The Reds made it a close game late thanks to a Jake Fraley home run in the 8th inning, but Cincinnati couldn’t complete the comeback as Mike Minor fell to 1-10 on the season in a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies (64-51) |
4 | 12 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Reds (45-69) |
3 | 9 | 0 |
| W: Syndergaard (7-8) L: Minor (1-10) SV: Dominguez (9) |
|||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
The Offense
Cincinnati’s offense got something going in the 2nd inning when Albert Almora Jr. doubled and Matt Reynolds singled to put runners on the corners. Two outs later it was Michael Papierski coming through with the key hit, a 2-run single, to put the Reds in front 2-0.
The Reds bats went rather quiet moving forward until Jake Fraley led off the 8th inning with a home run to cut the Phillies lead to 4-3. That also ran Noah Syndergaard from the game as Philadelphia turned to their bullpen. It worked the rest of the way in the 8th as David Robertson kept Cincinnati off of the board. Seranthony Dominguez did the same thing in the 9th as the Reds comeback fell just short.
The Pitching
Mike Minor had to work around two hits in the 1st inning and another hit in the 2nd inning, but he did just that and was rewarded with a two run lead heading into the 3rd. But that’s when things began to fall apart. The lefty allowed four singles and a walk in the 3rd and saw the Phillies score three runs and take the lead. Two innings later Philadelphia got back-to-back doubles from Jean Segura and Edmundo Sosa to extend their lead to 4-2. After allowing four runs in five innings, Minor was finished and David Bell turned the game over to the bullpen.
Ian Gibaut threw a shutout 6th inning, but it wasn’t easy as he allowed a single and two walks before escaping a bases loaded jam by striking out Nick Castellanos. Luis Cessa followed up with a perfect 7th inning and a perfect 8th inning before Hunter Strickland came out for the 9th. Kyle Farmer made an outstanding play to rob Alec Bohm of a hit to start the inning, which turned out to be a key play as J.T. Realmuto doubled off of the wall in center to follow and may have led to an additional run. Strickland buckled down from there and struck out Castellanos and Jean Segura to end the inning and hold the deficit to a run.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Philadelphia Phillies vs Cincinnati Reds
Tuesday August 16th, 6:40pm
Kyle Gibson (7-5, 4.29 ERA) vs T.J. Zeuch (0-1, 13.50 ERA)
4B produced 5 outs in 4 pitches
Needless to say, I don’t believe Minor will be in our plans next season.
That’s a Minor revelation …
Unfortunately, with the injuries, he’s a mid rotation guy this year.
I am beginning to think the trade of Amir Garrett for Minor, and the $10 M they gave Minor, was a mistake.
I have thought the trade was a horrible idea for the beginning. The Reds should have traded Garret for PTBNL or released him. They could have picked up anyone else from the bargain bin on a minor league contract and gotten similar results as Minor for a fraction of the price.
For every brilliant decision like Drury they do something stupid like trade for Minor
Mike Minor could be a 5th. starter on a team with good offense to cover the usual runs he gives up before the 5th. inning. But the Reds have a weak offense, in contrast to last season, so Minor is a downer.
A bigger downer is our catcher Papierski had four runners steal on him! It’s so clear that Austin Romines must be the starting catcher!
Joey Votto is hitting .208 with an OPS of .697
Moose is on the DL again.
They are both owed $52 million in exit fees still in 2023. We arent yet at the bottom.
Tanking is the best option in 2022.
Sure, but what have we learned except the obvious of who is almost certainly not going to be useful and productive next year? What players are keepers next year and at least some part of a hopeful 2024 resurgence? Lopez, Barrero, the catchers too numerous to mention, etc. As much as we complain about the vets getting the playing time, it does appear that there is little left to try out. Development and coaching are lacking. So, expect more Farmer, Solano, and maybe Almora. Pretty skimpy discovery for a season but that is where its at.
I really hope they let Moustakas go. He has no trade value and is just wasting a 40 man spot. The Reds owe him nothing. Votto can stay, he earned his contract. I just wish he would take some more days off. He really seems to respond well to rest
That’s a “fat” contract to eat because the odds of another team taking on that contract is next to zero. We’re probably stuck with Moose so, if I’m management, I tell him to drop at least 25 pounds!
Obviously no one is taking it. Just let him go and pay the money. They aren’t forced to keep him. If someone else wants him they can pay the league minimum and the Reds pay the rest. It happens every year
I’m sure the MLBPA would love to file a grievance for telling a player to lose weight.
Bell will continue to roll Votto out at Cleanup. It’s beyond obvious he should be moved to 3rd or better yet, 5th but it’ll never happen. Bell is so tardy making obvious changes. Bat Solano or Farmer 4th. At least they’re hitting.
