Matt McLain hit a grand slam in the 5th inning to put the game out of reach as the Cincinnati Reds picked up their third victory in a row with a 9-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night at Great American Ball Park.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks (54-44) |
6 | 7 | 1 |
| Cincinnati Reds (53-46) | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| W: Young (4-0) L: Henry (5-3) SV: Diaz (28) | |||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
Arizona didn’t waste much time on Friday evening to grab a lead as Ketel Marte hit a solo home run in the 1st inning. The Reds got some help in their half of the inning after Nick Senzel reached on an error. Matt McLain followed up with a single, and then they pulled off a double steal to advance a base. Senzel would then score on a ground out to tie the game up.
Cincinnati would take the lead in the 2nd inning after back-to-back walks were followed up by a hit batter that loaded the bases. Tyler Stephenson would score the go-ahead run on a ground out, putting the Reds up 2-1. The lead wouldn’t last long as a lackadaisical effort on a grounder into center by Nick Senzel was turned into a hustle double by Alek Thomas. He would then come around to score on a single that tied the game up.
The game remained tied up until the bottom of the 4th inning when the Reds put together a 2-out rally. Nick Senzel walked and was followed by another walk by Matt Mclain. Spencer Steer then came through with a 2-run double to put Cincinnati up 4-2. Arizona got one of those runs back after a 2-out walk came back to haunt Ben Lively. Ketel Marte followed up the walk with a line drive to right field that Will Benson misplayed into a an RBI triple that cut into the Reds lead and made it 4-3.
The Reds wanted that run back and they got it. Christian Encarnacion-Strand picked up a 1-out single. He moved up to second base on a fielders choice that also saw Tyler Stephenson reach base. Will Benson then followed up with a ground-rule double to plate Encarnacion-Strand and make it 5-3. Arizona then intentionally walked Elly De La Cruz to load the bases. Nick Senzel was pinch hit for by TJ Friedl, but he struck out. Matt McLain had his back, crushing an 0-2, 101 MPH fastball and sent it into the bullpen in right field for a grand slam that put Cincinnati up 9-3.
After Alex Young recorded the final out of the 5th inning, it was Buck Farmer taking over in the 6th with a huge lead. He set the Diamondbacks down in order. Fernando Cruz took over in the 7th and struck out the first two hitters he faced. But then he allowed a home run, a single, and a home run as Arizona cut the lead down to 9-6.
Lucas Sims came out of the bullpen for the 8th inning. Things didn’t start out well as he walked Christian Walker to begin the inning and then threw a wild pitch to allow him to move up to second. After a line out, Sims walked another batter to bring the tying run to the plate. Dominic Canzone nearly tied the game up, but he hit the ball to the deepest part of the park and TJ Friedl caught a long fly ball a step in front of the warning track for the second out of the inning. Gabriel Moreno then followed up with another fly out to the warning track in center to end the inning.
With a 3-run lead heading to the 9th the Reds called on closer Alexis Diaz to try and seal the win. He would make quick work of things in the 9th, needing just 10 pitches to retire Arizona in order and pick up the save.
Key Moment of the Game
Matt McLain’s grand slam in the bottom of the 5th inning that put the Reds on top 9-3.
Notes Worth Noting
Matt McLain’s been on a hot streak lately and after picking up two more hits on the night he’s up to .301/.367/.519 on the season through 57 games.
Will Benson is hitting .348/.459/.643 in 41 games since being called back up on May 26th.
Alexis Diaz lowered his ERA to 1.85 on the season and he picked up his 28th save of the season.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Cincinnati Reds
Saturday July 22nd, 4:10pm ET
TBA vs Brandon Williamson (1-2, 4.96 ERA)
McClain said he had to make some adjustments at the plate. EDLC doesn’t seem to know how to do that.
EDLC has been a quick learner at every level. But going to give up on him yet
Good.
He’s 21 and has had ~150 MLB ABs.
That was supposed to be “not” going to give up on him.
That’s the name of the game at this level. Talent can get you here. You have to make adjustments here. If you can’t learn that, then you are going to struggle to even be a serviceable player.
Elly is striking out at a 34% rate and his strike out to walk rate is 5 SO to every walk. At that rate over an entire season he would strike out 230 times. Those stats are all horrible by anyone’s standard. He needs to figure it out soon or go back to AAA and give someone else down there a chance. People talk about Votto or 3 catchers impeding some of the players at AAA being called up but at this point Elly might be the biggest clog in the chain of all of them.
Regarding adjustments, where’s the coaching on this? Where’s the veteran presence? Yes, he needs to make adjustments. Who is helping him do that?
Almost certainly the hitting coach and the veterans. This wouldn’t be taking place before our eyes. He’s not dealing with a static problem: the pitchers are adjusting to any adjustments he makes.
