Donovan Solano had three hits and Mark Kolozsvary hit his first big league home run, but the St. Louis Cardinals doubled up the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night by a score of 6-3 as they evened up the series at one game each.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals (51-45) |
6 | 13 | 1 |
| Cincinnati Reds (35-58) |
3 | 6 | 0 |
| W: Matz (4-3) L: Minor (1-7), SV: Helsley (9) |
|||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
The Offense
After going rather quietly in the first two innings of the game and finding themselves trailing 2-0 as they entered the bottom of the 3rd the Reds offense got going. With two men on, Brandon Drury doubled to bring both runners in to tie the game up.
Cincinnati would only have one hit over the next three innings and saw the Cardinals score four runs to go up 6-2. In the bottom of the 7th inning Mark Kolozsvary hit his first career home run, a solo shot that made it 6-3. After the home run the next two batters got on as Jonathan India was hit by a pitch and then Brandon Drury walked, but back-to-back ground outs ended the threat and inning. Donovan Solano singled in the 8th but was stranded. In the bottom of the 9th, needing three runs, the Reds struck out in order to end the game.
The Pitching
Mike Minor was able to strand a runner in the 1st and two runners in the 2nd inning as he kept the game scoreless. He wasn’t able to do that in the 3rd as the Cardinals began the inning with a double, single, stolen base, and a single to grab a 2-0 lead. After the Reds tied the game up in the bottom of the inning Minor hit Dylan Carlson with a pitch and then gave up back-to-back homers to Tyler O’Neill and Paul Goldschmidt as St. Louis took the lead right back in the 4th. It was the final inning he pitched on the day.
Jeff Hoffman tossed a shutout 5th inning, but Joel Kuhnel couldn’t do the same in the 6th as he allowed a run on two hits and saw the Cardinals make it a 6-2 ballgame. Dauri Moreta fired off a shutout 7th before doing the same thing in the 8th. Ian Gibaut struck out two batters in a perfect top of the 9th to hold the game at 6-3 and give the offense a final opportunity to come back. It didn’t happen as the Reds went in order.
Notes Worth Noting
Brandon Drury wound up playing in the outfield in the 9th inning.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds
Sunday July 23rd, 1:40pm ET
Miles Mikolas (7-7, 2.54 ERA) vs Tyler Mahle (3-7, 4.48 ERA)
When does this franchise move on to 2023?
Joey Votto is literally in the 1st percentile for defensive players in defensive metrics t 1b and -.5 WAR. He got 7 home runs approaching august. Kyle Farmer is on page 2 of shortstops for defensive metrics as well and has a WRC+ below 60 against righties. Hes also hitting under .200 in July.
Yet, David Bell is pinching hitting and double switching young guys for old guys in the 6th inning on a team for 100 losses. Mike minor is 1-7 with an ERA of 7 and Bell is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. How bout you fix the engine and address the iceberg?
You know what they always say
“You get what you pay for’
No sympathy for the owners they made their bed now they can sleep in it. Fred up Reds fan since 72!!!!!!
Randy, I also have been following the Reds since 1972. I have never seen a Reds team as bad as this one. I don’t have a lot of optimism things are going to change anytime soon. In fact, I am afraid the team in 2023 will likely be worse.
There is absolutely very little reason for optimism that things are going to change anytime soon. I am not interested in following this team in 2023, unless it has been substantially improved.
Amen Old School. One of the more disappointing games of the year for me not so much because of the outcome but because in the final innings guys who might be part of the future of the Reds were pulled for pinch hitters who are not part of the team’s future.
For those who didn’t see it, Naquin batted for Senzel in the 6th with 2 men on base and 2 outs and took a called strike 3. Then Moose was sent up to hit for Fairchild with 2 outs and a man on base in the 8th. He hit a blooping line drive to 2B for the 3rd out.
Addressing the catching situation prior to the game, Bell spoke of opportunity and seeing who might reach out and grab it. Then, after Kolozsvary hit a home run in the seventh, he was subbed out for a career 4A pinch hitter (Reynolds) to lead off the 9th. Let Koloz bat. If he reaches, sure, run for him. But let him bat.
I think its been very clear for last 2 months that Votto is done in the field. For heavens sake Moose is a better fielder at first. There isn’t another team in the league that would play Votto at first unless it was a double header or 7th game in 7 days situation.
