The Cincinnati Reds have 12 games remaining in the regular season and if they are going to have any possible chance to make the playoffs they need to go on a run of winning baseball games. That starts tonight against the 56-93 Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is set for 6:40pm ET. The game is in a rain delay. As of now there is no update on a scheduled start time.
Starting Lineups
Pittsburgh Pirates
|
Cincinnati Reds
|
| Cole Tucker – SS | Jonathan India – 2B |
| Yoshi Tsutsugo – RF | Kyle Farmer – SS |
| Bryan Reynolds – CF | Nick Castellanos – RF |
| Colin Moran – 1B | Joey Votto – 1B |
| Ben Gamel – LF | Eugenio Suárez – 3B |
| Kevin Newman – 2B | Jose Barrero – CF |
| Michael Perez – C | Delino DeShields – LF |
| Hoy Park – 3B | Tucker Barnhart – C |
| Dillon Peters – SP | Vladimir Gutierrez – SP |
Starting Pitchers
Vladimir Gutierrez
It has been a tough stretch lately for Vladimir Gutierrez. In three of his last four starts he hasn’t made it out of the 4th inning, and that includes his last start which came against the PIrates in a 5-4 loss where he allowed eight baserunners in just 3.2 innings.
Gutierrez has held lefties and righties to a similar OPS on the year, but how they get there is quite different. Righties are hitting .269/.333/.431 against him. Lefties are hitting .233/.313/.482 against him. Lefties don’t hit for much average or get on base, but they hit for plenty of power and make a lot of contact in a strange “all-or-nothing on contact” approach (just 29 strikeouts in 217 plate appearances). In Cincinnati, Gutierrez has a 4.91 ERA (3.80 on the road) and his OPS against is nearly 200 points higher (.889 to .698).
Pitch usage from 2021
| 4-Seam | Slider | Change | Curve | |
| Velo | 93.2 | 83.2 | 81.2 | 77.6 |
| Usage | 47% | 23% | 11% | 18% |
Dillon Peters
The 2021 season began in Triple-A for lefty Dillon Peters and it was a tough start. In the first month of the season with Salt Lake his ERA was 6.95. Over the next nine games he posted a 1.44 ERA between Salt Lake and Indianapolis (the Pirates bought his contract from the Dodgers in the middle of July). The Pirates then called him up and he’s posted a 2.66 ERA in five starts since, including 5.0 shutout innings of the Reds last week.
Including his minor league time this year, he’s shown some interesting splits. Lefties don’t get many hits or walks against him. They have just a .234 average and just a .263 on-base percentage against him. But they are also slugging .519 – when they do get hits they tend to go for extra-bases. Right-handed hitters have hit .249/.331/.452 against him on the season. Four of his five starts with the Pirates have come at home, so his home/road splits aren’t very useful to look at.
Pitch usage from 2021
| 4-Seam | 2-Seam | Change | Curve | |
| Velo | 90.8 | 90.7 | 84.0 | 74.9 |
| Usage | 34% | 17% | 34% | 15% |
When and Where
- Game time: 6:40pm ET
- Where: Great American Ball Park
- Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, MLB.tv
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 72°, cloudy, 25% chance of rain
Notes Worth Noting
Tyler Stephenson placed on the IL, Mark Kolozsvary called up
The Reds announced this afternoon that Tyler Stephenson has been placed on the injured list (no injury specified) and that they have called up catcher Mark Kolozsvary from Triple-A Louisville. Kolozsvary has had a heck of a 2021 that has now included winning a silver medal in the Olympics as the catcher with Team USA and now reaching the big leagues.
NL Central Standings
Playoff odds via Fangraphs
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff % |
| Brewers | 91 | 58 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Cardinals | 79 | 69 | 11.5 | 73.2% |
| Reds | 77 | 73 | 14.5 | 15.0% |
| Cubs | 67 | 83 | 24.5 | 0.0% |
| Pirates | 56 | 93 | 35.0 | 0.0% |
The team, or what’s left of it, needs to buckle up and give everything they have left. One positive note through all this is, if playing tight was the issue during this slump, that thought should be gone because they have no pressure anymore, most people have given up on them.