Only veteran is Votto, and he’s avoided this all his career. He’s been doing some more recently. But, still, would he call anyone out for bad play? Would he call a players-only closed-door meeting if needed? I can’t see it.
Veteran as distinguished from rookie, Steve. And, anyway, Casali and Newman are veterans by any reasonable standard. How do you know Votto has “avoided” giving guidance?
Veterans normally seen to have more than 2 years experience. Normally, you are looking at minimum 3 years. I look at 5 years.
Also, I would look for a veteran to have some degree of success, i.e. a starter for a couple of seasons at least.
While we are on the subject of adjustments, Will Benson needs to play a little bit deeper in the outfield. He has been burned several times in the past two weeks or so by balls hit over his head. I’m sure it is being addressed by the coaching staff.
Not terribly surprising that you have your own definitions, but no matter. The point was that coaches and other players wouldn’t likely be working with Elly in the public eye.
He has already made adjustments a couple of time.
He at this point seems to be a bit streaky.
He will be more then fine.
EDLC will be fine. McLain’s had more time in the Bigs than he has. But hitting lead-off doesn’t seem to work; hitting lower down until he gets things going again would be a good idea for EDLC.
3 years in a high level D1 college program (UCLA) certainly helped McLain move on up the road too. And MMcL is 2 years older than EDLC. Can’t wait to see what EDLC is doing in 2025.
I agree with you jmb. The two spots I hoped they would not bat EDLC when he was called up were lead off and clean up. Those spots in the order can place a lot of expectation and pressure on any player, much less a call up.
I would prefer the following lineup…
2B India
3B EDLC
SS McLain
LF Steer
1B Votto
DH CES
RF Benson
C Stephenson/Maile
CF Friedl
lol….it’s amazing how quickly fans turn on a player. smh
McLain reminds me of a Pete Rose type player. Just a solid hitter especially who never gives up an AB and never will go into a long slump.
Both him and Steer strike me that way. Willing to do whatever it takes to play and win.
Absolutely! Steer and McLain are gamers! Steady as they come. Not flashy, but effective. The rocks you build upon.
He will be hopefully like Altuve is for the Astros…just the heart and soul of the team. He does everything well and plays hard all the time, will do anything to win and is kind of the the guy that everybody on the team rallies around.
Plays a lot like Charlie Hustle!
But can he sing like Altuve?
That would really bring it on home.
But he might sing like Pete Rose, Harry.
Most impressive is his willingness to hit the ball to the opposite field!
If you look at his heat zone, that pitcher put it right where he likes it. Impressive, though that that pitch was 100+ mph at the very top of the zone. And his adjustment was to swing a little earlier…which, if he’d gotten a breaking ball might have led to a strike out. Cat and mouse, game of microinches.
Just watched Lively’s post-game interview. Smiled the whole way through. Praised MattyMc heavily. Just happy to still be playing baseball.
Yep I just watched that too and you really do get the sense that this talented energetic group of rookies the Reds have has really injected energy into the older guys. When he said he wishes he was 21 again just to be able play with these guys for a longer part of his career I believe it. I hope they can keep Lively in 2024.
What old guys? Going by baseball-reference.com, there’s only 3 guys of the field plays who are over 30. One of them starts.
Definitely little is old about this team.
Offense shined. Sims walked two again. We cannot have that in meaningful high leverage games. Make the trade now and move him to the 6th inning. No more walks.
The bloom appears to be coming off the Votto rose now that the sample size is bigger.
He’s fine as part time player where they can leverage his strengths and he can get regular off days. Playing him everyday including against lefty starters is on Bell.
+1000
CES everyday 1st baseman. Votto should DH with Senzel. Even then, he’s not even hitting righties.
OPS over 940 against righties. That’s not slouching.
I said when Votto started this season, which was, what, maybe a month ago, Votto is notoriously a slow starter, seemingly always needing at least a half season to get started. If he does that this season, he won’t be much help. Hopefully, he can get it going quicker this season.
I’m confident Votto feels bad about this. But, he’s earned the right to “play through his slump”. Elly hasn’t. Days off probably wouldn’t hurt, more with Elly.
@Steve, IMO you’re expecting too much. Yes, he has a high OPS against RHer. But, he’s hitting .217 and only .167 against LHers (prior to tonight). He’s striking out at more than a 30% rate. In other words, he’s putting on his best Dave Kingman impression, though Kingman SO less. It’s time to move on. DH him with Senzel, fine but he’s not an everyday player anymore and he & we need to recognize that
I’m not so sure he isn’t just swinging for the fences. Sorry for the dbl negative, but I think I remember a statement he made earlier when he first returned that he just wanted to mash the ball. Seems the last few years he’s been pulling the ball almost all the time, when earlier in his career that was a no-no. The no shift rule should really be working to his advantage, but isn’t. I really hope his last few years doesn’t jeapordize his HOF chances…his career OBP certainly is dropping but maybe he can maintain his career OPS.
