The Cincinnati Reds (58-51) have won seven of their last nine games. They will look to continue to build on that momentum Friday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates (41-68) in the second game of a four game series in downtown Cincinnati.
Details:
- Time: 7:10 ET
- Location: Great American Ball Park
- Weather: 85 degrees and partly cloudy
- TV: Bally Sport Ohio and MLB.tv for out-of-market fans
- Radio: 700 WLW
Starting Pitchers
| Name | IP | ERA | xERA | FIP | xFIP | WHIP | K% | BB% |
| JT Brubaker | 102.1 | 4.49 | 4.46 | 4.79 | 3.83 | 1.17 | 23.8% | 5.8% |
| Wade Miley | 114.0 | 2.92 | 3.96 | 3.61 | 4.04 | 1.23 | 18.5% | 7.6% |
PIRATES
Right-hander JT Brubaker has had an up and down season for the Pirates, with some brilliant performances and some terrible performances. July was especially not kind to him, as he gave up 18 runs in 24.2 innings, including eight home runs. It’s the most runs he’s surrendered in a month up to this point this season.
However, he has pitched well against the Reds this season. In his first start of the season on April 5, he pitched four innings and allowed just one run on three hits while striking out six at Great American Ball Park. Almost exactly one month later at PNC Park, he went six innings and allowed only one run on five hits and struck out four Reds batters.
Brubaker’s best pitch is his slider. He has a 41.6 percent whiff rate with it. However, because it has also been his most thrown pitch in 2021, he has also given up the most home runs (9) off it. He throws his slider more to right-handed batters, but he’s not afraid to also throw it to lefties. Brubaker also doesn’t walk a lot of batters. His BB% is only 6.6% and he ranks in the 85 percentile in the league for walk percentage.
REDS
Remember in spring training when everyone was doubting Wade Miley’s capability? I do, because I was one of the few saying that people were unfairly criticizing him before the season began. A little bit of luck may factor into his 2.92 ERA, since he also has a 3.96 xERA and a 4.04 xFIP. However, no one can doubt the results. Miley has been a solid mainstay in the rotation all season and the Reds have relied on him to stop a losing streak at times. And oh yeah, he has also thrown a no-hitter as well.
Lineups
Pittsburgh Pirates
|
Cincinnati Reds |
| SS Kevin Newman | 2B Jonathan India |
| 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes | LF Jesse Winker |
| CF Bryan Reynolds | RF Nick Castellanos |
| 1B John Nogowski | 1B Joey Votto |
| C Jacob Stallings | 3B Mike Moustakas |
| RF Gregory Polanco | SS Kyle Farmer |
| 2B Rodolfo Castro | CF Tyler Naquin |
| LF Phillip Evans | C Tucker Barnhart |
| P JT Brubaker | P Wade Miley |
Jesse Winker probably hits the best against Brubaker, with a .400 batting average including a home run in five at-bats. Nick Castellanos hits .375 against him in eight at-bats.
Kevin Newman, Gregory Polanco, and Bryan Reynolds all have batting averages above .333 against Miley, albeit in limited at-bats.
News and Notes
The Moose is back!
Mike Moustakas was activated from the injured list and is in the lineup tonight.
Moustakas is at third base tonight. In his pregame media session, David Bell said he and Eugenio Suarez will split time there.
David Bell says it'll primarily be a lefty/righty split with Mike Moustakas and Eugenio Suárez at third base for the next week or so. #Reds
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) August 6, 2021
Hunter Greene strikes out 10 and the team in Goodyear fired a no-hitter
Last night in St. Paul against the Saints, Hunter Greene struck out 10 batters in 6.1 shutout innings where he allowed just one hit and needed just 80 pitches in a Louisville Bats win. We’ve got some highlights over at RedsMinorLeagues.com from the outing, as well as some more details if you’re interested in that sort of thing. Also in there is some talk about the Arizona Complex League Reds who combined for a no-hitter last night.
Joey Votto and the Hall of Fame
There’s been a lot of talk recently about Joey Votto and the Hall of Fame. I looked at his numbers and explained why he should already be writing his speech for Cooperstown.
A new episode Redleg Nation Radio
And for your listening pleasure, a new podcast episode of Redleg Nation Radio made its debut today.
I hope Moose gets hot and we can forget about the platoon real soon.
Same here. Got to figure some folks move on this off season. I would think Suarez or Moose one is traded this off season, depending on how Moose performs going forward. Given the age & contract, got to figure shopping Suarez in the off season makes sense. Lots of possibilities. In the short run, let’s hope the Reds see a string of RH’ers and that Moustakas performs well.
