Joey Votto and Eugenio Suárez homered early and Jose Barrero made his offensive presence known in the 9th as he drove in the go-ahead run and scored an additional one as the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Friday night.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (75-67) |
4 | 6 | 1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals (71-69) |
2 | 5 | 0 |
| W: Lorenzen (1-2) L: McFarland (3-1) SV: Givens (7) |
|||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
The Offense
After a quick 1st inning, Cincinnati got on the board in the 2nd inning on a 452-foot solo homer by Eugenio Suárez that landed way back into the left-center seats. Two innings later it was Joey Votto celebrating his birthday in style as he hit a wall scraper homer – his 30th of the year – that put the Reds up 2-0.
After going scoreless from the 5th through the 8th innings, the Reds and Cardinals were still tied up at 2-2 to begin the 9th. Eugenio Suárez led off the inning with a single against the shift and was pinch-run for by Shogo Akiyama. Aristides Aquino then hit a ball about 1 foot and Yadier Molina fired down to second base to complete the force out. Jose Barrero came up and fell behind 0-2 before taking three straight balls to push a full count. On the 6th pitch he crushed a go-ahead double into left-center, scoring Aquino from 1st, and he took 3rd base on the throw home. Delino DeShields then hit a chopper up the middle and Barrero broke home and slid in head first to just beat the throw from shortstop Paul DeJong as the Reds extended their lead to 4-2. That was all they would need to seal the win.
The Pitching
After holding the Cardinals scoreless through the first three innings, Tyler Mahle ran into problems in the 4th. He walked Nolan Arenado on four pitches to lead off the inning and then served up a game tying 2-run homer to Yadier Molina. The next inning was the exact opposite as Mahle needed five entire pitches to record three outs. The righty only needed eight pitches to get through the 6th, too, as he kept the game tied up at 2-2. After 96 pitches, that was all for Mahle as he finished with six strikeouts and two runs on four hits and two walks in 6.0 innings.
Lucas Sims took over to begin the 7th inning and he struck out the side on 14 pitches to send the game to the 8th, still tied up at 2-2. Michael Lorenzen had to work around an error by Jose Barrero, but did just that and kept the game tied up.
After watching the Reds take a 4-2 lead in the top of the 9th inning Mychal Givens cmae out for the bottom of the frame. He struck Yadier Molina out on three pitches to begin the inning before Dylan Carlson singled into left field to bring the tying run to the plate for St. Louis. Paul DeJong hit a high, but shallow fly ball into left for the second out of the inning. Harrison Bader stepped into the batters box as the last hope for the Cardinals, but Givens wasn’t having it as he fanned him to end the game.
Notes Worth Noting
Joey Votto was the 2nd oldest Reds player to homer on his birthday since 1901. Only Bob Thurman was older when he homered on his 40th birthday. Another note: Votto still bangs.
Jose Barrero put four balls in play at 100+ MPH on the day.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals
Saturday September 11th, 7:15pm
Luis Castillo (7-15, 4.20 ERA) vs Miles Mikolas (0-2, 5.06 ERA)
Joey Votto Still Birthday Bangs!!!
Feels good tonight. Hoping we can keep up this momentum tomorrow and Sunday. Let’s put the Dirty Birds out of their misery (and ours).
When the Reds win, specially beating the hated Cards, man, baseball is a beautiful game.
Four balls in play at 100+ MPH. Who doesn’t want Barreo playing everyday. Great moment for Barrero, I hope they keep playing him. Let Farmer play some third and first. Give India a day off, he may need it.Great and needed win.
Good to see but, Its one game. If he does it all month I’ll shut my mouth.
A very good baseball game
Glad to watch
Don’t let the win blind you. Brach is still on the team and Moreta is not. IT’S A ONLY MATTER OF TIME BEFORE BRACH GETS HIS ‘EVERYBODY MUST PLAY TIME’. Just kidding, sorta. One of the most needed wins of the year for sure. Hopefully with the win coming from the hands of the youngster Barrero pumps this team up. Keep it up, Geno.