Next season, India will be your DH, unless he can handle first, along with CES. Steer in left, Marte at third. But Votto and Benson should not be starting against a lefty. They need either Fairchild or Hopkins back up. Long term, Benson, Senzel, Newman, and Fraley are expendable, as they can only hit either lefties or righties.
I don’t want Votto to fade away, but maybe the 1st move should be zero starts against LHP. There is no reason to start him vs a LHP when we have CES and Steer.
Friedl should have started, and Votto should have had the day off.
I’ve said before, the best thing for the team would be for Votto to retire. Second, waive his no-trade clause so we can trade him to Toronto, if they have space, for a handful of beans. Without those, I can’t help thinking we owe him playing time for the years of commitment he gave the club.
Joey’s only value when he plays is if he indeed mashes the ball.He is slow and he isn’t going to go first to third nor second to home on most hits.His range at first is not very good either.Not able to hit lefties so its righties only and he must hit doubles and homers and drive in runs.He knows it Bell knows it as to do all of us.It is what it is for this year then well who knows after that.
Until he goes on a hot streak again and then people will be calling again for the Reds to pick up his option next year. lol
Absolutely for goodness sake. Now it is Elly and Joey who are on the hot seat. Spencer and Jonathan are feeling much better, thank you very much!
Just sit back and enjoy the show. When you have this many very good hitters in a lineup, guys can go into a slump and it’s not going to kill the team. This is a really, really good team. The only drawback is youth and inexperience. But give it some time and boy oh boy.
I’m just going to say it. I’ve been following the Cincinnati Reds since 1968. And this organization from top to bottom is the best I’ve ever seen. It is truly amazing.
Votto’s “slump” is now the better part of the last 4.5 years, excepting one good half season. He has already gotten to play through all the slumps he’s earned the right to play through. Every beginning of the year is a slump and hurts the team. “Notoriously slow starter” is an excuse.
When this offense is clicking, it’s as good as any in baseball. I would move Elly way down in the order though.
Would like to see Connor Phillips replace Luke Weaver in the rotation next week.
Agreed on Elly.
I’ve never seen Phillips pitch, only numbers. From what I hear, no control. Can’t be any worse than Weaver. But, right for his development?
Another start or 2 like that, and Phillips development takes a back seat to the Reds need for a 5th starter. It would likely be a short lived promotion since Greene is hopefully less than a month away from coming back.
Getting a cup of coffee can be a good experience especially when you know that’s the case going into it.
Phillips struck out 11 and walked 2 tonight. I’ll take him over Luke Weaver, but what do I know?
Phillips and Petty for Ohtani! Throw in Barrero if need be.
I don’t like Elly batting leadoff at all. I know he has the speed for it, but he could be utilized much better. Still wish India was batting leadoff again and have Friedl bat 2nd.
Yep, I said a couple times earlier tonight put India back at leadoff drop Elly to 7 where he can hopefully relax a little bit and move CES up to 5 for now. I think the pressure is definitely getting to Elly and Bell should realize he can lessen that pressure by dropping him down in the lineup to 7 where the expectations are not as high.
I’ve said for several weeks now, either moved India back to leadoff, bottom of the order, or DFA/trade him to a team that’s going to utilize him more effectively.
Phillips just lit the fuse on our cry to promote the next great prospect.
P.S. Hopkins, Fairchild, Barrero, Marte, and Siani … all our AAA 40-man roster players had nice games at the plate, too.
They all had nice games but Phillips is the highlight since he would fill our biggest need. You are correct. If the fuse wasn’t lit before…it is now. 🙂
Those are the guys that will need to be traded if the Reds are to get some pitching along with newman and senzel.
Can’t trade Hopkins or Marte, jon, but any of the others should be in play, esp. Barrero, Siani, and Phillips. Petty, Aguiar, Arroyo, and Acosta too could be traded, but I’d hold Richardson, Acuna, Jorge, and Rodriguez.
Baseball continues to trend towards production coming from younger players. Suggesting we trade a AAA pitcher to bridge the gap to Hunter Greene’s return with a rental pitcher is unwise. Join the cheer:
Phillips, Phillips, Phillips!
Braves hung on to beat the Bernies! Reds 1.5 games behind Milwaukee and now tied for the 3rd Wild Card spot!
Yay. Things are looking up again 🙂
Cool 😀
And 1.5 out of the fist WC (AZ). Win the next two, and some help, and we might be back in 1st or #1 in the WC.
Nice to talking about the post season, vs draft lottery
The Braves and Brewers will both be tough teams to beat in the playoffs.
I agree there’s no reason for Votto to start against lefties, and there would be even less of a reason if the organization would do the smart thing and replace Casali with Fairchild (or some other position player). The unnecessary third catcher is affecting almost every game in one way or another, and almost always in a negative way.
Fairchild should be called up to replace Newman after his return from IL and eventually DFA.