Minor is 1 & 10. Chris Welsh continues to defend him. I know he has to but come on, this is a disaster which is not going to get better. Move on.
The bigger concern with Joey is what will it take for Bell to drop him in the order next year? It’s one thing for Joey to be dismal at the plate, another for Bell to bat him there perpetually “out of respect”. Bell makes the Joey situation much worse.
Just couldn’t chase Thor early enough. Missed opportunities again.
How about taking a chance on one or two of these soon to be free agents Borderline Cases: Mitch Haniger (Mariners), J.D. Martinez (Red Sox), Jurickson Profar (Padres), Anthony Rizzo (Yankees) and Brandon Drury (30 Padres) for next year in a small stadium? They won’t cost as much as you would think and you can always flip them later. Better hitters in a smaller stadium.
Bobby and Nick will have to certainly overpay market value for any free agent in 2023, as that would be the only incentive to play here. If they were willing to pay Minor $10M maybe they’ll pay someone else but idk
i agree with Data Dumpster above. These young reds just don’t seem to be able to hit major league pitching on a consistent basis. I am worried that Barrerro and Aquino are representative of the prospects coming up. they put up great numbers in the minors but just can’t put it together at this level.
If you run across a veteran that can hit. you better hold on to him. So hopefully we do see more of Farmer, Solano, Reynolds next year. maybe try to get back Drury as well
There is a big difference between minor league and major league pitching. Which is why a lot of people around here are going to be very disappointed when only a couple of the prospects, acquired during this rebuild, are able to stick in the major leagues.
If the Reds come out of it with a starting infielder and one or two bench players, it will be a success. Fans who think that all the prospects acquired this year can just be penciled into the 2024 starting line up are delusional.
If one becomes a star, another starter, and a bench piece Krall will look like a genius. Anyone thinking the infield is going to be full of All Star 24 year olds will be extremely disappointed. It’s almost funny every year when everyone crowns a new prospect with the MVP award and demands they be called up. It rarely ever ends with an All Star on the roster.
Very smart idea! Plenty of veterans hitting .250 out there and that’s a huge improvement from the young Reds.
i felt the big play of the game was Farmer being held to a single on his liner down the left field line in the 8th. i blame that totally on the slooooowww as molasses turf at gabp. you want that ball going to the wall. If that was a double then Joey’s grounder gets him to third and a bloop single ties the game.
i would like to see a faster turf and bigger alleys in gabp for next year. you want a stadium where it is hard to hip home runs and easy to hit double and triples if you are a small market team like the reds. gabp is the opposite
Then tell coach to bunt more.
Because of another horrific Reds season and the purposeful destruction of yet another Reds team, I terminated my Bally Sports channel programming. No more Reds for me folks. I don’t expect this comment to be posted, because these days nobody wants to hear the truth unless the truth is “nice” and “kind”. Anyhow, it would be kinda nice if Reds fans could for once in decades be treated to a team capable of winning a championship!!! I’m jumping ship until winning becomes a priority in Cincinnati!!!
Doug, I think a lot of people feel this way. I never got over Phil Castellini’s comments on opening day. Those remarks were just inexcusable.
I usually attend 25 games a year. This year I have attended just three games and none since the 3-22 start. If you start the season 19 games under .500 and no one gets fired, it tells me the Red’s ownership doesn’t care, so why should I?
I’m not going to pay major league prices to watch minor league talent. When the owners invest in this team and put a competitive team on the field, I may return, if I haven’t completely lost interest by then.
I loved baseball in the 1970s and 80s. The game is so much different now. It is boring in Comparison. I’m not sure I will care all that much by the time the team starts to win again.
V4L: This is my 6th straight year of not attending any games. They became unwatchable and my interests (and $$) went elsewhere. I also used to average about 25 games a year. I can’t imagine they will ever get me back for more than 1 or 2 games a year.
I also stopped watching (gave up cable/satellite) and only occasionally will listen on radio if I am in the car. I never dreamed my level of interest would be this minimal.
I still follow but I refuse to spend a dime after Phil’s comments. When I was back in Cincinnati over the summer I took my daughter to her first FC Cincinnati game instead of her first Reds game.
If they don’t spend money in 24 I will give up completely.
Doug Bishop: Have you been reading the comments at RLN? They’re close to being uniformly negative, much of the time.
Bill, concerning my negative comments about the Reds, I must admit that your observation is on point. For years, the Reds have nothing to offer their fans & I must move on. Sorry if my open and honest comments disappoint you, but that is how I really feel! Just to encourage you and other readers on this forum, I will promptly unsubscribe & you won’t hear anything from me again. But before I go, just remember to never remind Reds fans that “The emperor wears no clothes”. However, for me, I will continue to see things for what they truly are instead of denying the truth of the situation. Sometimes it takes a now former Reds fan with guts to speak the truth and blast through the BS and lies, & completely abandon the Reds before positive change will come.