Good points. I am curious to see what will happen when Warren is done with rehab. Does he come up and Moreta stay down??
I like Warren a lot more than Brach, but yes it is past time to bring up Moreta.
I am ok with Warren coming up he has been pretty good over the season. I also have more confidence in his stuff too.
wow, just wow. Barrero is a future star. Stay healthy young man cause the sky is the limit. Amazing what youth and speed does to a team trying to play defense against it. Aquino scoring from 1st base because he can fly and Barrero daring the cutoff man to throw it home while looking at him as he rounded 2nd base. Great pitching by Mahle and the pen too! That’s the way you play boys, stay aggressive and Go Reds!
Bullpen was filthy for two innings and both competent and filthy in the 9th. Great intensity. Great, great intensity.
Reminiscent of the “Nasty Boys”. Got to have a good bullpen in today’s game.
Max Muncy hits a couple more HRs and Refs will tie for WC2!
Do any of the following have a wife ready to give birth?: Bob Castellini, Nick Krall, David Bell, Brad Brach, Asdrubal Cabrera, Delino Deshields, or Eugenio Suraez??Asking for a friend known as those who want to win. Great win but the roster management of this team is a joke. It is sad that it takes maternity leave to get Barrero ABs, most if not all the other guys in my list should not be on a major roster of a team trying to make the playoffs.
Tell your friend Suarez had a Hr and a single and he looks dumb including him in the birthing list.
Joey gets it done on #38 and Jose, the newest member of the young core, sparks the Reds to a big win over the Cardinals.
Based on recent history, I assume Barrero will be gone again as soon as Farmer returns. Because they desperately need Brad Brach.
Barrero could likely hit a home run in every single one of his at-bats and drive in 20 runs over the next two games, but he’ll still sit as soon as Farmer is back. Farmer is a “veteran” who has “earned the right to play”.
That’s just the way things go in Reds Land.
It just shows incompetence the way Barreo and Lopez have been used. You bring young bright prospects up and immediately ask them to be pinch hitters or play one day and then sit 5-7 days. A young player just reaching the majors already has a tremendous adjustment to make dealing with ML pitching and the manager destroys their confidence with the way they are used. They should have been called up to play or should not have been called up at all. Think about what you are asking them to do. It is not the proper way to groom a young players.
The best outcome for the Reds from this paternity leave would be for Barrero to hit well enough that the FO can’t send him down and cuts Brach instead. Pretty please for Joey’s birthday? Great win. Go Reds!
Great game. Got to watch this one live.
Extend Mahle.
Geno’s September:
As many extra base hits (2 doubles, 3 hrs) as Ks. As many walks/hpb as Ks
Yeah he’s been horrible, but maybe he can still be part of the solution and not the problem? Cozart had that one year where he was 2nd worst hitter in mlb if I’m not mistaken and went on to make the AS team and win a donkey)) Players are humans. Humans can adapt, improvise, and overcome. In some cases anyway.
Aquino and Barrero. Speed led to 2 runs. For me its more then just wins/losses. Its
entertainment and station to station is BORING. Never stealing or using hit-n-run is
boring. The Reds need more of that in the worst way!
If they want to win in the playoffs they do.
Great comment, Indy.
I am totally rooting for Geno to have a nice month. He has had a few decent games of late so maybe something is finally clicking.
I loved the smart, aggressive, heads-up baserunning of Barrero. On the last “great” Reds team a decade ago, they prided themselves on their “1st to 3rd” mantra and being aggressive on the basepaths. That’s part of what made that team so fun to watch.
I get that the current version of the Reds doesn’t exactly have a bunch of speedsters on it, but India, Barrero, Aquino, Stephenson, and Naquin are at least as fast as (or likely faster than) Scott Rolen was on that Reds team, and he regularly ran 1st to 3rd on outfield singles. It also puts pressure on the defense to make quick plays, which increases the chances of an error and some free bases.