Yeah but somebody else eventually has to go also because CES is in Newman’s former slot. Guessing the more likely thing is that Newman is traded or DFA without coming back to the active roster then we will see if they do anything about the 3rd catcher to open another spot.
India is one of the GIDP leaders in MLB. Move him to lead off and take some pressure off EDLC. 2 birds with 1 stone.
Yep. India, Friedl, McLain, CES would be my top 4. Wouldn’t mind seeing Benson hit 2nd occasionally either.
Freidl needs to be moved down, as he’s slumping.
India is on a 8 for 17 stretch. Let him settle in. They’re also not going to move Elly to leadoff and then quickly change him again. Let him develop and work on plate discipline. Once I saw McLain was hitting .350 with risp then #3 looked right. He’s not going anywhere either.
Freidl has been cold….maybe you swap him with Benson?
Exactly. India is hitting well but hits a lot of grounders. He is 13th in the league at GIDP. Get him back to lead off. EDLC has been ice cold since moving to 1. I’m not sure how keeping him there serves any purpose other than getting 3Ks instead of 2. Would love to be wrong.
Memory may be failing me, but wasn’t EDLC already cooling off before he moved to leadoff? It’s possible–likely–that this has a lot to do with pitchers learning where the holes in his swing are.
Our highest OBP guy by far is Benson, and he’s batting in the 9 hole. Wouldn’t that increase India’s GIDP chances? Maybe make India the 9th, and let him get the party started for the top of the lineup.
Well avoiding the dbl play only comes into play in his first AB.
Got to have him follow someone who hits a lot of multiple base hits. Clear the base paths then let India reload them. 1 out of 4 would already be fixed by having him lead off. IMHO McLain has been a phenomenal hitter at three. His RBIs would climb rapidly with a solid lead off guy. Would be a great way to start games.
Give EDCL a day or 2 off and hope that it does magic like it did for India and MM. EDCL is completely lost right now. The game is not fun when you strike out 2-3 times a game. It takes a toll mentally. He needs help now.
EDLC just had 4 days off last week. I’m not sure his problems are related to fatigue.
Not physical fatigue, probably. Maybe just overwhelmed?
I spoke too soon in calling for EDLC to lead off. He is not yet a contact hitter which is needed for that position. He is a phenom defensively with an incredible arm and speed. Elly is very young and needs to establish his hitting philosophy which takes time and adjustments. At this point I think Mclain, or perhaps India, should leadoff with Friedl in second position.
EDCL is just pressing a little bit. Leadoff man is whole different type of pressure. He will be fine, but he’s also 21 and there’s going to be some bumps. Personally, I’d let him stay right where he’s at and figure things out. It usually doesn’t take him long to do so.
We stranded 21 runners tonight. I know we won, but the Reds can not keep doing that! As for De La Cruz, “the fastest man in baseball” is doing a lot of slow walks back to the dugout! Hopefully he will make the adjustment.
LOL! We scored 9 runs. You tend to strand a lot of runners when everyone is getting on base. Great example of how stats/data can be abused and misunderstood.
According to the box score the Reds only left nine runner on base
What a night for our Redlegs! Milwaukee, Philly, SF, and Miami all lost. We’re 1.5 behind Milw and tied for the last wildcard. Miami is in freefall. Arizona’s pitching is worse then ours and SF’s lineup is pathetic. Philly underachieves too. Its crazy how we looked like we were in freefall and now they win a few.
I think even hardened baseball fans with 30, 40, 50 years watching this game are confused by this team at times. It shouldn’t be possible to win with a pitching staff put together by chicken wire and masking tape, but somehow they’re doing it. Sims was getting nothing down tonight….walks and long flyballs. Very risky in Gabp, but he’s all we have. Go out and reward this team with some fresh arms! Connor Phillips was big tonight! Let him start or work 2-3 stretches out of the pen
OF instructors need to be working with Benson too. He takes some crazy routes or can’t read the ball off the bat or something? He’s obviously fast with a long reach and can be a plus defender if he cleans it up
I don’t recall ever seeing an OF guy have so much trouble routinely keeping track of a ball in the air. There are times he is settled under a fly ball waiting for it to come down, glances to the infield to sight the man he will be throwing to, and then can’t find the ball when he looks back up. That skill is pretty much OF 101.
The issue almost has to be something physically going on when his head gets tilted upward past a certain angle because he runs right to the low liners that hit in front of him. Plus of course, he doesn’t seem to have any trouble tracking pitches at the plate.
“I don’t recall ever seeing an OF guy have so much trouble routinely keeping track of a ball in the air. ”
At least not one who is supposed to BE a regular outfielder. Steer is already better than Benson in a lot of ways. Puzzling.
IndyRedMan. I totally agree.
