Hunter Greene’s dominant run of starts in the second half continued as he picked up 10 strikeouts in 6.0 innings where he was charged with an unearned run, but that wasn’t enough as the bullpen allowed three runs after he left and the offense never found a way to come through with a timely hit when they needed one in a 4-1 loss.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (60-95) |
1 | 6 | 2 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates (58-97) | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| W: Crowe (6-10) L: Farmer (2-2) SV: Bednar (18) |
|||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
The Offense
Jonathan India drew a 1-out walk in the top of the first and moved up to second on a Kyle Farmer single and then to third on a ground out by Jake Fraley. Mitch Keller’s control wasn’t with him in the inning and he uncorked a wild pitch to allow India to come in from third and give the Reds a 1-0 lead. Lack of control got Keller again in the 3rd as he loaded the bases with two hit batters and a walk, but Aristides Aquino would strike out to end the inning. Michael Siani led off the 4th inning with a single, picking up his first big league hit int he process. He was caught stealing later in the inning.
In the 5th inning Cincinnati would once again threaten as they kicked off a rally with two outs to load the bases for Aristides Aquino once again. He didn’t strike out this time, but the result was the same as he flew out harmlessly to end the inning as the game remained tied up at 1-1. TJ Friedl would single in the 7th before being erased on a double play that ended the inning. It would be the last hit the Reds would get on the night as the losing ways for Cincinnati continued.
The Pitching
After a 1-2-3 1st inning, Hunter Greene got into a bit of trouble in the next one as he walked Jack Suwinski to lead things off and gave up a 1-out single to Cal Mitchell. Greene clamped down and struck out Zack Collins before getting a fly out from Jason Delay to strand both runners. The 3rd inning didn’t quite go as well for Greene after he hit the leadoff batter. An error by Jonathan India followed and put runners on the corners with no outs and a grounder that was turned into a double play brought the tying run in.
The 5th inning saw Hunter Greene load the bases with no outs after a single, double, and a hit batter began the frame. Derek Johnson came out to visit the mound and what he said seemed to work for a bit as Greene struck out the next two batters. Miguel Andujar then hit a hard grounder down the third base line that Kyle Farmer dove for before jumping to his feet and firing a bullet to first base to end the inning and get the Reds out of the jam, keeping the game tied up at 1-1. Greene returned for the 6th and worked around a 2-out single and picked up his 10th strikeout of the game for the final out of the inning.
The 7th inning saw Buck Farmer come out of the bullpen for the Reds and that’s when things began to fall apart. Oneil Cruz led off the inning with a single, and two walks would come later in the inning to load the bases with one out. Miguel Andujar followed up with a 3-run double that just missed being a grand slam by about 2 feet as it slammed off of the wall in center. That put the Pirates ahead 4-1.
Hunter Strickland took over in the 8th inning and after retiring the first two batters of the inning Ji Hwan Bae doubled into center. Michael Siani dove for the ball on the play but came up inches short as it bounced off of his glove. He got up and fired the ball in, but he injured himself on the play and after a long chat with the trainer and manager David Bell he came out of the game – walking off on his own. A ground out followed to end the inning and send the game to the 9th where the offense would get one more shot at putting some runs on the board for the first time since the 1st inning. They didn’t.
Notes Worth Noting
Over Hunter Greene’s last five starts he’s thrown 29.1 innings and allowed 19 hits, walked 7 batters, and he’s picked up 43 strikeouts while allowing one home run and posting a 1.23 ERA.
Before exiting the game with an injury, Michael Siani picked up his first and second career hits in the big leagues.
No concussion symptoms for Michael Siani. He hit his head on the ground on his attempted diving catch in the eighth inning, which is why he left the game.
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) September 28, 2022
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates
Wednesday September 28th, 12:35pm ET
Luis Cessa (4-4, 4.78 ERA) vs Bryse Wilson (3-9, 5.95 ERA)
These Pirates must be good. 😉
The young Reds that were brought up to get a chance and finish the season are getting a raw deal by getting hitting instructions from this coaching staff. The same coaches that turned a good hitting Suarez into a .200 avg with an occasional long ball once a week. The same ones that turned a pure hitting Winker swinging so hard that he’d fall down and hurt himself.