I agree
Suarez has nearly 700 at bats since the start of the 2020 season
.185 avg and sub .284 obp and wRC+ 81
Moose is better 3b
Farmer is better SS
India is better 2b
Votto is better 1b
Plus he doesnt run hard ever.
Cmon OS. He got thrown out trying to get a triple the other day. He ran into the awning (sp?) full bore trying to catch a foul ball last week.
His best is better then Moose’s best. Just look at the numbers. Physically he’s a shorter guy (like Farmer) with shorter arms which means a shorter and more fixable swing. I hope Moose hits, but giving up on Geno is really shortsighted.
no one is taking Suarez’s contract. Assuming the Moose doesn’t have an NTC (which i don’t know), he is still valuable enough for a return of some sort.
Cmon OS?
How bout Cmon nick Krall ?
Cmon david Bell?
Cmon Reds organization?
Who is playing and who is sitting ?
I have no say other than I agree with the Reds brass. Moose is playing against righties because he hits them better than Suarez
For me, it’s better to have two options at this point of the season, at no extra cost.
Monster teams (in terms of $) like LA, NYY etc have many options along the season.
Good to have Moose healthy back, right on time. Hopefully the rest in the IL returns soon to face the final sprint and REds counts with al their weapons arm and ready.
He could have had a double the other day if he had hustled out of the box and he could have had a base hit also if he would just bust it.
Everybody needs to bust it out of the box, everybody.
Sorry, he needs to sit.
How many are secretly thankful today that the Reds didn’t re-sign Mr Bauer during the off-season??
I sincerely hope things resolve quickly for him, but …. It sounds like he’s in quite a pickle in LA.
Thats a mess
I liked Bauer when he was here but example of why reds cant put too many eggs in one basket
I think Nick Krall is doing a good job building and developing.
Certainly more committed to player development and youth than jocketty williams and bryan Price
My guess would be that Bauer gets suspended for the rest of the year then opts out of his contract over the winter. Yankees then sign him.
Yep! Yankees or A’s!
His lawyer seems pretty sure that they are going to be able to prove consent. And if they do, the women’s case falls apart. Noone is touching him until the situation is resolved anyway.
What about innocent until proven guilty? Let it play out. But action against Bauer before a conviction is unfair. The thing I’m waiting for is whether criminal charges are filed. At this point, I don’t believe they have been. If not, it simply makes him stupid but likely not criminal. Someday ball players, celebrities, and politicians will learn they can’t hit the sheets with abandon because they are setting themselves up for all kinds of trouble. It’s not the 50s or the 60s any longer. And women today are every bit as predatory as the men.
it is a civil lawsuit, not a criminal case. It has been referred to the police but they have not arrested him (yet). But civil lawsuits are only preponderance (51%) of the evidence is required. Since civil lawsuits can only force monetary damages, it does make you wonder. MLB is just waiting to get the information from the depositions until they make their determination on suspensions.
Yep. My guess is he writes a check at some point and it all goes away. Will he learn anything? I wouldn’t bet on it.
2 documented black eyes and head injuries severe enough that the doctor went above a concussion and checked for a skull fracture.
Guilty
IRM, didn’t say he wasn’t guilty. I said he’d been neither charged nor convicted. People jump to conclusions far too quickly these days. Regardless, on to the game.
@Indy If Bauer can prove consent, doesn’t matter.
Have you seen the pictures. No matter what, that girl was beat to snot.
Glad he’s gone
Bauer is entitled to same the same Constitutional rights that we all enjoy and should expect. Too many people and too many companies jump to conclusions these days and act extra-constitutionally depending on their political leanings. This is wrong and threatens the future of the country.
Time to cut loose the Moose!!!
This is what we’ve all been waiting for, right?
Greenlegs???
I’m on mute … anybody care to enlighten me?
Military night — big crowd from Wright-Patt AFB near Dayton apparently.
Thanks, Tom.
Now I see the camo bills on the caps
Hayes had that beat anyway. Glad he’s still only on first.
Probibly would have been safe anyway. Would have been an out if Votto had gotten a tag on him because he most certainly moved towards second
Definitely safe. And if there was no overthrow, he wouldn’t have turned that way and basically walked back.
I mean after the throwaweay ala Christian Yelich.
23 pitches. Turned into a little bit of an expensive inning there.
Time to settle in and hammer their pitcher. And please don’t stop after the first couple of innings tonight.