In fairness the ball last night was a rope right at him. On the triple where he and EDLC cut down the run at the plate, he took a bad route (too shallow though I’m not sure he could have gotten to it in any event). I agree with Jim, he sometimes makes easy catches look a little harder than they should be.
@Still a Red>>> Benson is getting eaten alive by balls up the left center gap that come to the ground around warning track depth. The Brewers and the Giants both had doubles that hurt the Reds cause in essentially the same spot as that triple you pointed out.
I agree with you that none of them were sure catches even with a better break and route however every “running” catch on or near the track starts with a quick accurate read and break followed by a good route. Without them, those catches don’t happen.
Bb season is so long that there’s many peaks and valley. But in general I agree that the Reds should be able to compete with these teams. Baseball as a whole and NL specifically Atlanta is head and shoulder above everyone else and the Brewers have the Reds number, match up nightmare for the Reds. Other than that I feel like we can compete against anyone.
I keep thinking where this team would be with a healthy Greene and Lodolo.
Arizona and San Fran own the wild cards right now. The Reds are 1 1/2 back to both teams.
There are (3) wildcards now….not 2.
Reds are in a virtual (3) way tie with philly and Miami for the final slot. Marlins are tied late in todays game
Since CES’s promotion, and rotating days off for the 9
Game 1 off Steer, next day 2 for 5
?Game 2 off CES pinch hit HR 1B, next day 1 for 4
?Game 3 off India, next day 2 for 4
?Game 4 off McLain, next day 2 for 4, 1 BB, 1 HR?
Great early results, hopefully Friedl, and Fraley can keep up the trend tomorrow.
Yep. Seems to be working fine. 🙂
Elly off today
Steer leads off
Ces first base
>MBS – I would like to see Bell do what Sparky did when he led the BRM. Except for Pete, all his remaining “Great Eight” players would rotate off days. Each game one of these players would not start (except for Pete, as I stated). Merv Rettenmund, Ed Armbrister, Darryl Chaney, Bill Plummer, Doug Flynn, etc… would play. This achieved two things…each starter would get rested and the bench would stay sharp.
Of course Capt. Analytics would never approve of this, so…
It’s amazing reading these comments how much smarter everyone is compared to Krall and Bell. If they win everyone finds the weak link and if they lose it’s Bell fault every single time. I can’t believe you guys don’t all have a job in MLB. Never seen a Reds fanbase so unhappy about one of the best season we have witnessed in years. Just enjoy this team for what it is. EDLC is hitting where he needs to be hitting. Votto is going to play, so just relax (this guy will never be truly appreciated). Instead of complaining of Benson hitting 9th, celebrate that this guy was as low as anMLB hitter could be and has come back and has exploded. How could you not be prouder of happier for the young man. Enjoy this season and have fun. Baseball is fun again in Cincy!
Amazing to me how many people see discussion about strategy as complaining. No one is unhappy that the Reds won.
+1000
Because your strategy is better than a guy who’s been in the game his entire life. Stop with all of the second guessing and enjoy a win.
Perhaps some of the critics take things a little too seriously? I’m guessing that’s the gist if the original comment.
It’s amazing how much smarter you are than all of us dummies who don’t understand the proper way to watch and enjoy baseball games. From now on, I’ll try to passively accept all of Bell’s and Krall’s decisions because the team has some exciting players and is currently above .500, which should be good enough for everyone. Who are any of us to expect more than this?
Also, you’ve convinced me not to take my car back to the shop and tell the mechanic he didn’t fix the problem he claims to have fixed. After all, he’s a professional mechanic and I’m not, so who am I to question his work? I’ll just relax, ignore the persistent clunking sound, and enjoy the fact that the car is generally working pretty well. My mechanic doesn’t deserve to get any grief from me.
I love that people question things, but I get on here and people seem like the reds lost when they had a great game. I guess maybe I hate all the second guessing after the play or after the game. Hindsight is 20/20 and that’s all I see from a lot of people on here. I guess I see something so positive forming with this franchise, that I think everyone should be as optimistic as I am. PS you aren’t as smart and talented as Bell and Krall and you don’t have the family connections like those 2 or have 1 percent of David Bells Baseball talent. Relax and enjoy the rest of the season!
+10,000
Yeah, a certain few on RLN scoff at anyone ever questioning anything the Reds do. I remember when they were 29th in HRs while CES mashed down there. No Votto so I think Vosler, Stephenson, and Newman played 1B. Am I missing someone? They were all so forgettable.
Anyway back to our current situation. This team just cannot give Sims & Diaz much time off so go get some help. A high leverage guy or 2 with experience. It might be more important then a starter. I think the playoffs depend on it!
Our pens era greatly exceeds their other #s and a correction is in order
“Also, you’ve convinced me not to take my car back to the shop and tell the mechanic he didn’t fix the problem he claims to have fixed. After all, he’s a professional mechanic and I’m not, so who am I to question his work?”