Say what you want about Dusty Baker, but his players knew how to run the bases. It seems to be something sorely lacking since.
Doug,
I think you showed marvelous restraint by not headlining this wrap
“Hey Reds, I Told You So”
Barrero clearly provided a much needed spark for the Redlegs tonight. Huge win. But I have this sinking feeling that as soon as Farmer returns, Barrero will be stuck on the bench. All because Farmer was good in July.
After this game it’s clear how the lineup is shaping up for next season: Stephenson C, Votto 1B, India 2B, Senzel 3B (?), Barrero SS, Aquino RF, Naquin CF & Winker LF. The big question is what FO will do regarding Suarez, Moustakas & Akiyama contracts. Also, Cabrera 0-12 and Deshields 2-14 since joining the Reds is not helping at all.
They should package Gray, Aquino, and a prospect and try to get a major upgrade in the outfield, and let Santillan take Gray’s place in the rotation.
Aquino is not an everyday outfielder.
Correct…I’m not even sure he is a fourth or fifth outfielder.
I think you are right but it doesn’t cost much to wait a while longer to be sure.
The case for Aquino as a 4th or 5th OF:
How many guys score from 1st with 1 out on the Barrero double? I bet Akiyama doesn’t.
He plays solid defense including in CF and has a very strong accurate arm.
This season his OPS vs LH pitching is >.800 and his OPS+ vs LH pitching is 119 (since so many folks like to make believe his career stats are bogus because of 2019)
I sure hope that’s not how the 2022
line up shapes up.
If they don’t replace Castellanos’ production, they will be lucky to win 75 games next year.
You might be selling AA short. The Reds need RH hitters. A large part of the team can’t hit LH’ers.
I don’ have any complaint about Deshields, he literally has been doing what he was supposed to do and the fact he has a few hits is a bonus. He is a speed factor and a defensive replacement for this team.
He has done both of those very well. Hopefully he can get a few more hits too.
Watching the highlights again, after Barrero slides in safe, India hi-fives him. Barrero looks so big standing next to India. The guy has to be at least 6’3. This is a young athletic long skilled powerful SS with speed and an arm. Cant wait to watch India and Barrero at SS/2b the next 5 years.Find a young fast athletic CF in 2022 who plays CF only and has played it all his professional life and the Reds have will transformed themselves defensively and athletically, and speed-wise.
In the middle of the diamond the Reds are set for the future, with the exception of a speedy, all-around centerfielder, preferably with the skills of Willie Mays. Not too many around with that talent.
Where is the guy who said Barrero was skinny and probably has a 26 inch waist?
Most importantly our middle infield combination for many years will have awesome hair!
Very excited to get a much needed win against the Cardinals. Joey still bangs, even at age 38. Mahle is still awesome on the road. Awesome to see. I cringed a bit when Barrero made the error, knowing that if it somehow cost the Reds the game we’d never hear the end of it. But fortunately Lorenzen was able to get out of the inning unscathed. Then Barrero came up for a little redemption time to drive in the go ahead run. Then his aggressive base running brought in an insurance run. Love to see it for the kid. Hopefully he’s showing all who are watching that he’s ready and he belongs.
I said yesterday if Barrero could hit well in this series would put the FO in trouble to make a decision when Farmer returns because he is just in paternity list so there is no spot available in active roster and Barrero should be optioned again unless other player would be sacrified… who? well I see DeShields or Santillán have options (I really would rather to keep Tony) as Brach could be DFAed too (Warren and Moreta are waiting in AAA as better choices than Brach I think)
Deshields has options and Cabrera and Brach should be DFA’ed. Replace them with Barreo, Lopez and Moreta.
But Cabrera can hit lefties! Cabrera cant hit anything but the buffet.