Ball 5 – take your base and let the Moose loose!
That’s the way to come back. Hope Geno likes the view.
C’mon Moose — drive em in!
Atta boy, Moose. Welcome back!
The Moose…. its like he never left
Farmer rakes!
Looks like a line drive in the box score!!
Indeed, and drove in 2 runs. All that matters.
Nice, the anti-Suarez delivers, a double, not a strikeout, not a DP, and not a HR. Just a double. Imagine that.
The Suarez delivered with a 3 run HR yesterday. Can’t be excited for Moustakes’s return without kicking Suarez?
Nope. The FO should have found a trade partner and dumped Suarez at the trading deadline. Suarez has been mediocre for two years.
Right, Suarez deserves it, what a jerk he is.
It’s not a matter of being a jerk. By all accounts, Suarez is a great guy. It has to do with earning your pay. Have you ever fired someone for underperformance or been fired yourself? Sports, like politics, seems to be the place where mediocrity thrives and results seldom matter. Bottom line, Suarez isn’t delivering and there are better ways to spend that money.
4 runs in on only 16 pitches … I guess that’s “efficient” (for us)
So, no RKM tonight !?
WOW BARNHART!!!!
Tucker!
7-0 already!
I say keep piling on — never know how many runs we will end up needing.
I noticed we are lefty heavy tonight (including The Hulk). Wonder if they’ll keep this guy pitching so they preserve their bullpen.
Again, efficient there letting Tucker smack one out on the first pitch.
He’s on a pitch count
Great read on the bloop hit by Moose…lots of guys freeze and the lollygag over to 3rd.
LOLLYGAGGERS!!
Wow, the fireworks started early tonight …
So this is why the Brewers are so far ahead
Brewers put more pitchers on the COVID list today — Adrian Houser and Jandel Gustave.
Just remember, the Reds play the Pirates 9 TIMES in the last 2 1/2 weeks of the season.
Lets get Farmer some rest tonite and maybe India too.
Hit my Over 4.5 $$. Won last night in the 2nd and tonite in the 1st
I hope Arizona fights SD a little harder then this
It’s the 2nd inning, let’s get through at least.. 5 before we start taking people out lol.
I don’t care if Usain Bolt is running….India is making that doubleplay throw. Farmer is on some kind of roll. Is he now a top-10 SS?
I mean he’s playing like one, but there’s at least.. 11-12 other SS’s in the league I’d like over him.
There, now he’s top 10 😉
Don’t count yer chikins…..
Young Mr. India made the first and last outs in that inning. I’m sure he won’t let that happen again.
5-6-3 fielder’s choice … not sure they turn the DP if it doesn’t take the hop and Moose gloves it cleanly. Just bear down and get the guys out.
Pirates and cubs and Marlins and Nats and Tigers are bad
No reason reds cant get to 90 wins
Solid team
Get healthy and best 26
Let’s not get too excited! I believe we were up 7-0 last night early as well!
HBB and a dead ball. Don’t see that every day, let alone this variation of it.
India ultimately forced the Suarez benching. His first month or so was kind of inconsistent. Then Moustakas went down. India began playing more regularly, then every day. Moustakas’ recovery/rehab took much longer than expected. India secured 2B for himself. Moustakas comes back, finally. Where to put him. Ummm, Geno, a word please?
Still, as Bell said, I expect it will be a platoon situation at 3B, with Moose occasionally giving India a rest at 2B.
But India has proven himself this year, in spades, especially as a leadoff hitter.
Agreed. And with more RHP’s than LHP’s in the league, I think Moose gets more starts at 3rd. I hope he can give India a little relief, but The Kid has earned every AB he’s getting.
Oh, and thanks for that, Wink. A little oppo HR is a good thing.
DA WINK
jynx
DAAA WINK.
Some pathetic baseball teams
Reds need 4 game sweep
Remember Brubaker silent Reds bats earlier in the year twice.
It’s just about Reds are rolling …
Remember our BP could needs this cushion
Now the pitch count is creeping up there.
I think I know how the Brewers built a 7 game lead in the NL Central
Yeah I was thinking the same thing.
I think Votto’s about due for a homer, ay?
welp.
Still hit hard. Sometimes it goes to someone
Where has Moose been all my life
Moooooose!!! Raking
Tough luck DP there. Joey smacked that hard. Just needed a little more lift.
Too bad as we’d add on Casty with that second 2B by Moose.
MOOSE: My foot is fine
So is his bat.