Bell is a big believer in using everyone on the roster. I don’t agree with all of it but that’s his philosophy and we are stuck with it until he is gone. He also pinch hit for Moose late in the game not long ago.
The team has been playing better of late and a dose of patience for 8 days is needed until the trade deadline is over. And this just in, that Cardinals team is darn good – their closer is a home grown 5th rounder! They know how to draft & develop.
By Aug 3rd I’d guess.
I ended up Cleteing and watching the season finale of “The Old Man.” Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow turned out to be Joey and Moose. Maybe next year …???
I switched to Netflix and watched “The Gray Man” Whew! If you like action, highly recommend
With Donnie Barrels barreling up balls, Moose has no business in the lineup. Gotta pay him whether he plays or sits and fans would rather see him sit. He sits and is used as a PH until Drury, Pham, Solano and Naquin are traded. And even then, fans might rather see Fairchild, Friedl, Schrock and Lopez playing.
I have no idea why any Reds fan attended this game. The result was predictable.
I would be more interested if they played the young guys even if they lost more.
I would like to see if Minor has any value in the bullpen because he has shown that he has absolutely zero value as a starter.
I am in favor of playing the young guys, if they were remotely better than the veterans. The problem is they are not. There isn’t a single young position player (other than India and Stephenson) on the major league roster who looks promising.
The truth in terms of position players they are two players worth watching and those are India and Stephenson. India is not having a good season and Stephenson is likely out for the remainder of the year.
That really only leaves Brandon Drury who is fun to watch and he will likely be traded in a couple of weeks. I have all but given up on Nick Senzel.
The bottom line is when it comes to position players, absolutely nobody is getting the job done, that applies to veterans and the young players.
This team had it’s share of problems last year, but it is nothing compared to 2022. I don’t see this team competing for quite sometime.
In 2007, Scott Hatteburg, was having a career year for the Reds at 1B in his age 27 season. His OPS+ was hovering around 120 despite his career OPS+ being in the league average (100) range.
Nevertheless, come September, a 2nd round #44 overall draft pick, Joey Votto, was bought up from AAA for the 1st time. Based on a .859 OPS in 580 career AAA PAs Votto essentially replaced Hatteburg as the Reds 1B for that month. Votto finished the month with an OPS+ of 127 in 89 PAs. Hatteburg finished the year with an OPS+ of 120 in 416PAs.
The following spring, the Reds danced a transition dance at 1B but Votto was soon established as the everyday guy. In early June, Hatteburg was released to “pursue opportunities” with other teams that unlike the Reds were contending for the postseason. However per BB Reference Hatteberg never again played in MLB. His parting gift for being a good soldier and mentoring JV beyond the call of duty by all accounts turned out to be the balance of his $1.85m 2008 salary
Fast forward 15 years. Stuart Fairchild, a 2nd round #38 overall draft pick, has compiled a .941 OPS at AAA in 352PAs. In his last month at AAA prior to being recalled by the Reds, Fairchild’s AAA OPS was a tad better than 1.000 (79PAs).
Yet the Reds who are apace to lose 100 games can’t seem to just write Fairchild’s name into the lineup to see what happens. If and when they do that and if Fairchild washes out, then we will know the people playing ahead of him are better. Until, IMO, we don’t
Reds are 23 under headed to August and 16 games out. Yet, Bell pinch hits a guy in Naquin who wont be here in a week for Senzel in the 6th inning( Naquin struck out) and then pinch hit for Fairchild in the 8th with Moose. We dont know if Senzel or Fairchild have Reds futures. While Senzel power isnt there, he is playing much better the last 6 weeks. Fairchild as you say, has done well in AAA. We do know Naquin and Moose dont have Reds futures. Let the young players swing the bat. The season is over.
This isnt happening, but why I would move on from Bell in 1 week to transition away from 2022 and get a new voice who communicates that playing time the last 2 months will be centered on finding pieces for 2023+. Bell is like Price. Price wouldn’t play Winker or Ervin and stuck with Hamilton, Schebler and Duvall despite 95 losses.
Bell is 31 games under .500 in his 4 seasons for a winning percentage of .467. Thats well below Ray Knight, tied with Jerry Narron, and ahead of Bob Boone.
Pete McKanin as interim for Narron was .513 over 80 games.
Hand the reins over to Benavides for the final furlong.