That’s a good call. They might win a bunch of games and will end up falling a game or two short. Then we can play the “what if” game for the rest of the year.
Get Bronson Arroyo in the TV or radio booth ASAP! He is wicked smart, articulate, and fun. Great insights with the pregame team.
I can not read the words “wicked smart” without hearing it in a Boston accent, which means you need to post as “Bostonnati” when you say it lol
Earlier this season, he was in the radio booth for a couple innings of a game. And he was very enjoyable to listen to. Yes, “wicked smart” fits the bill.
Ha! Wicked “smaht!”
+5,000
8:05 start time.
For those of you too young to remember, 8:05 was the normal starting time during the days of the BRM and probably the 1960s as well. Games typically lasted 2h30m at that time, the timing was right for the parents to enjoy a nightcap with Johnny Carson at 11:30 and the kids didn’t have to get up insanely early to catch a bus. Now, all that routine has been replaced with basically nothing.
+500
I do remember those days. And the replacement is 3+ hour games which provides a platform for certain TV announcers to drone on and on about pretty much nothing.
I only got to listen to WLW when I was a kid on nights when it was cloudy and the signal was stronger due to the “skip” you’d get. I was living in Southern NY State.
Starting a guy they bought off another team’s AAA team, who was hitting .210 at the time, in LF in the most important series of the year. Injuries suck, but that is an abject failure by the front office. Might as well burn it all down and start over.
While also starting their SS of the future in CF to accommodate a journeyman who has had one good month of hitting. Just boggles the mind.
Gotta keep the leash short on Vlad tonight. Good First time through and then runs into the wall hard. got to time the move to the bullpen before the wall
actually strike that….. he hit the wall early today.
Kind of like he started right at the wall and then turned and smacked into it
well there was the first strikeout
And so it begins …
That was after the first one BTW …
They need to shut him down now, he is not giving an offensively challenged team a chance, down 2-0 already.
I’d support that move. Then again, I’m in the camp that says we’re done for the year. I even cancelled my trip later this week. And with TySteve going down, we’re even weaker than we were.
My wife is asking why TJ isn’t in the line-up today after hitting that HR. Frankly, I’m wondering the same thing.
Going for 9 straight series losses? Sad start to the game.
Very light Monday evening crowd as well. I’m sure the rain delay played into that a bit.
I am not sure they will win another series.
Actually Vlad’s 1st innings have given him the most trouble.
7.65 era in the 1st
That and starting 1-0 vs. 0-1
Players look like they can’t wait for the season to end.
If Tom Petty’s “Won’t Back Down” was post-game theme song for Reds players, the theme song for Reds’ fans should be Frank Zappa’s “The Torture Never Stops.”
+500
I have to agree they have zero energy, make that negative energy. I say when a collapse like this takes place somebody has to pay the price and in this it has to be Bell.
+1,000
Vlad, LC, and Mahle all have problem with 1st inning. LC and Mahle also have problem with 6th inning. Is it a warm up issue and a pitch count issue?
Suarez should bunt to move Votto over. Bell should treat him as a pitcher.
SO Barrero could strike out with him on second rather then first?
I don’t comment on anything that involves Barrero. I made my point way back about him when almost everyone in here anointed him the season savior.
Disagree. Our pitchers generally hit better.
there is also that
Lol
Has this team ever been taught to hit a curve ball?
I’ll go out on a limb and say “no”
Anybody listening to the TV feed here the guy in the stands yell something at the team that ended with “It’s a playoff game!!”
Cmon mark
You know everyone mutes the TV
Well the one positive they are getting that pitch count up
What is it with all these warning track shots lately… seems like nothing wants to get out any more
Pirates disagree.
I think they are making us hit heavier balls … 🙂
While our latest Savior/Hero (Barrero) is hitting even less than Suárez. Please Lance and all the other WLW slobberers, wait till they’ve accomplished something
Barrero has yet to show he can hit MLB pitching. For me, that’s an argument to play him at SS instead of having him also try to learn a new position defensively.
Thank you, when you come up, and have Mookie Betts doing favors for you, like fredl, then you can be the future something of tomorrow, until then he is a potential bust.
