot of mediocre hitters became dangerous when they know where the ball will be.
When you throw max effort, control goes out the window.
I’d take 10 Wade Mileys over Sims
Don’t worry reds fans ownership says if bullpen help is available they will acquire somebody.
No, Big Bob said he’s think about it if asked …
This is getting me nervous. Hit the Over for hits for the game there. Time for Antone
With Sims not being a lock down reliever he should have given him more runs to work with.
Bob is playing the long game. Late inning beer sales is sure to spike.
Other than you can’t sell it after the 7th …
I feel for Bell. He’s got his haters, but Castillo/Suarez were absolutely the worst at their position in the NL for 90% of the season so far. He has no real SS and Sims is his setup man. Probably the worst pen in the history of Reds baseball.
Where’s the hilljack mullet scrub right out of Deliverance from 2008? Majeski?
The front office would rather overpay Moose, who we didn’t need, and Shogo who rarely plays.
I can’t take this anymore. It’s the same thing everyday. Ridiculous. How much of this does the FO need to see before it realizes the BP needs help? Not only frustrating for us fans, but it’s got to be incredibly demoralizing for the starters and the position players who fight and scratch every day to be competitive.
This group of relievers is a complete farce – just awful . Sell the team to an owner that gives a crap about the product on the field instead of fireworks and bobbleheads
Lol. Blame it on me. I wasn’t really watching and then check in last inning.
Can anyone on the Reds finish a breaking ball?
oh my! the reds went from 98.4% chance to win to tie ball game. The bullpen is a burning dumpster fire. This is as bad as it gets. All we need is AG to come in and finish it off.
Why did he pull Miley? One more Inning depending on outcome – two if things had gone well. Miley has been over 100 pitches more than once. And I was wrong. Bell did take the opportunity to manage.
Miley went over 1oo pitches last time and also the no hitter he went well over, which next time out (albeit it was that aberration altitude park in denver) he got rocked (on extra rest, too) … i don’t think you really want to make+100 a habit if you want to keep running him it there all year
Guys like Seaver, Ryan, etc. routinely average 120-140 pitches per game. Throwing 100 isn’t necessarily determinative.
You’re com,paring Miley to 2 extra duable HOF pitchers … invalid expectations, 15 yard penalty for flagrant cherry picked ‘arguement’
Hence the etc. I could find additional examples.
just washed m’keyboard and can’t do a thing with it … comparing, durable, argument
so you didn’t directly compare him to 2 HOFers? got ya
A good article from 2009. You can look at nearly any pitcher in the 70s and career longevity and pitch counts, IP, CG, etc. were all higher, even on mediocre pitchers. Pitch count data apparently isn’t as reliable prior to 1988. DeGrom who is often touted as the best of today’s pitchers averages about 6 IP. If a Ryan, Seaver, Gibson, et. al. pitched 5-6 IP/G, their stats would be phenomenal. Bottom line, pitchers are paid more, pitch less, and miss more games then those of the 1970s. Relievers routinely went longer as well. So it goes. It’s different today. But the argument that more than 100 pitches/game is counter productive isn’t supported by history.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/144276-why-cant-pitchers-throw-as-many-innings-as-they-used-to
Guarantee if FO obtains bullpen help at this point they’ll way overpay for it. Kind of like the guy selling ice in
summer when he knows everyone’s power has been out for a week.
Organizational Memo
To: Ownership and Management
From: Everyone
Date: Today
Re: The Bullpen
DO SOMETHING
+1000
Sadak is a stooge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I new it when he said,…”We’ve got a comfortable lead now!!!” I yelled at the TV,..”Please don’t say that, Numbskull!!!!! It’s NEVER a comfortable lead with the Reds bullpen!!!”. My wife just nowsaid,..”Yep. You were right.” Of course I’m right. This is par for the course with Sadak. He ALWAYS says stupid stuff like that. You can say it’s crazy,…but the old school announcers (Marty and Joe) would NEVER tempt the baseball gods. Neither would the Cowboy (Jeff Brantley). He knows not to do that. Sadak is a jinx,..plain and simple. He’s done this time and time again. I wish he would shut his big mouth!!!!
P.S. And of course, Bell is the worst manager in baseball. Should have left Miley in for one more batter, or even one more inning. Or,..he should have gone to Antone immediately. He ended up using Antone anyway. Instead of using him with a 5 run lead,..he uses him to secure a tie game. Dumb move!!! That’s what Bell is known for though. Dumb moves. We may win this game,..but it will be in spite of Bell,..like most of our wins.
THom did it all the time though
Yep,..I know. That’s why I am glad he’s gone too. It’s been an unwritten rule for a hundred years in baseball. Don’t temp the baseball gods!!! Well,..we won the game. That’s all that matters I guess.