Teams usually don’t release players who show promise. Fairchild has been released twice.
Yanks lead on Houston down to 1.5 games for home field in ALDS. Let’s hope Krall doesn’t back down. NYY no WS title since 2009. Pressure is building. NY needs Castillo more than Cincy needs NY.
Get Volpe, Wells, Selvidge, and Lange. Two high end position players, and two good young arms.
I think the only players who have a chance of still being associated with this team, the next time they make the post season are Greene, Lodolo, Ashcraft, Stephenson and India.
Of course, maybe none of them will still be with the team by then. I don’t think that Nick Krall and David Bell will still be with the team. David Bell might be with the team, but not as their manager.
This team is a hot mess right now. They have a complete lack of direction.
I don’t see any reason at all for optimism. The team is likely to get much worse (if that is even possible) when they trade Castillo and Mahle.
I have been following this team day in and day out since 1972. I don’t think I can continue to do that, if the Reds put a similar type of product on the field in 2023.
For me, it’s 50/50 right now. If they execute these trades correctly, I think they can compete for the WS in about 2025. Anything else, and it will be more of the same, and I will no longer be interested.
The Dodgers may need Mahle if May can’t come back (unlikely). Get Pages, Bruns, and Duran. Good outfield prospect, and 2 more good young arms.
Toronto needs a bat. Druty for Tiedeman and Machado. Another good arm and another good young SS with a very good hit too. Low strikeouts.
The three trades I propose bring back 9 very good prospects who are not currently needed by their club and gives each team something they need for this year.
The Reds get nobody on the 40 man (I don’t think) and gives them mad A to AA talent to go with what is already here and about to be signed.
Should pick in top 5 next year, and I heard somewhere they lead on a high end Catcher internationally next year.
This could be really good.
Drury… sorry getting late.
I don’t think the Jays would do it – they had Drury for three years just recently and he hit about .200 over that time.
I don’t think he will be traded to the American League east and especially Toronto.
Brandon Drury didn’t make the trip to Toronto. I am assuming he is not vaxed. .
Angels have Trout and Ohtani yet are nearly as bad as the Reds. High ticket superstars are obviously not the answer.
The Angels team pitching is 11th out of 15 teams
Surprisingly, the Houston Astros are first and the Yankees second in team pitching in the American League. Well…..huh. And those two teams are about even in wins.
Pitching wins. but the superstars on the field fill the seats.
Winning fills the seats.
The prospects the Reds get back for Castillo and others they trade may determine the Reds future for the next several years. They should be able to get at least one decent, maybe two prospects for Drury I think too. Maybe even for Pham, Minor, Naquin etc. they could get say a solid reliever, average major league prospect. If you trade Castillo, you have to hit on that one…and I think if you trade Mahle you have to kind of hit on that, you can’t strikeout on those.
I don’t know. Right now I’d put the Pirates and Cubs ahead of the Reds in the rebuilding category. The Reds seem to have like one potential star in the minors in Elly De La Cruz…then Matt Mcclain maybe he will be a good MLBer, and you have some pitching prospects.
But it’s not as promising as maybe a year ago when you were looking forward to Greene and Lodolo coming up. Both have been disapointments overall honestly. Can you imagine if they don’t pan out how bad the Reds will be for years? But I still think both can be good…I hope so for the Reds sake! And the bullpen is just kind of a disaster…I think it’s quietly one of their bigger problems heading into the future too. Too many injuries, no real established guys in their bullpen.
In another sense I applaud the Reds and Bell for becoming at least respectable since the 3-22 start. They have some solid veteran type of players and guys like Drury that have taken an advantage to play and run with it. Farmer and Pham on a good team starting if surrounded by stars would be respectable. Senzel is an ok 8-9 hitter if you’re not expecting much offense out of him, but above average defense and occasional speed on the bases.
With Stephenson in your lineup daily (when he was) and Castillo pitching every 5 days, that star power makes a difference, and probably helped spur them to respectability.