Curious why Bell didn’t run Friedl out again tonight. See what he can do. Oh, wait, it’s Bell. Hopefully, these last two weeks are his goodbye tour.
Tinker never learns
I know, LDS. But you were on the same rant about Barrero and have fallen curiously silent about that. Friedl may become a good MLB player, and so might Barrero. But one game (for each of them) is the smallest of small sample sizes, and the Reds are still trying to make the play offs.
Right now it looks and sounds like the fans are far more invested than the players. Some may argue that but the guys just don’t show much emotion.
+500
No, no they don’t
Get the bull pen up Bell now, it’ a playoff game.
That’s what the one fan keeps yelling
Vlad meet wall, wall meet vlad. The booing indicates that I am not the only one that sees he is gassed. Get him out of there before this gets out of hand
As Jimmy Duggan would say, “That’s something I’d like you to work on before next season.”
My plan all along was to watch the season premier of NCIS tonight. This is just making the decision all that much easier.
I wonder what Gibbs would make of Bell’s managing skills?
He’s have a rule for it 🙂
Sadak keeps trying to be the Chief Apologist … Larkin doesn’t appear to be supporting that position.
It’s against Larkin’s self interest.
Yep. Larkin is way to smart to fall for it. Sadak might be thinking he’s auditioning for a 2nd year … and he’s still trying too hard.
I bet Pirates first 5 innings tonite. Easy $
Lefty vs Bell ignoring that Vlad is done. He’s mentally done. Its called the “Rookie wall”. You would think a lifelong baseball family like the Bells would know what I know.
He could set a limit for 2 runs since we have 100 pitchers in the pen, but why do that? Down 2-0 and you walk the pitcher then you’re gone. Not Bell. He’s going for 4 and maybe 7 runs for Vlad. Its not he’s betting the Pirates too
I’m convinced the team doesn’t like playing for Bell, the comments in the press not withstanding. An anonymous “climate survey”, as many companies perform, would be interesting. In corporate America, my experience is that such lackluster performance is directly traceable to someone in the management ranks. And boy, are they lackluster.
Its weird though. They were playing pretty well and won that first game in Miami easily then everything that worked died. Opposing managers got smart and it was lefty lefty lefty lefty and that was all she wrote.
Bell doesn’t even seem to care though? Cessa is a really good pitcher and he’ll end up in the game anyway so why not when its 2-0? Its insane?
I gamble all the time and they say alot of people want to lose. Like a drug addict or alcoholic wants to harm themselves. Its like Bell wants to get fired
I’m more concerned that he knows he won’t be. Following RLN all season, I’ve seen plenty of folks here who would have done a better job. I refuse to believe Bell is this bad. So I’m curious about the real answer.
Its like he’s betting the Pirates too.
Bell has quit on the team
Sure he has and so has this team.Might as well quit as well.Pathetic all the way around.
Move Vlad to the Bullpen. Cant afford this through the rest of the season.
Or just shut him down based on how the week plays out. Work out things in the offseason. He’ll be a piece of the puzzle going forward.
I wonder how far fetched it would be for Joey Votto to request a trade during the off season.
Obviously, the Reds would have to pay a good portion of his salary, but you would have to think this season has made him a bit for marketable.
I don’t think Votto would request a trade, but he might be more amenable to waiving the no-trade clause than he has been previously. I really think he values playing for one team his whole career though.
+100
That appears to be the guy Votto is
Yes, you are probably right. But I think he must dread the thought of two more long seasons here. Especially, if the Reds go through some version of another re-build.
Joey deserve better
Where are Bell’s defenders tonight? We could all use the levity.
very good question….now Vlad hitting for himself…..unbelievable
Yeah … well … I got nothing
I am all for David Bell being replaced, my concern is who will they replace him with?
If it’s someone like Barry Larkin or Aaron Boone, then I won’t be too thrilled about that at all.
We’re still here LDS. But don’t always feel like feeding the trolls. It’s hard to “defend” against your beyond ridiculous posts that several RLN would be better managers than Bell.
I always know I’ll see several of your posts when Reds or losing, but you seem to disappear if they’re winning. Enjoy being a troll. I’ll continue to cheer on the Reds and be optimistic until the end.