And then there’s trash like you Alan that think it’s ok to be prejudiced
Someone else prejudice against overweight people
That’s pathetic
If you can’t do your job because you’re out of shape that’s pathetic. I was at the game in Chicago on Monday and Cabrera’s lack of mobility is the reason he misplayed two balls.
Aww does that hit too close to home? @burtgummer01
All of you need to take a time out and be nicer or I’ll give you a time out.
Better late than never with finally giving Barrero a chance to play
At least until Farmer and his OPS+ of 80 returns 🙁
It remains to be seen is finally playing Barrero will be able to undo the losses they suffered over the past month while insistently playing dead weight (Suarez, Moose, Cabrera) in in place.
I’m very happy with the win and with Barrero’s (and Geno’s) good game. I understand the relief and excitement, and hope that last night’s win was a taste of things to come. It’s one game, though, isn’t it?
Yes, it is one game. His body of work between 2020 and 2021, much more than one game, was considerably less impressive. He will be the Reds SS of the future but be careful. Lopez was 5 for 6 in his first two games, but after that he showed he was not the reincarnation of Pete Rose. Say what you want about Farmer, but it was when he became the regular SS, the Reds became a functioning team.
You are sooooooooo Correct !
What is the Reds equivalent of Feyereisen and Rasmussen?
It was one game. But its one game in a season that is now just 20 games long against your arch rival who is trying to catch you and make the playoffs.
Had the Reds lost to the cardinals, the Cards would be 1 game back and tied in the loss column with a chance to take over the wild card lead this series. Instead the Cards are 3 back with 20 games left and trail the Reds 2 games in the loss column.The reds are playing today to put the Cards 4 games back and 3 in the loss column and win a series with 19 games to go against the team trying to catch you.
It was a big game.
It was a big win, Old-School. My saying it was one game was in reference to Barrero’s good performance.
Gotcha GMR
Let’s get another tonight!
You bet!
I was so so happy to be wrong about Suarez in the 5 hole. The production came throughout the lineup yesterday.
Barrero does look like he belongs. Definitely different than last year.
India gave us options in the IF when Moose first went down. Now Barrero can do that again late in the season.
Hopefully the Reds can tighten up the pen. I like Bells message last night – a must win and he runs he’s three best horses out there who respond. If Krall won’t move him, Bell doesn’t have to pitch him!
I wish that were true, but Bell can’t use those three guys all the time–their arms will fall off. My understanding is that relief pitchers are hard to come by, but in the modern game, with starters infrequently throwing more than six innings, a team needs a bunch of relief pitchers. Somebody said they should solve this problem by using a good middle-innings guy for a couple of innings at a time. That is a good idea, but who is that guy? And it would need to be guys, because they’d need to do that nearly every game.
Barrero just belongs but its just not what the Reds do.Its one game but he is one of their best players that won’t see the field much this year.He could walk on water today and tomorrow and it won’t matter.Bell either from orders from the front office or on his own will not play the best players.He hasn’t all year long and he will continue to do what he does or what he is told.Sense I am an old guy I tend to think its just part of an old school way of doing business.Old school guys surround themselves with guys just like them.They jockey for position within the organization by being chummy with the boss.They carry out his orders to insure they get paid and promoted and at the same time must show up anybody that gets in their way.This is what I see in this front office.The Reds are winning so everybody is happy especially after losing for so long.They have no vision or desire or even the know how to become a long term winning organization.Management lives to please ownership while posturing for position and power and at the same time will throw anybody or everybody under the bus including players that don’t buy in.
“Its just not what the Reds do”. Who was the Reds regular SS last year? The Reds did what you just said the Reds don’t do.