I worry about India a little. I almost think some of the negative vibes from his former teammates Winker, Castellanos being moved and speaking badly about the Reds organization, and then ownership throwing the fans under the bus has caused India to think maybe he doesn’t want to be in Cincinnati. But hopefully he matures and continues to become one of the leaders of the team moving forward. I’m not too concerned with his down year this year statistically. The good players have down years especially when young, and even when in the middle of their careers.
good comment on India. I still think he is trying to find his identity. Is he a table setter? or a guy that is going to try to hit 30 homeruns a year.? I personally would like to see Senzel leading off as he is a little more patient at the plate in my opinion. Move India to the three hole where he can be a little more aggressive with his swing and move Pham down towards the end of the line up.
pretty big crowds so far this year at gabp for such a bad team. the weather has been cooperative which could be a factor. Yes it has been hot, but not a lot of rain that we usually have. But overall bigger crowds than i expected after the bad start. hope ownership is watching. there are still many loyal fans willing to come to the games, but for how much longer?
Most teams have up and down seasons and this is a real tough one for the Reds. All things considered, attendance has not been as bad as expected. The Reds have been around Cincinnati and the metro area a long time. They have a good fan base. Trading period and offseason is not far off. Big changes are anticipated.
How many of the fans attending are there to see the visiting team? Listen to the crowd when the visitors make a play.
I wonder how the OF will look next year. Assuming Pham and Naquin won’t be around, there’s just a long list of AAA+ players after Senzel.
Here’s my fear….the Reds decide to make no trades at all.
They reason that they fan base is so PO’d that they need to keep everyone and try to win as many games as possible the rest of the year.
I know this sounds irrational, but it’s no more irrational than getting rid of Barnhart and Miley due to their salaries, and then turning around and acquiring Minor and Pham for nearly identical salaries.
We all screamed all year to get rid of Barnhart because if he is on the roster, Bell would play him over Stephenson. Now that they did that, you call it irrational?
Injuries happen. It’s part of the game.
I have to give Mike Minor credit for being consistent.
He has had a game ERA of 5.50 or higher in 78% of starts.
And hats off to Drury and Solano who are doing everything possible at the plate to make themselves appealing trade candidates so they can get traded to a good team.
Pretty sure Cardinal fans out numbered Reds fans.
Do the Reds owners even care?
Sure, doesn’t look like it.
People forget the Reds are playing close to 500 baseball since their awful start. I mean something must be working right? In saying that, what “young guys do you play” Also would you be satisfied. I mean Senzel is doing much better and yet someone stated they had all but given up on him. Stephenson can’t stay healthy and yet its not his fault. ( I realize being a catcher isn’t easy). India is batting 230, and yet somehow he gets a pass. My point is people on RLN would still complain about the “Young Guys” They young guys that look to be able to help the Reds on in Double A.
So do the Reds call those guys up. I don’t know the answer but what I do know is the Reds front office created this mess by trading away and not signing some of their free agents. I don’t by the whole small market team.. You spend money the fans will come out. Look at the Bengals.
Why would someone give up on Senzel now? He is hitting .351 since June 23rd. I don’t buy into the small market crap either. People will come if you put the talent on the field. Crowds haven’t been bad for a lousy mess of a team that’s on the field right now. I’m a Votto fan but when is Sadak and everyone here going to run out of excuses and just except the fact he is done? I’ve excepted it. It’s what happens. He hits a home run and people say he is turning the corner. So I take it Kolzy is turning the corner now because he hit a home run? People need to except reality.
I mentioned a 6 game hitting streak Votto had. Yet, you are correct I think Votto is done.
Joey was 7 for 26 .269 average those 6 games. It would be nice if he hit 269 for the year and raise his career BA back up to .300 but I don’t see it this year or next. He is late on that fastball. FYI Joey’s career BA lost another point. He is down to .298 now. Major bummer
Castellanos booed by large number of Phillies fans and got testy post-game with a reporter.
Nightmare season with an fWAR of -1.2, wRC + of 83 and power outage with only 8 home runs all year. He’s owed $80 million in 2023-26 on the wrong side of 30.
I for one was happy the Reds didn’t sign Castellanos. You just don’t sign guys on the wrong side of 30 to those contracts.
Dude is only 30 years old. Having a bad season in my opinion isn’t the end of a career. I myself wish Reds would of resigned him. He was a energy guy while here.
I do think contracts are a catch 20/20. Look at Trout. He is now injured all the time. Do players relax once they sign a big deal? Not care? Not comparing trout to anyone as he is a phenomenal player .
It’s the first year of a new contract in a new city with his new team. He didn’t sign until almost the end of Spring Training. To top it off, he just had a new baby born a couple months back. These athletes are human like the rest of us.