I’ll stick with my comments on some of the RLN members being capable of managing the team better.
Glad to hear you aren’t letting it get you down. Go Reds.
The Cowboy was yelling for Vlad to be replaced after the 2nd batter reached base in the 3rd. Pretty obvious with his recent history. His arm is finished for this year. I defy anyone to explain why David Bell didn’t act in this situation. We know there are maximum pitch counts, is there a minimum as well? This manager and the whatever has caused mot of the team to check out the last few weeks defy rational explanation.
Follow the money. McClain, Rose, Bell?
Its like a boxer that ends up in a coma because his manager wouldn’t throw in the towel. Does Vlad have to ask to come out? Exit velocity doesn’t lie
AND CESSA WILL PITCH ANYWAY? He did that like 4 times in 10 days when HH was the best we had. At one point he was 8 of 9 with saves unbelievably. Waiting til AG or somebody blew the game and then HH pitched anyway
OMG! Guti is batting!???
OTOH, he is probably a better hitter than anybody Bell could have sent up.
There is no rest of the season. The only thing they have left to shoot for is a .500 record. After tonight’s disaster they will have to go 6-5, don’t see it please get rid of Bell at this moment.
Wow. What is going on? Bell just punted on the game and probably the season there. They have more pitchers than they can use regularly. They should be treating every game like a playoff game from here on out.
I think the Vlad > Mahle crowd moved on to football long ago
Was that a crowd, or more like two uninformed people?
Young unproven pirates with everyday roles playing aggressive and beating reds 28 Man rotating roster
Ive criticized Bell
Ive defended Bell – thursday game mgmt at Pirates 1-0 win
But, regardless of your view – bell cant keep his job if this collapse continues
Bryan Price didnt have 1/10th of Bell roster
Vlad last inning? That was worse then Dusty letting Latos bomb when EVERYONE saw it coming. He let Brach give up 7 rockets in a row earlier this year. Even Sadak said something after 3 missiles. Low baseball IQ. No other possibility. Trying to be loyal to a borderline rookie? This isn’t Dallas Keuchel or some vet with a ton of credibility and achievement and even then it would be stupid
They’ve lost 15 of 21 since August 27
OUCH … seeing that typed out really makes it painful
It’s hard to believe this team was once 12 games over .500
Not getting quality starts most of the season is catching up. The fork is poised to fall.
I still have faith in most of our starters, but think the rookie has hit a wall.
Great hit by casti, but see what i mean, even that ball didnt want to leave the park
BUT BUT BUT…. and three more for yesterday BUT BUT BUT..,.. 2 out Rally acheved.
+5,000,000
and the ball finally leaves the yard
Is that the Joey Votto who can’t hit LH pitching! 30+ HR, 90+ RBI for a guy people on this site were trying to retire. Thank you for staying, Joey!
Great for Joey in a big game against a 100 loss team and rookie pitcher. Hes been one of the best hitters against righties in mlb
Against lefties, hes 30% below league avg.
Yesterday-against Clayton Kershaw- he took a hard pass. Lets not distort facts against lefty pitchers in 2021. Kershaw pitched yesterday . Dillon peters pitched today
Do you know for a fact that Votto asked not to play in the game yesterday and that it wasn’t a decision made by Bell?
I was one of those guys. He still doesn’t hit lefties often but at least he does sometimes, something that really can’t be said for Suarez. But JV has been hammering righties and I’ll take that.
With Cast’s current slump, Votto currently 2nd hitter on the team statistically.
2nd best that is
Big hit from Votto! Hopefully the leash on Gutierrez is short and they can pull this one back.
Barrero a step away from being safe. Did not immediately run out of the box either. A plus B
Castellanos and votto at least said… wait a minute… its the Pirates
2 leaders leading
Good to see Barrero sprinting his tail off to beat a play at first base even though he didnt
I want more of that
Now the offense woke up it is very high important do not give chance to the Pirates for scoring more runs… I think Gutierrez should be hooked in a minor sign of threat…
Berros out for Schrock…. Cessa in to hold the deficit. Think Bell is anticipating the RIghty next inning
Guess what? Bell is making a double switch is anybody surprised?