Not sure if I would give much more than even money, that this team makes the post season again this decade.
I do not know about anyone else but one more start from Mike Minor is one too many. Looking in the minor leagues though does not give much hope for anyone to come up and do much if any better this year.
There isn’t anyone else to pitch. They might as well get some innings for the $10 million.
Seeing Barrero struggle so much makes me way less optimistic about all the supposed “can’t miss” prospects the Reds acquired at the deadline. I may be overreacting, but I am so tired of losing and don’t have much faith left.
Can’t miss seems to miss a lot, but if a couple of them make it the Reds can fill in the holes through free agency. I’m optimistic that two will be starters by 2025. The rest probably struggle
I understand the concern…but, look, the system did produce India and Stephenson…and Winker was starting to show promise. But Senzel, those have raked in Louisville (AA et al) have been disappointing.
Barrero has something like 180 total major league at bats, scattered over parts of 3 seasons. Relax. Look at guys like Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt, Jr. They struggled even more than Barrero has for their first 180 at bats. You have to have patience with young top level prospects. People expect them to come in and do what they did in the minors. That is unrealistic. It takes time to make adjustments. The rule of thumb is wait at least 800 at bats before even beginning to assess, and you won’t truly know who a player is until 1500 at bats. I get that Reds fans are frustrated, but don’t let it make you lose your rationality.
Excellent post, Luke. Following a losing team frustrates us all, and the Reds’ evident strategy of building with prospects has risks, but until ownership is willing to spend lots of money, it’s the only path I can see to anything better than mediocrity. Signing a bunch of aging, second tier FA’s might get them closer to .500, considering the present core of good young pitchers plus India and Stephenson, but few of us would be satisfied with that.
I wouldn’t give up on Barrero just yet: We don’t know how much the injury set him back or whether it’s still bothering him, for that matter. I’m not predicting anything.
@GMR. I strongly disagree. There is never any negativity!
FWIW though, Castellini ran this franchise to the ground and needs to sell, bull Krall is no good, Bell should be fired, the bullpen is a dumpster fire, Moose is awful, Minor is awful, Votto needs to retire, Barrero will never hit, Senzel is always hurt. Sadak is the worst announcer ever!
Did I miss anything?
oops, that was in reply to your other comment up the page. I replied in the wrong space.
You didn’t miss much, old-school.
Positive Nugget: Luis Cessa pitched two awesome innings and has had a strong August. Coaches are learning a relief pitcher can pitch more than one inning and should if they are pitching well.
Embrace the process.
Now where the heck is that sarcasm font?
+500
Maybe we could adopt {s} and {/s} to indicate sarcasm on and off 😉
Say what you will about Farmer…right now I’d take an average player in the lineup.
Who is that average player? Name? You can’t just run down to Walmart and pick up someone from the average player aisle.
From the start of the season to the All Star break, warts and all, Pham was very close to “that average player” as far as results on the field.
It is truly a process and one that now and next year can not be measured by wins and losses.Got to get through next year and rid of big money and non producing players.Some young guys will turn out and money is available to get other players.Right now we are just a bad team with little or no big league talent on the field.
The Reds need to be investing in a method or coach to teach players like Barrero and Aquino how to recognize pitches a foot outside and not swing at them. I also wonder what Minor’s record could have been had he pitched all season. He could have been Cincinnati’s first 20 game loser in a long time. While I’m being negative, I may as well comment on the prospects expected to save the Reds. Even if they get to Cincinnati and play in 2024, they are not going to be all stars, if ever, for at least a couple of years of experience. So if you are going to see a winning team in Cincinnati you had better be patient and younger than I am. Sorry to say but us older folks and Castellini may never see a good Reds team again. I hope I’m wrong.
I am not trying to sound snarky, but I don’t understand the mindset of some fans not wanting the Reds to spend money on FA in 23. Is the thought that if the Reds make an extra 55M next year, they will reinvest that 55M into the future payroll?
I am pretty sure that money will get invested into the wallet of Bob and Co, and not future contracts. I want them to spend as much available payroll (wisely) each year as the GM can go.
Invest in FAs that are 27-29 and have some future viability, sure spend the money. Dumpster diving, and touting Strickland, Doolittle, Pham, and a similar list of has beens, isn’t a prudent use of dollars. I’d rather see them lose 100 games a year with the prospects and young guys than see them lose 90 with a bunch of FA dinosaurs. Old_School hit most of the main points in his “negativity” post and with the exception of Barrero hitting, for which the jury is still out, the rest are spot on.