Our outfielders are turning into actual bobbleheads. They watch the pitch then they watch it sail over their heads in .04 seconds)))
For those who insist on defending Bell’s antics based on the argument that he has more information about a pitcher’s health than we do, has anyone ever noticed that he *always* seems to pull guys out of games prematurely — even when they’re cruising along and don’t have high pitch counts? What are the odds that *every* pitcher’s health is worse than we assume it is? Can’t we just all acknowledge that he has no idea what he’s doing? Why is anyone still giving him the benefit of the doubt when he makes the same counterintuitive decisions again and again and again?
Most teams are keeping guys around 90 pitches or so. If your pen gives up 5 before they get 2 outs then its all pointless anyway? Thats mopup time for any decent team.
The 3 batter minimum doesn’t help either because never rally after the first rocket double or HR.
This isn’t the 70s-80s where guys rack up 270 innings.
Most teams don’t have the worst bullpen in the history of baseball. Sometimes you have to try to get more from your starters instead of doing what most other teams do. Is the object to win games, or is it to minimize the chances of someone being fatigued in August?
>>>Most teams don’t have the worst bullpen in the history of baseball. Sometimes you have to try to get more from your starters instead of doing what most other teams do. Is the object to win games, or is it to minimize the chances of someone being fatigued in August?
Perfect answer, J!!!!! Yes,..the object is to win games. That’s the goal. A few extra pitches should NOT matter one way or the other. Win, when you can win. Nail it down when you have a chance! Then worry about the next day.
94 is a high enough pitch count for 34 year old old Miley, plus his next batter leading off the 8th is a switch hitter and the top of the order getting a look at him for the 4th time around. that’s when you want to pull him before he warms up again. he did his job. any manager would do the same
Nick got into Robles head there…. time to take advantage, MIN pitcher on tilt
I’ll do some of your job for you FO.
John King – Rangers
Paul Fry – Orioles
Yimi Garcia – Marlins
Richard Rodriguez – Pirates
Can look at Zach Britton from the Yankees, but I think that’d cost a bit.
Just a few names. Go get at least one. Look at multiple.
Rogers on the Twins. He’s a lefty. There’s 40 guys that could help that aren’t that young or valuable with their team.
I will forever root for Nick Castellanos.
Going to miss him sooner or later (likely sooner)
Thank you Tyler Naquin!
Yes!!!
AG is warming up.
Naquin to the rescue!
Put him on the mound for the bottom half of the inning….
Big Day for Naquin, but can they hold the lead?
Maybe this might slow the “Why doesn’t Shogo play” every day.
This is why. Naquin is a much better player than he is
I’m satisfied to have Naquin play over Shogo, but not Heineman over Shogo or Naquin—
Or anyone else for that matter
Shogo does not have a strong enough arm needed for starting in center or right field. He does have speed and certain defensive skills and can be used in late innings.
In his head. Now keeping with the star wars theme, let’s get these outs and go home
This is a great time to use Doolittle — gotta get him going!
Lollllllllllll. 3 hitter minimum so would it be 10-10 or just 10-8 with 2nd/3rd?
Heh heh. I heard that!
Did Nick get in the pitchers head? I think that was his plan anyway. He’s a competitor looking for an edge!
Alright, Doolittle for the ninth? The Bell way. Or maybe Osich who is due to be rocked
Hey ,hey Osich is our best reliever right now. We base it on last appearance.
Which AG will we see? One of the Nibblers or the one we want to Count On …
Plus once again I’ve seen the Flex-O-Zone in full swing. That makes it interesting.
Up three. Will the Reds be able to split the series against the Twinkees with three outs to go?
Hard to say. They were up 5 with 6 outs to go.
Does Cruz and Sano bat every inning?
In a word … yes
Us old folks can’t take much more of this… Thank God the offense was good for 10 runs today but dreading the moment the BP enters the game EVERY NIGHT is taking it’s toll on all of us…. Even with two outs I am thinking I better not turn off the game for fear it isn’t over… and having said that, Cruz singles… sigh
Off the schneid
OK, I feel safe now 🙂
I forgot what this thing is called when we end with more runs then the other team
I think they call it a non-loss?
Had it all the way
Never a doubt
Geesh…
Well, we out-slugged our way out that one.
But that won’t work every time.
The bullpen needs fixed ASAP. It is URGENT.
I trust Big Bob and the GM are aware of the urgency if they want the Reds to reach the playoffs.
Hey hey, shades of the ’69 Reds and last full season at Crosley Field, Bench’s Rookie year! We need a Chico Ruiz (Lopez?)