Maybe the Reds learned last year that Barrero wasn’t as ready as they hoped, and determined that they needed to handle the situation differently to not break him. He got some play on call up, didn’t hit well and was kept on the taxi squad. Since reporters’ access is limited, we have no idea what was going on behind the glamour during this past couple of weeks. Maybe we are seeing the handling of Barrero in order to facilitate his maturation and long term success. Maybe the plan was to give him another taste, then not let the struggles go on so long as to get in his head. After a couple of weeks, and knowing Farmer had downtime coming, maybe Barrero was settled down and is more relaxed.
Lots of maybe’s Doc but I respect your opinion and obviously you are giving the front office a thumbs up maybe for the way he has been handled.I won’t give them any credit at all until they hand the kid the keys to the position.He was and is one of their better players period.He has done all they have asked him to do and unless Farmer goes out he still wasn’t going to get to play.This is what the Reds do and will continue to do with younger players.
Last year he had never played above single A level. No one in their right mind would have thouggt he was ready. THAT’S on the front office. This year he proved he has developed at both AA and AAA. NOW he’s ready, and they have mishandled him again by calling him up and asking him to pinch hit. The first start he got at SS he had 2 hits. Just didn’t hit in the pinch hitting role. So they have set him up for failure both years. So relying on those stats is not wise.
@Roger. Ive never been accused of being an optimist. I am a realist .Now that the season is 88% over and the Wildcard is down to the Reds/Cards/Padres and Phils in a 20 game season…..I do think Bell and Krall will run things differently. BC is not going to want 20% of his payroll sitting in June or July. But, now that the 2021 payroll has been paid out mostly and it’s a 3 week sprint to the playoffs, there’s really no motivation for ownership or the FO to interfere. I think you will see the best 26 rostered and the best starting 8 once Farmer and Winker are back.
This would be my lineup if I were managing today.
Anyone disagree with this lineup?
padres lose and we are back into a tie
More impressive than the double, I think, and the double WAS impressive , was how Barrero worked the count back to get the pitch that he wanted. Boss.
Yes, Roger, but I also think it is foolish to hand a rookie the keys to the kingdom based on one game, which is what you are doing. This FO has put together a team that has its best record in 7+ years this year after making the playoffs last year, so, yes, I give them some credit for having a clue. Since I know nothing about your professional baseball management background and experience, I do need to give the edge to the FO when it comes to proper background and experience for making these decisions.
No one is doing anything based on 1 game. He deserved the starting role long before last night. He’s proven all year as he climbed through the system he was ready.
So those relying on his scouting report and his body of work are actually using valid stats to make their decision that he is ready. You relying on tiny samples of pinch hitting this year is what is the improper reliance on a small sample size.
I think Suarez has underperformed with all the playing time he’s been given, but the last 2 or 3 games I’ve seen more fluid at bats for him and some results. As pessimistic as I am, I still think that he has a chance to really take off before the season is over. Especially against lefties. Almost everybody likes Suarez as he seems to be a top notch person so I hope I am right.
Lineups posted for tonight. Aside from Moose at 3B, looks promising. Too bad we’re not seeing TySteve somewhere, but I get it.
Jonathan India (R) 2B
Max Schrock (L) LF
Nick Castellanos (R) RF
Joey Votto (L) 1B
Tyler Naquin (L) CF
Mike Moustakas (L) 3B
Jose Barrero (R) SS
Tucker Barnhart (L) C
Luis Castillo (R) P
Baby steps Mark
TS started yesterday and will start day game tomorrow.
I like this line up. Im not ready to bench Moose against righties but Suarez is way better defensively and he gave some quality at bats last night and has looked better. Moose is unathletic and cant be the only guy on the left side of the infield against the shift. He is a DH or first baseman moving forward.
I don’t get it because Castilli’s ERA is like 5 runs lower when Stephenson catches than when Barnhart catches if I remember correctly.
Also recall that with Farmer not present, the Reds are playing without a safety net at catcher. But with Monday an off day, I’d rather see TS work all three of these with Barnhart bench bound.
And maybe it is just my eye memory but Barnhart seems to have a little extra giddy-up after he sits several days.