Farmer for MVP! 😉
Now hitting .270. And his defense has been superb. Is he supposed to be injured? ….
Farmer is on some kinda run :O
They are beating this kid senseless. I feel a little bad for him, but hitters build numbers when they can for leaner days. Thats how it works
na, this guy pitched us good earlier in the season. We need the wins now so I have no problem unloading on him.
Some of his stats are about equal to or better than Miley’s. Not a terrible WHIP … until today, that is.
twice indeed.
show no mercy !
again… nobody never knows how a game switched just suddenly from one pitch to another
Don’t feel bad. If the situation were reversed (and we’ve been there), would they ease up? Just win.
We might be able to use Garrett AND Doolittle today and still pull off the W, but I don’t wanna get to far ahead of myself.
Farmers my boy…..go go little man with a big stick, steady solid fielder. Just need to get a chance to play everyday to show what he could do.
Farmer 33-82 last 30 days (.402)
That is one monster heater
Ted freakin Williams hitting right there.
He has been amazing the last 30 days or so.
Clean pick and throw for Moose. That should help.
The Kid could use a night off.
Just checked the box score – 9-0 after 2 1/2. A snark and a comment.
1 – India is 0-2 – c’mon man, try to keep up.
2 – This is just sad. It’s past the point in the season of the Bucs trying to tank, but having started off so bad it’s hardly unexpected this would happen.
Guessing a team salary floor will be an MLBPA negotiating must have.
India 0-3? Might as well release him, smh.
Which middle infielder would benefit most from the rest of the night off? Farmer with his abdominal injury or an also banged up India who’d now in a little o for 6 lull?
I’m obviously joking, I’d let them play at least 5 full innings before pulling anyone. I’d say you could pull them both, but I think Suarez is our only infielder on the bench outside of TS playing 1st? I’d probably pull Farmer to get him rest because there’s no true SS on the team atm, so Suarez playing a little sloppy SS shouldn’t hurt to much with this lead. You can put Suarez and 3rd with Moose at 2nd anytime.
Suarez at 3rd*
Keep Stephenson on the bench resting the hammy. A little live practice at SS for Saurez benefits the team. Then I’d try to giving India a full rest day tomorrow
Oh for sure, keep TS off the field today, I wasn’t saying play him lol. Just meant like he’s the only other “technical” person who could play the infield.
And this is why i framed it as a strategic choice; obviously only one could be rested tonight, whenever …
Haha … India must have ‘heard’ me talkin’ ’bout him lol
It does make me wonder about how just much the taxi squad catcher can accomplish at home? I think he can catch bullpens during games
Seems to me that Farmer’s value to this team may extend beyond playing solid defense and above-average hitting.
He seems like a really good clubhouse presence – blue collar, no nonsense, hard-nosed, do whatever it takes to win kind of guy. And he seems to have earned the respect of his teammates, even though he started the season as the utility infielder / emergency catcher.
His rise from obscurity to solid contributor on a contending club is one of the best stories of the season.
+1
Yep. Nothing flashy, but he’s producing.
Tough to give him a game off now with Geno the logical fill-in.
Very good points..I was very critical of the Red’s front office this winter for not acquiring a SS. I still think the Reds were being cheap, but I disregarded Kyle Farmer as a serious option. I was wrong. Farmer has done an amazing job.
I suspect everyone has been surprised — including the coaching staff, front office, etc. Good for him. He grabbed the opportunity given him.
The Reds just got incredibly lucky with Farmer. haha The only thing is Big Bob is sitting back and saying, “See, I don’t have to spend”. All while he’s counting his money.
Who did I have for my beat the streak tonight? India and Votto….smh. I understand MOose being rusty due to the time off…. a 2-2 with 2 RBis is going to get a little latitude. But he needs to get the rust off soon
And how many position players do you think will end up pitching for the Pirates tonight?
Alright, Votto DEFINITELY due for a homer this time, right?
welp.
Nope … just a chip shot fly out. Love him going the other way though.
Have we heard a TySteve update?
Think they said it was nothing serious, mainly just a cramp and he’s available off the bench.
Thanks. I started on mute because we old folks were watching Jeopardy on the big screen. So I missed any of that.
Love to see Miley up there hacking with purpose.
So No longer benching India
INDIA: Me too!
About time you join the fun India, sheesh.
BOMB!!!
You know who needs to hit homers? The Giants. Losing 0-1 to the Giants
They are losing to themselves? Man, that sounds like the story of my life.