I tried taking my car back to the same mechanic 3 times in a week for oil leaking. And, you think he fixed it the first time just because he was a professional? It couldn’t be that he was just trying to take me for my money? And, last I checked, they are still in business? It couldn’t be that those the other customers wrongfully and simply felt like “You’re the professional” and, thus, kept taking their car back to them for work?
What’s the old adage? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it? If you want to play manager, go ahead, but please don’t think you’re actually correct.
Agree, Greg.
100% agree.
Agree 50%. There are certainly those here that think Bell is the stupidest manager around and the team success so far is in spite of him. But of course, there’s nothing wrong in questioning decisions made. Many of us like to play manager and/or general manager and display what we think is our knowledge of the game (even though we lack all sorts of specific behind the scene knowledge), no skin off our nose and never mind the role luck plays and the chess game going on with the other teams and maybe harsher words are used than intended. I for one AM enjoying the season immensely…haven’t had my emotional well-being so invested in a long time.
Still a Red, agree completely
@Greg, So people who really like talking baseball are going to just sit around and nod their heads after every game?
The new comment section:
Good game.
Yes, they tried today.
Tough loss.
What are you going to do, they did everything correctly. We’ll get them next time.
This sounds like a typical Bell post game media session. 😉
When people post comments like Greg’s, I try to imagine the rules they’d create if they ran the blog. “No negative comments about the Reds. No second-guessing the management. No comments implying you might know anything about managing or running a baseball team unless you’ve actually done it. If the team is exceeding anyone’s expectations, all comments must sound very relaxed and express some form of satisfaction. No Debbie Downers or mildly provocative comments permitted — especially after victories or close losses.”
Lol Jim
Agreed.
Leave relievers in for 4-5 inning each? “Bell knows what he’s doing.
Have the first 3 batters be players with barely 300 OBP? “He knows what he’s doing”
It’s like no one believes in the Constitutional First Amendment of Freedom of Speech. That if we decide to comment, there are conditions on the comments.
The thing I’m most curious about is where Scott and Greg disappeared to during the 6 game losing streak.
Very interesting that they only seem to post when the Reds are playing well, and their posts always amount to “Never dare question the great and mighty David Bell. David Bell is love. David Bell is life.”
It’s honestly kind of creepy how cultish they are about Bell. Definitely not normal behavior.
I’ve never once blamed Bell for a loss nor have given him credit for a win. I’ve even defended Bell. For instance, last night, pulling Young after only 3 pitches, someone mentioned that we will need Young the next 3 games for Arizona’s LH bats. So, if anything, it was a good move.
Nope, I don’t look at wins and losses. Those are outcomes.
I look at mistakes. Mistakes can cost games, but again, wins and losses are just outcomes. And, to imagine Bell has never made a mistake is simply wrong. And, just like there should be player accountability, there should be manager accountability.
Truth is, you have no idea what our experience is in baseball, if we are actually armchair GM’s or actual baseball coaches. And, as coaches, we critique. Or, maybe we are former players and simply didn’t look to take baseball a career move. Sorry if you can’t take it.
Baseball 101 – you give your best hitters the most AB’s. Benson hasn’t been our best hitter for the last couple of games (thus no reason to move him). He’s been the Reds best hitter for over a month now. He deserves at least an attempt to move up.
Similar with Elly, just the other way.
Really poor defensive play by Benson last night. Everyone makes an error now and again, but that was pretty bad. Ball was in the lights for him?
Could have been. Then, also, it’s not everyday that any OFer can practice getting a ball hit to them that never gets above 20 feet off the ground, getting to them in less than a second, thus can be difficult to judge the height the ball will be when it gets to them.
Senzel was actually handcuffed the same way on that game saving catch he made in Washington back before the All Star break, but read the ball and reacted well enough to get on his horse and manage to reach it.
This was ironic because typically Senzel himself is usually a bit slow to break on balls and often takes less than optimal routes in the OF. I’d guess on that smoker right at him his infield 3B “instincts” kicked in and saved the day for him and the Reds.
Easy solution. Cut Casali for Fairchild and play Stuey vs lefties and as a def replacement. Move Steer to 1B/3B/DH etc and give old man Votto some rest vs lhp.
I can’t speak for everybody else but I just comment on Bell based on what he does knowing he isn’t much different then any other manager.He played a long time and has managed 5 years now and he has to know baseball more then I do.ALL of us know however that the roster,the talent makes the difference over 162 games in wins and losses.Krall has given Bell the talent and the Reds are better now then when he first took over.At the end of the year I hope Krall sets down with Bell and discusses the things he did that he liked and the things he didn’t like and then makes a decision on his future.Personally I believe he got the job because he was family and cheap and nobody else wanted it.Just my opinion of course.He is still family and cheap but I can see other managers that now would be willing to come and take the job.Some will say he kept the job after a 3-22 start and 100 losses so why would he be replaced?Good question.Young guys continue to impress.Whats not to like about this year regardless of how it turns out.GO REDS.Personal issues,no my health after cancer a few years ago is good,will keep me from commenting for the next few weeks.Just some things i have to deal with that will take some time away from my normal routine and make us realize whats more important.