Are we sure we want these coaches influencing these once promising hitters in the minor leagues, as they try to achieve success in the bigs?
+1,000,000,000,000
I have to agree. I don’t see this coaching staff developing our young players to the best of their abilities.
What coaches do you think will come here to work under this ownership.
Also how much confidence do you have in them hiring a capable staff.
Guys this is a dumpster fire. Ownership will not be investing in providing a quality product next year either. Votto and Moose will be off the books after next year. Until then all we will get is players who are cheap and available. They may not invest at that point.
As for Bell, frankly I’m surprised he has won as many games as he has. With injuries, cheap 1 year deals and trades we are not even a winning AAA roster in my opinion. I’m not willing to let Ownership off the hook if they fire Bell. This is on Bob and son.
But according to a couple not smart people here Bell and the coaches should’ve turned retreads that no other team wanted and make them mvp or cy young caliber
It’s refreshing seeing people see the real main issue
Is this the same coaching staff (and Winker) that Winker that turned a .830+ OPS in his first three years in Cincinnati to a .940+ OPS his last two years in Cincinnati and now has a .683 OPS in his first year in Seattle?
Is this the same coaching staff that turned a .721 OPS for Fraley in Seattle to an OPS of .833 since he was brought up in August?
Is this the same coaching staff that has continued the progression of Stuart Fairchild from a .435 OPS in 2021 to a .861 OPS in 2022?
Is this the same coaching staff that turned Jonathan India from the 7th best prospect and outside of everyone’s top 100 to Rookie of the year?
Is this the same coaching staff that worked with Joey Votto for 3 days as he sat out games and returned to be very productive in 2020 and 2021?
Is this the same coaching staff that has assisted Stephenson into being a very productive hitter?
Is this the same coaching staff that coached Casali to a .866 OPS his last year in Cincinnati to a .666 OPS after his departure?
How many HBP has Greene had in the last five starts? In my mind, an HBP is every bit as significant as a BB.
“Falters” is probably putting it mildly.
The bullpen is beginning to feel like “Groundhog Day”
Beginning? Pretty sure it’s been that way since last season.
It’s a radical concept but can someone get the word to management that if you start and play your players with the best batting averages (Lopez, Solano, Fairchild) you are likely to get more than one run? I know those are old fashioned analytics. It’s like the opposition gets to name our lineup and they put the best batters on the bench regularly.
Sorry, but this is just wrong, and it’s not just because it’s “old fashioned”. A player’s overall ability to get on base, and hit for power; and play defense all together makes for a much better evaluation than just batting average in a vacuum.
I know there are other evaluations but it’s frustrating the see the batters who hit the best for average and get on base more have to sit so regularly. Plus, the other evaluations you mention have helped led us to almost 100 losses so perhaps they suspect too.
Has a MLB manager who leads his team to a 100 loss season ever been retained for the following season?
Casey Stengel? Connie Mack for sure but I think he owned the team. Good question.
Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years; many of those years he owned the team. He always dressed in civilian clothes, never a uniform. His players addressed him as ‘Mr. Mack.’ He won five World Series and nine pennants for the A’s.
sparky anderson. 103 losses in 1989 with detroit and returned in 1990. lost 83 that year. didn’t have good players. lou piniella lost 99 with the rays in 2003 and came back for two more 90plus years. didn’t have good players.
That was the RLN equivalent of a Hunter Strickland hanging belt high slider to Christian Yellich. Well played.
Falters? More like Fawlty Towers!
+50,000
Bell needs to switch careers and go to work for the National Weather Service (NWS). Weathermen get paid whether they are right or wrong! This from a Florida resident watching the ever-changing forecast for Hurricane Ian.
In Bell’s defense (one night only), he made the correct choice in removing Greene when he did in tonight’s game!