Wait till next year …. 😉
+100
LOL I mean the Brewers….
Pretty obvious reds cant win without geno
Or maybe not?
Reds can Win without geno!!!!
Hits in 9 of his last 1o games including 4 HRs is nothing to sneeze at, along with a current .267/.353/.667 August … a little urgency (and Pirate ‘pitching’) never hurt anyone lol
Or just awful for 2 years and wont run
Cmon
Baseball is great
Look at his stats
I can link fan graphs but why
Hot hand is still a hot hand … and how do you think i would know what his stats are … guessing?
Inciarte is Already out of the game for Louisville
Oo baby a triple double. Wait wrong sport.
With due respect, Moose does seem ok with AAA pitching.
I don’t mean to pick on Suarez. He’s a nice guy. Having said that I can’t remember the last time he had two hard line drive hits in one game much less three. Moose is the third baseman. He’s far away from the interstate.
It’s more likely for now he’s the rotating 3B/2B/1B/DH
Yeah I know. i’d rather him stay at 3B. If there’s going to be a player like that who plays most every day and is switched around like that on a regular basis I’d rather it be Farmer. He can be the super sub and give everyone a day off except CF maybe. That way we can also bring up Barrero.
Right, but heavier at 3B, rightly so. I’m just glad that the Reds are getting these guys back, and the Heineman, and the Freeman’s of this season are in the review mirror.
If Suarez is motivated at all by anger, then this is a great opportunity/challenge for him. When he does play, he needs to show some things he has not thus far this year. I suspect he’ll still see plenty of playing time — whether at 3B, SS, 2B, or 1B. He needs to take advantage of it.
More roster moves are on the horizon…as Cowboy said the other night, that means some will sit and not be happy about it. So, guys on the fence must produce. That’s what makes for a playoff-caliber roster–friendly competition.
Moose has the relevant experience playing 1B and 2B, not Saurez … and Saurez is currently in the midst of hitting in 9 of 1o straight games with 4 HRs. Also .267/.353/.667 for August, so i’d say all that’s already kicked in
Heath Hembree out in a 10 run game. Like it, let him build up his confidence
Miley completing 7 shutout innings.
Lowering his era.
Reds have some reliable SP… it seems Pirates don’t… their RPs are actually playing well.
Good play by AA there. Made it a lot closer at 2B than it should have been.
Let’s see AA hit the Tundra sign just for fun
They need to check that baseball. After hitting AA it probably has a dent in it.
+100 🙂
Reds up by 10 and Bell hits for Hembree?
If Hembree gets the side out in the eighth, why use another pitcher in the ninth?
Is Bell too stupid to rest the bullpen?
His continuing attempt to look like a baseball wizard is moronic.
I made a comment along those lines yesterday and was soundly thrashed with a rebuttal that Bell had pitched plenty of pitchers 2 innings. Names like Antone were thrown around which is accurate, but not exactly current.
At least now Doolittle can get his “you pitched this week” sticker. And if he K’s guys like that, I have no problem with it.
Doolittle hadn’t pitched in a week and needs to stay sharp. This was little more than a regular bullpen session for him, which he may have been scheduled for that if he didn’t pitch tonight anyway, to stay sharp. 2 days since Hembree pitched so he might have done a little light tossing tonight also for the same reason and only 16 pitches tonight at that …
https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/bullpen-usage.php?team=CIN
Doolittle coming in … everybody still feel OK? 10 enough?
Not me!
+500 and a bottle of nitro pills for you.
Better now?
One way or another Bell has to pitch HH and Doolittle in the late innings. hahaha Just kidding. Perfect situation tonight to put them on the mound.
So the Giants have been beating the crap out of just about every team, including the Reds! And they can’t score a run against the Brewers?
Brandon Belt homer. 1-1 Giants v Brewers
Go Giants! 🙂
Brewers are a good team. I’ll give them that. They have been on a roll despite many obstacles and shortcomings.
Still hoping they fall flat on their face soon….
Wow! Doolittle retired the side in order w/o a walk! Nice job Sean!
Have a good night everyone! Go Giants and Dbacks!
Ditto!
Reds win, and the HRE under of 29.5 is met as well. I Like this reds team rn. Expecting another 7-10 runs tomorrow
Reds win. And a shutout, no less. Leaves us with a relatively well-rested bullpen the rest of the series.
Good show. Need to beat the weaker teams when given the opportunity. Keep on truckin’….!
By the way: Wade Miley is awesome. I certainly had my doubts after last season, but he has more than pulled his weight…..