Hope you’re feeling better very soon!
A couple of additional points that often get overlooked.
Bell was brought in when D Williams was GM, along with the many other various changes. IIRC, among the attributes cited for Bell was his role with the Giants in player development/analytics, rather than straight up game management experience, though he also had that.
Basically, though there is certainly the family connection and cost issue, as well as no prior MLB managing experience, he was part of a new approach throughout the organization, rather than a continuation of long standing practices.
That said, he’s had 5 complete years, the changes/rebuilding/reset are clearly visible, and there’s every reason to fairly review what’s best for next season and beyond.
Consider what the Cubs did after the 2014 season – they were the midst of restructuring, saw a bright future, had a popular manager AND, then, fired that manager and moved up by hiring Joe Maddon – the rest is history.
The Reds have no reason to act quite as suddenly, but the outlook for the next few years is very similar – new and different talent may require new and different management. No harm in considering that.
The bottom line is there’s only a few on this message who really think we can win a World Series with David Bell. You now have a legitimate multi-year window to win the whole thing…so don’t waste any of the those precious years starting next year with a way-below average manager. Bell was a cheap choice by a cheap owner who had no real interest in winning anything when Bell was hired 5 years ago. Krall’s trades and the Red’s recent drafts have changed the perceptions and expectations within the Reds team and fanbase…and you absolutely must now match the talent on the diamond with a similarly talented/experienced manager in 2024 if you are serious about trying to win a World Series. If you stick with Bell in 2024 the fanbase will rightfully assume winning really isn’t that important to Reds ownership.
Look forward to your return Roger. I always enjoy your comments. Stay well.
I do think it would be fascinating to see Krall pick his own man. Given how wonderful he has done with on the field talent and player,development personnel, I’m sure he would pick a winner.
On the other hand, David Bell isn’t going anywhere. So please no one hold their breath. Just keep him in your prayers and thoughts. I believe Bell is outside of Nick Krall’s control.
Best to you Roger.
Hopefully on your return Reds are dug in for a sustained playoff run
GL Roger. Always miss your comments when you take a break. Hurry back
Take care, friend. Hope all goes well for you, and we look forward to your return!
Again, before Bell, the Reds had 4 straight years of finishing last in the division, preceded by finishing 3rd and 4th. No competent manager wanted to have anything to do with the Reds. The Reds had to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Up came Bell.
Now that Krall has brought talent back to the organization, I would think some competent managers would want to come here and manage who we have. Krall has earned the right to have his manager.
Very happy with the win last night. I think we have a solid chance against the Snakes both today and tomorrow.
I listened to HDTBell’s post-game last night. I continue to be under-impressed. I know I’m cynical, but what I heard was, essentially,
“Everybody plays really, really hard. Today we won. But everybody plays really, really hard. So nothing needs to change.”
It’s that kind of bland approach (from my perspective) coupled with the fact that we continue to see fundamental mistakes that, I would assume, the coaching staff would be all over that irks me. And I realize none of this is easy.
He’s still the #30 ranked Field Manager IMO. We’re catching lightning in a bottle with the group of rookies and I hope it continues. It’s exciting to watch and makes it painful when we lose (that Hope Thing again). I have to remind myself that we’re well ahead of where anybody thought we would be and still contending for the NLC Title.
I will again swear off comments on HDTBell during the game thread no matter what (exception if he legitimately gets fired up and ejected 😀 ) and also off any Golden Sombrero run by EDLC or others for whatever reason.
About 4 hours to another round of Snake Infestation Extermination!!
Oh, and Angus T-bone over charcoal tonight 😛
I agree about Bell, Mark. Yes, there is public talk as opposed to private talk; but, we never see any hint in public that he has what it takes to get these young guys tuned in to playing more fundamentally sound.
I always think back to Dusty Baker who supposedly is THE players’ manager even among players’ managers. Occasionally in Dusty’s public media encounters, a media person would touch a nerve; and, as John Fay liked to say it, “Dusty bristled”. In those bristling moments, any doubt that Dusty had the steel behind the smile and soft voice when called for was erased.
By contrast, all we see from Bell is his flat affect in staged media moments and his almost comical overblown performances arguing with umpires. Neither convinces me he has the steel to manage effectively manage personalities and egos.
+100,000
Well stated, Jim. You captured my thoughts very well.
I do think the manager’s interviews at the end of the game aren’t really necessary. Just automatic responses. If I were the manager, I would not reveal any strengths or weaknesses of my players in public. No way. Who would do it?
I would just comment generalities about the ge itself.
Dusty would say things such as, “We did not handle (whatever situation) very well. We have to make certain to handle the next similar one better (or sometimes “right” or “correctly”).