Castellanos will be fine. He wasn’t great his first season in Cincinnati, but became an All-Star in year two. I’m willing to bet that Castellanos, Suarez, and Winker will all be in the All-Star conversation next year in year two with their new teams.
Castellanos, maybe. Winker maybe, but Suarez, no. Winker was a talented hitter, but a kind of lousy outfielder. He may bounce back. He is and was kind of injury prone.
Suarez was a pretty good player for years, but age and injuries have taken a toll. He is, by all accounts, a really great guy, a real stand-up team mate. I wish him well. But he is on the wrong side of the baseball aging curve.
Time catches up to all of us. It hits pro-athletes younger. They all fall off, even the greatest players. It’s hard to watch your favorite player age and start falling apart, as a player. But it happens.
He’s learning what it’s like to play in a city where fans and local media actually expect to win and don’t passively accept lousy performances by highly paid players. One nice thing about signing with the Reds is that nobody ever has to worry about that.
I think its clear that Stephenson is currently the MVP of this Reds team. When he is out, the middle of the lineup is very vanilla. Got to find a way to keep him on field.
We all just need to be patient for another, what, 8 days. Trade deadline will be over and some positions will be open for the younger players. Except the bullpen – those guys already are young and stink so won’t be traded. Couple need to be designated.
I’d like to see an outfield of Fraley, Senzel, Fairchild and Aquino for rest of the year. They all need another 200 at bats to get comfortable. Solano, Drury, Pham, and Naquin likely to be traded. So either Lopez or Schrock playing a lot of infield rest of year. Then Starting pitchers Dunn and Overton due back soon and they need some extended run and likely to get it with Minor and Castillo likely needing replaced and Hunter hitting an innings limit.
Aquino shouldn’t get another single AB for this organization. After 4 years of ABs we know who he is
A guy who will strike out 30 times and hit .200 between running into a fastball every two weeks
What about Santana, as he is 25 and having a solid triple A season. While I am okay with season after the terrible start gotta make some kind of change.
We all see it, maybe different points of view, but see it. This team needs to commit to a strategy and go forward.
I’ll give the Reds mvp to Drury
And like others have no interest in seeing Aquino back in the majors with the Reds
Nobody in the Reds front office is calling me for advice but if they did:
It’s time to DFA Minor. What more does anyone need to see?
Get Votto out of Cleanup. It’s not working. Hello Bell?
Otherwise, everything is great.
Play Votto only against RH pitchers. He is horrible now against LH pitchers. Alternate him with Drury at 1B if a trade cannot be made. Move Stephenson to 1B once he returns (if he returns this year).
Look at today’s line up, one of the worst teams in baseball and the line up has 3 players under and one, Drury, will shortly be 30.
The recap on the main Reds site quotes Minor as saying, “Tonight, I didn’t feel great from the get-go,” Minor said. “I didn’t feel like the location was there, and I didn’t feel like the pitches were there. I knew it was going to be a grind with that lineup, a lot of good hitters over there, and they don’t give in. They hit good pitches and hit bad pitches. It doesn’t matter.”
Bell’s thoughts were, “Mike, if anything, just kind of was missing his spots,” Reds manager David Bell said. “Had to come back to the middle a few times and they didn’t miss it when he did. Yeah, kind of a tough night after the first inning.”
Well duh … you didn’t look good throwing BP out there to us either.
As to his soft-tossing nature, reference his thoughts “I missed a lot over the plate,” Minor said. “A lot of pitches where I was trying to go one side and it was on the other side. They were pitches I knew not to throw, but I left them over the plate. My changeup wasn’t good early on. Then I didn’t throw many sliders or curveballs. Fastball location was pretty bad.”
He’s an “old” pitcher, hanging on based on what he did seasons ago. People think …well, maybe he still has something left.
No, he doesn’t. He didn’t last year and doesn’t now. Yet the Reds’ “Front Office” decided to get him and dump Amir Garrett. Who has pitched 23 innings with the Royals, and has a 6.17 ERA. Doing great.
Sometimes lousy pitchers are just lousy pitchers. I can forgive Hunter Greene (for a while) because he is only 22. But the Reds’ pitching staff is…pretty lousy. All of it.
Pitching wins games. There is no mystery as to why they have a lousy record. It’s lousy pitching. Period.