Great to see Hunter finish on.a good note, however they are going to ruin him if they do not support him with better offense and defense. It is hard to imagine most of this roster and coaches being around in a couple of years.
To raise a little cheer, and something to consideer I hazard a guess that the 2024 lineup looks a lot more like this than what we’ve seen tonight:
Stephenson – c/1b/dh
Encarcion-Strand – 1b/dh/3b
McLain – 2b
Marte – ss
Collier – 3b
Allen – lf
de la Cruz – cf
Hinds – rf
Greene – SP
Lodolo – SP
Ashcraft – SP
Hubbard – SP
Petty – SP
Diaz = BP
Williamson – BP
Abbott – BP
Phillips – BP
Boyle – BP
Stoudt – BP
Bench: India, Siani, Arroyo, Steer, Nelson
Good news is the names on the field today will be distant memories by then and most out of the game. Familiarize yourself with these names because if they are developed properly, a big if, the future could be very bright.
Hubbart not Hubbard
Seems like you’re missing either a 1B, C, or DH from your list. You do have 13 position prospects so I’m assuming the DH would be one from your bench. I’d swap out either Arroyo or Collier out for McGarry. Not that his ceiling is higher, but he’s nearly MLB ready, and those 2 would be a stretch to make it by 24.
Pete, why do you think these players will be able to hit any better than Friedl, Barrero, Senzel, Aquino,Fraley et al? I guess we can all hope this batch of new prospects will be better hitters than our current roster but pardon me if I have my doubts. Stephenson is a really good hitter and India has his moments but everybody else up here just looks overmatched at the plate for the most part and I have a feeling the tend will continue for a while. getting rid of the shift will help to an extent but I still remain pessimistic for some reason.
They most probably can’t, but he’s enjoying a form of fantasy baseball!
@SteveAreno You nailed it my friend, guilty as charged. It’s my way of coping and honestly it beats the alternative. With a current Reds you have to have an alternative reality and this is mine.
I don’t even see McLain’s ceiling as high as India’s floor. Highly doubt he’s supplanting the rookie of the year.
Unfortunately, given India’s lack of defensive ability at second base he is more than likely to end up as a outfielder at some point.
I agree India’s long range spot with the Reds is as a corner OF. It is either that or in a Cardinals type move, he will be traded while his stock is high. I hope it is the former because he seems to have the kind of attitude and inclination to step up and be a leader.
@Luke, India has proved he can get it done at this level, but that seems a bit extreme. McLain’s ceiling (1st Rounder) isn’t as high as India’s floor (1st Rounder)? There was a time where many were doubting that India was going to be anything more than a utility.
Luke, for what it’s worth Fangraphs has McClain and India’s future value at 45. To be honest, I’m not real high on McClain but I don’t think Jonathan India’s future is as a second baseman. Perhaps either Marte or Arroyo ends up there.
The larger point that I was trying to make is very few of these guys that you will see play today will be part of the Reds future as cornerstones. Hopefully some will surprise and a few of these guys will be major contributors in a couple of seasons.
It’s hard to imagine who the position players will be in 2023 as we wait for minor leaguers to develop. Or the bullpen for that matter.
By that I mean it’s hard to believe that players like Barrero and Aquino, who’ve had extended playing time but still sit south of .200, or the various catchers they’ve tried, can possibly have another chance at it. And the Reds are surprisingly weak in outfield prospects. I sure hope Votto and Stephenson can stay healthy.
It just occurs to me now, perhaps a reason why the Reds don’t talk about their plans publicly is to let people just fill in the gaps on their own, exploiting fans hope for the future. This strategy was outlined in Dilbert years ago, that the best way for Dilbert to date was to just mumble over any controversial questions rather than actually answer them. That way, his date could just fill in the blanks and assume the best on her end.
In contrast, Jerry Dipoto is way too transparent and talked in depth about what he was implementing, and gave estimated timeframes for the Mariners rebuild. This really helped in getting fans to buy into the rebuild at first and keeping them engaged with the team… but he was wildly over optimistic, leading fans and the sportsmedia not working for the Mariners (since they own the regional sports network) to crush him and the team for being playoff-ready ~3 years later than first advertised. I guess that’s the risk of being transparent with the fans.