Speaking specifically to an individual’s play when a name was dropped by media, Dusty would say, “He knows he did not do what was expected of him. I’m sure he will keep that in mind and try his best to do better in the future”. And when it was a really serious error or the guy was a serial offender, Dusty would add, “And myself or a member of the coaching staff will be reminding him of that.”
How about a Lowcountry Boil with some neighbors down here on the South Carolina coast.
Enjoy that! I enjoy that dish when it’s available to me, but I don’t do a boil myself. And I’ve got the 100K BTU propane burn, no less.
What I really miss is the days you could lay down about $30-40 and get all the Snow Crab you could eat. I swear, I’d bankrupt those places. Don’t even futz with the shoulder at that point. Just crack, dip, and hoover it! 😀
Steer leading off today. That’s kind of weird looking.
Steer would be about my 5th choice to hit leadoff, behind Benson, Friedl, India, and McClain. Heck, I might even prefer Fraley over Steer, Fraley seems faster.
Well… Let’s see what happens. Really curious what reasoning Bell used for this decision.
I swore I wouldn’t comment on this topic, so I won’t. I believe all the regulars know what I would say in response anyway … 😛
I agree. Elly is out today & to me that signifies that Steer is the good soldier and keeps his down and never complains, and that Elly will leadoff again tomorrow. TJ is hitting 2nd, Joey at DH.
IDK, Steer is fast, 28.3 (tied with Friedl) sprint speed, the only guys on the team with a higher sprint speed is EDLC (OFF today), McLain 29.2, and Benson 28.8.
I don’t care about the lineup order that much, but I think the idea that the leadoff man needs to be fast is outdated and misguided, kinda like the #2 guy’s spot is to move the guy over.
Steer is a good hitter and gets on base 36% of the time. That is good enough for me. The really silly thing is that Steer is actually pretty fast.
I also could have lived with Benson, McLain, and Fraley, all fine choices for the same reason.
Friedl is struggling and has struggled for quite a bit. I am not sure he even belongs at the top of the order. His .224/.305/.318 split over the last 28 days shows how much he has cooled off since his blazing start. Ultimately, I think he and Benson end up flip-flopping.
Steer is 3rd on the team in OBP, first for qualified hitters. Plus, I’d be willing to bet it’s just this one game. Either way, it doesn’t bother me.
Heck, my only big Reds complaint right now is how I’m the world they haven’t dumped Casali for Fairchild.
Agreed Steer wouldn’t be my first choice. But, again, better than what we have been having. And, of course, if Elly was hitting, I still don’t believe he would be a good choice for leadoff. With his power?
Very strange indeed. Maybe we’re playing for more station-to-station stuff today?
One thing is true. That only guarantees Steer leads off one time in the game. Given that, I’m just hoping we string together a bunch of hits and runs, plow through their Snake Pit of a bullpen, and make it even harder for the Snakes to care about tomorrow as they think ahead to their own schedule.
T-minus 2 hours to go Eradicate a Viper Invasion!!
It’s a one day displacement foe Elly. Let’s win today and ensure a series win. Go Redlegs!
I’ve been reading you regulars for years, & I just recently started posting. I’ve got alot of health issues that keeps me on the sidelines. I know the views of most of the regulars. I would prefer a new Mgr. but I figure that Bob will re-up Bell sometime in August.
It is weird, though better than what we have been having.
@CI3 – I disappeared during the losing streak because I don’t want to hear the whining and blaming. I’m no great supporter of Bell, per se, I’m just not as critical and righteous about it as some on the site. Thanks for inquiring.
Both starters today are Brandon and I am glad ours is Williamson. Pflaat or whatever his last name is has a 9+ ERA. And we’ve been complaining about Weaver? :). Time to feast
Arizona moved to -120 favorites. We get no respect which is fine. Have Reds Over 3.5 & 4. Freidl +104 to score a run. He’s due. Rockies +1.5 and now they’re up in the 9th. Miami is fading bad. Side note, Daniel Bard wouldn’t be a bad pickup. He’s old and doesn’t throw 99 anymore, but he’s still getting outs
Is it the thread for today’s game, Indy Red Man?
Doug punishing us? 😛
I know the game thread will be up soon.
He knows we need him bad 🙂
Anyone else not finding today’s game thread?
It isn’t up yet. I’m hoping everybody on the RLN staff is okay.
Nice first inning by Williamson.
Doug is just testing us. 🙂
Steer stay in your groove. Love this dude.
It’s on RLN now.
Make them pay
The batting order is a problem, no way should Strand be at 7. Votto shouldn’t even be playing let alone batting 6th.
Yes , Strand should be ahead of Votto. It is a good game with a weaker pitcher to DH Votto. But he should not be playing against a RHP that is a #1 or 2 Rotation Pitcher.Or any Lefty. And DH only.