Desheilds paying off bells faith in keeping him in there
Bell has zero faith in DeShields, but we have 4 outfielders on the IL, and one other that’s been beyond bad this year.
Not sure what Deshields has been if not beyond bad as well. He’s now hitting a robust .185 for the Reds after he was at .160 for the AAA team he was playing for before he came. But, he’s got some “veteranness”. No idea why they didn’t just call up Crook who has at least been pounding the ball for two months. Makes no sense.
Bats are waking up. C’mon, let’s go
Lead off double and nothing. The Reds just don’t play fundamental baseball and that falls on Bell. Just watched Cardinals get lead off double, ground ball to second, sac fly. Oh the difference.
You all will blame literally everything on Bell. Ridiculous.
Well, it’s common knowledge that the guy doesn’t have a clue.
Who *should* be blamed when an entire team has been bad at moving runners over for the entire time a manager has been running things? Or are we supposed to chalk it up as “bad luck” or “that’s just how baseball is these days”?
Ive supported Bell and criticized bell
I think not getting the tying run home from 2nd base with no out is a fair criticism of Bell
Approach. Barnhart job was put the ball in play to the right side infield at worst and get runner to 3b. Barnhart isnt launching one 450 feet. Striking out and not advancing the runner when youve lost 8 series in a row is absolutely fair criticism of the manager. Execute fundamentals .
I think your in the minority in defending Bell. However, I don’t blame this slide on Bell only, but like any business somebody has to take the fall and that is him now. With that said I don’t think he should come back.
I respectively disagree Old School. That’s 100% on Barnhart, not Bell.
Go reds
Lets win
Lol, that we can agree on!
Oh yes he did … he banged it!!
NCIS to the DVR?
BUT BUT BUT 2HR Game TIE GAME….but obviously he needs to retire 3HR in 3AB
I was waiting for the “BUT BUT BUT” from someone. Don’t remember who trademarked it.
And while I was typing: SUAREZ!
I was letting you have your BUT’s
Yea, missed yesterday to watch the bengals
Is Votto the only veteran on the team serious about winning?
Finally, Suarez’s weekly home run. Okay Bell, try not to give it away.
Maybe Geno too? I hope!
Need our bullpen to come through tonight! It’s as close to a must win as we’ve had all year.
Live by the long ball (and die by it) …
SUAREZ BACK TO BACK
It may all be for naught if St. Louis never loses again, but I’d love to see some fight down the stretch. Big, big hits from the guys that are supposed to be leading this team.
It wouldn’t shock me if this team is statistically more likely to score with the bases empty than with a runner at second.
23 more until Geno gets 50
+500
If joey is catching fire again then he picked the perfect time to do it.
The perfect time to have done it would have been during the last series with the Cardinals.
I know we all want to believe in miracles, but the Reds are dead men walking.
I think Im inclined to start geno 3b rest of the year and hope he hits a hot streak . The geno moose 30 mil platoon isnt working . Farmers playing SS
Just go with geno and bench moose
Would agree. He’s actually been good in September. My biggest issue with the decision-makers. They don’t seem to understand hot and cold streaks well. Between calling up guys at AAA and making them pinch hit for a week or not playing guys on back to back days if they have a good game (ala Friedl today).
Nice comeback, with Cardinals winning again you just have to win and hope they cool off. Phils shut out by O’s that really hurts them they are only 2 behind Braves.
At this point, I only care about the Cards
I agree, was really hoping to get help from the Brew Crew, but not tonight. Just noticed they moved Burns from Thursday vs Cards to Friday vs Mets. St Louis is getting a lot of breaks, shoot the Pads were to busy fighting with each other let alone beat Cards
How would be feeling the philly fans losing against a team with 102 losses…
I said in nick kirby optimism post reds at gabp can hit home runs and therefore score and its the pirates and Nats.
Still need more
I have to think the “It’s a playoff game!” guy had the biggest impact on our Reds tonight. It’s the only explanation I can think of for what we’re seeing after being down 5 to zip.