That was a little tongue in cheek LDS.
I’m giving Krall the benefit of the doubt, I do believe Barrero should get plenty of time to develop( when that means he should go back to AAA because of strikeouts and approach I don’t know). I’ve never blamed Senzel for his assortment of maladies but he’s been fairly durable this year health wise x he cant barrel balls or hit for power and I don’t blame Bell for everything but I do believe he’s had his 4 years and 2023 is a transition year and time for a new voice to lead that transition after the season ends.
The Reds havent invested in the bullpen and it shows. Moose is awful and Sadak is the worst announcer ever.
@LDS your cheating adding Doolittle to the list. Solano and Drury were also added. If your going knock “dumpster diving” then you should acknowledge the positives to.
Having said that, I’m with you. I want a legit closer and setup man, as well as a LF, and veteran catcher. I’ve put my wish list out there plenty of times, but really I want the Reds to spend quality $, on quality players.
I don’t want to wait till 24 or 25 or whatever year people are eying as “the year”. Let’s spend the 55M that will be available now, and the 43M that comes off the books in 24. The future rookies and current young players can’t carry the load by themselves.
MBS, I agree, they cannot. But until the Reds know what they actually have, limit spending. And I’m not one of those folks expecting the 2024 or 2025 to be competitive. I’m just not seeing it.
Drafting (or signing international) prospects is a rocky row to hoe. Follow the link below to go to a historical reprise of Doug’s Reds top 25 prospects all the way back to 2007 rankings.
As you scroll down the page and back through history. Think about the hype and hope stoked by the guys at or near the top of the lists that you had forgotten about or whose names you only vaguely recognize. Consider the number of them compared to the number of guys on the lists who went on to have even mediocre careers.
https://www.redsminorleagues.com/cincinnati-reds-prospect-rankings/
In 2007, some guy with a strange name that rhymes with “Lotto” was the #4 prospect then mysteriously disappeared from the list. Wonder whatever became of him?
Guess he was occupied elsewhere in 2008.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vottojo01.shtml
If that “lotto like” player had retired after 15 years, he would have probably been a lock for the hall of fame…but he would have walked away from, what, 80 million? Not really a tough choice. Show me the money!
WL – I understand all the calls here for Joey to retire, but each person here, if asked to quit doing something they LOVE doing because they can’t do it as well as they used to, and in the process leave $25 millon on the table, well … I don’t see it? Doesn’t matter if you have $100 million in the bank, it is $25 million dollars.
I should add that when Joey signed that deal, there was a huge sigh of relief for Reds fans that he would not become a free agent and eventual Yankee or Dodger. The Reds seemed to be on the cusp and Joey committed to be part of it. Committed to play his entire career in Cincinnati, Ohio. I know sports is a “what have you done for me lately” type of business, but I haven’t forgotten that Joey was more loyal to the Reds and the Reds ownership than they were to him … he has never complained, he has never whined, he has never criticized anybody.
The AAV for the guaranteed portion of Votto’s contract is $22.5m. Most everyone who ever gave the contract a hard look probably realized a significant portion of the final years’ compensation was back load to compensate for prior services rendered. This is the only way the Reds could afford to keep Votto through his prime years.
By WAR measurements Votto has more than earned every guaranteed cent in the contract and more. It is not his fault the Reds turned to cheapness and did not put a good team on the field around him as he continued to be one of the top offensive players in baseball deep into his 30’s. It is not his fault a budding opportunity he led along Castellanos and Winker was allowed to wither on the vine in 2021.
It is time for the Reds to step up and make good on their commitment without forcing Votto to go through the motions to collect the last $35m or so in guaranteed money remaining on the contract.
I agree Jim Walker, write him a check and let him off the hook. He’s just embarrassing himself these days and jeopardizing his HOF prospects. Spending his career on the Reds has already risked that enough.
Barrero’s injury has nothing to do with his pitch selection. His fielding has also been saved by favorable rulings. Everyone says compare his AAA numbers. Not very encouraging. Give him until September and see if one of our other stud infielders can at least put the bat on the ball.
Here is a link to Barrero’s 2021 AAA stats. He did this across a whole season with an interruption of a couple of weeks to be misused at MLB. This is the guy the Reds hope they get back.
OPB/SLG/OPS= .380/.539/.919; wRC+=147; Traditional BA=.303
K%=21.2; BB&=9.5
If they were going to bring Barrero up in 2021, it should have been as an everyday player. Then in 2022, it was obvious he wasn’t in a proper groove to be elevated yet they brought him and play him everyday.
https://www.fangraphs.com/players/jose-barrero/23378/game-log?type=-2&gds=2021-04-01&gde=2021-10-01&season=&position=SS