If we could only beat the Pirates. Reminds me of a kid in my neighborhood who worked 2 summers to buy a Ford Pinto. Dream big!
Been married since 1963. The Ford Pinto was our first car. Not stylish by today’s standards, but that brings back a lot of good memories.
The first car I bought was a $1,995 Pinto. If my memory is to be trusted, I eventually owned three Pintos before they were dropped in favor of the Escort.
One of them was a tricked out factory customized model the local dealership was stuck with when somebody ducked out on the special order. It had the larger engine option with an additional performance package applied to the engine and stiffened suspension. It would cruise smoothly at 70mph in 3rd and shoot up over 90 in a flash when dropped into 4th from that speed.
Ah, to be young again.
Is there a rule that stipulates the DH must be used for the Pitcher?
I’m beginning to wonder if the Reds can use the DH for their Shortstop?
Last year’s entire pitching staff (including many relievers who never hit) compiled a 0.121 batting average with a 31% K rate.
In his last 27 games Barrero is hitting an identical 0.121 batting average, but with a worse 42% K rate.
Last year’s pitchers and Barrero also had a similar 0.307 OPS
Barrero is harming his future chances by staying here. He should Get back to AAA-Louisville next year and work on his hitting since he’s young enough to do that.
DH can actually be used for any position. Same rules apply. If the DH comes into the game, said position has to bat.
Maybe the Reds should tell Hunter Greene to rest his arm over the winter but hook up with Mikey Biceps there in SoCal and spend as much time as possible in a batting cage and taking live BP from college pitchers. Only half in jest here.
Folks this is a very bad team in all facets. Until this ownership sells the team I see little hope for fielding a competitive team.
Agreed. For those who are focused on the manager’s moves, it’s focusing on treating the symptoms and not the cause.
Keep losing to the Pirates.
The Pirates “young pitching” seems to be better than the Reds “young pitching”.
And I am not willing to dump Barrero yet, but his batting is pathetic. I mean, he is not even making much contact. He seems over-matched against ML pitching.
He had better show something next spring in Arizona, or else I think he’s not going to stick.
The bottom of the order is pretty much dead. And for that matter, the top and middle of the order, doesn’t look so hot, either. As the Reds limp and stumble on to the end of the season.
Wait ’till next year! ….zzzzz…..
The intensity and desire Greene shows every time he starts……as fans, this is what you want to see and all you can ask for from a player–a will to win that burns. That kind of drive combined with the tools–he’s a generational talent. Ashcraft has that dawg in him too. Obviously talent wins ballgames, but as we see in St. Louis, culture can get you a long way. Here’s hoping more player leaders emerge who are unabashed in their intensity. I think India and Stephenson have it in them. It’s obvious the country club atmosphere middle manager Bell and ownership have created does not value these traits. But don’t take my word for it, just and Castellanos and Winker.
I agree. Castellanos lit the dormant fuse in Winker and instilled the drive in India from the get go.
I think Votto could have done more in terms of overt leadership through the years and may well now be realizing that since he has become more vocal as he sees the end of his playing days at hand sans the team results he always internally yearned for.
Ask a guy who is hitting .219 with a .340 slugging percentage who in the midst of a playoff chase is sitting against lefthanders. Worse than any year he played for the Reds. That should be an objective opinion.
Castillo got torched in his first start after signing the big contract.
Wow.
Glad I’ve got a doctor of my own to get advice from.
Winker is having an off season….clearly adjusting to a new team, new city, new pitching.
Could be nursing an injury.
You write him off after a bad season?
Same quick-to-judgement with Castillo.
Yikes….these guys are proven high quality MLB players.
Castillo has a bad start and it’s over?
These are objective opinions you are offering?
Too many here have blind faith in a plan that does not exist.
The only plan the Reds have is too limit payroll. “Aligning resources with payroll” is the plan. There is no plan to win.