Glad to see some life come back to Votto and Suarez. After the ridiculous head bashing the Pirates suffered at the hands of the Red’s earlier in the season, we are now locked up in the fifth straight one run game with the Bucs. So, it has come to this and just maybe a comeback here will matter for whatever follows. Everything is not lost but thank David Bell for his brilliance in leaving Vlad in way too long to surrender 3 more unnecessary runs and trigger the comeback…
Pirates news feeds/blogs absolutly collapsing right now….lol
I would have pitched Sims another inning.
Ric Flair evidently at GABP as well
+100 and AWESOME!!
WHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Schrock has 2 for 14 in last six games and 0-8 in last four but Aquino has 0-13 with 7 Ks in last seven games…
Which is why it’s such a gut punch to have all of Winker, Naquin, and Senzel (and Shogo I guess) in the IL.
Suarez needs to KEEP playing, DAILY; Moose had his chance! GO REDS!!
Yes, the complimentary players have really failed as of late.
Reds mentality has to be sweep pirates. Very doable if all hands on deck
Its clear platoons aint working
Go with suarez 3b farmer SS / india 2b votto 1b / Castellanos RF every day rest of year with catching rotation more stephenson than tucker
Shrock Lf against righties
Cf is a mess
Moose is on the bench
Ty Steve is on IL
That might be 48 hours nothing if hes vaccinated
Farmer is like “SS of what future”
If this is in reference to my comment above, my point was that they should move Farmer (to LF) instead of having Barrero play CF. Let Barrero be comfortable in his position and concentrate on trying to hit MLB pitching.
Farmer is the major leaguer…he shouldn’t expect to have to give his spot up unless the guy replacing him is outplaying him.
Farmer has been a utility guy his whole career. He’d be fine moving positions. You’re still playing both of them but in more advantageous positions for the betterment of the team.
Remember when people here were saying that Votto should play OF when Yonder Alonso came up?
I wouldn’t hate Farmer at 3rd FWIW.
Did you just compare Kyle Farmer, who has been a utility player his whole life, to the league MVP at the time and one of the best hitters in Reds history? That’s not even in the same planet of comparisons.
Gabp home run offense
Why this team can go 6-1 this homestand if continuity and identity instead of rotations
The 8th inning would be perfect if a good leftie were available to face Tsutsugo, Reynolds, Moran , Gamel so Givens goes to the 9th. But someone has confidence for giving the ball to Garrett or Wilson?
I have some confidence in WIlson. Has not been horrible since he arrived
Now with 3-run lead maybe Wilson is not a bad idea…
Pretty sure that was in reference if Reds get one more run, then yes! Maybe.
Sorry, that combined two different replies.
Should have said… if Reds get one more run, then yes! Maybe.
Why is it so annoying listening to Sadak say EUGENIO SUAREZ!!
Chris
There is a mute button
Try it for an inning
Ive used for months
Well Reds comeback cost me a little of my MNF money, but I’ll take it.
Votto and Jazz Chisholm in my fbb playoffs. 2 hrs from Joey and 2 hrs/SB from Jazz. It would be nice if Pitt stayed close enough for Givens to get the save!
GABP saved this offense and this season
Home run offense.
Sweep the Pirates
I don’t understand? Milw doesn’t care and the Cubs aren’t stopping the Cards. This season is over. We’d need a minor miracle. That 4-0 lead with Castillo that we blew vs the Cards and that 5-4 loss to the Cards in that DH really killed us
I am begining to think that the crowd does not like the throws to first…. just a feeling
Alright, do we save givens and go with someone else? Up by 4 now
Nice comeback. Who throws the 9th? Unfortunately, Milwaukee failed to come through – 4 games in the loss column with 11 to play is going to be real tough.
Regarding Joey Votto:
I remeber a quotes from the Boston Celtic long time great and all-star, Kevin McHake. He said, after another great night from Larry Bird, “It’s nights like tonight when, I’ll think back, and remember what it was like playing with Larry Bird.”
It’s night like tonight when I’ll look back and remember what it was like watching Joey Votto.”
Got the win, thats all we can control. Get another tomorow
I still hope the Crew and Cubs can beat the Cardinals a few times, if not the Reds can look back on what could have been. Meanwhile just win baby.