Zack Wheeler was dominant as he allowed just one hit – a home run to Austin Hays – in an otherwise perfect day as he racked up 12 strikeouts in a complete game victory. The win gave the Philadelphia Phillies a series victory over the Cincinnati Reds as the two clubs now head into the final week before the All-Star break.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (46-44) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Philadelphia Phillies (53-37) | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| W: Wheeler (9-3) L: Santillan (1-2) | |||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
After a disastrous start the last time out where he was tipping his pitches, Chase Burns found himself in trouble right out of the gate again. He gave up a single to Trea Turner to start the bottom of the 1st inning and then walked Kyle Schwarber on four pitches. Unlike his start in Boston, Burns turned things around and this time he struck out the next three batters to get out of the inning.
The Phillies didn’t get another hit off of Burns until the bottom of the 4th inning when Max Kepler picked up a 1-out single, but Philadelphia couldn’t do much with it and the score remained 0-0. The Reds were hitless through the first four innings, but that came to an end when Austin Hays got ahead of Zack Wheeler 3-1 to leadoff the 5th and then got a fastball that he smashed over the wall in right field to put Cincinnati up 1-0.
Chase Burns took the mound in the bottom of the 5th inning with a lead, but also with a pitch count sitting at 75 pitches. After getting a ground out to begin the inning he walked Brandon Marsh on seven pitches. He would rebound with a fly out, but 91 pitches and the lineup turning over Terry Francona headed to the mound for a pitching change and brought in Sam Moll to face Kyle Schwarber who has obliterated lefties this season. Moll gave up an RBI double to right-center that tied the game up before striking out Bryce Harper to end the inning.
Scott Barlow took over for Cincinnati in the bottom of the 6th and gave up back-to-back singles to begin the inning to put runners on the corners. He rebounded by striking out the next two hitters, but then walked Bryson Stott to load the bases. Brandon Marsh battled, fouling off multiple pitches, but pitch number eight was one he couldn’t foul off as he struck out to strand all three runners and keep the game tied up.
Zack Wheeler just kept on dominating the Reds as he got his 6th 1-2-3 inning of the game in the top of the 7th inning as the home run by Austin Hays remained the only time a Cincinnati batter reached base against him.
After another perfect inning from Wheeler in the top of the 8th, Tony Santillan took the mound for the Reds in the bottom of the game. He would give up a 1-out single to J.T. Realmuto and then went into a battle with with Bryson Stott. On the 7th pitch of the at-bat Stott unloaded on a 97 MPH fastball and hit it off of the scoreboard above the first deck of seats in right field for a go-ahead 2-run home run.
Wheeler returned to the mound to try and finish off the game. And he did just that by throwing his 8th perfect inning of the day and completing a 1-hitter that included 12 strikeouts as the Phillies won 3-1 and took the series.
Key Moment of the Game
Bryson Stott’s 2-run home run in the bottom of the 8th that broke the tie.
Notes Worth Noting
While the Reds had 12 strikeouts against Zack Wheeler on the day, Phillies hitters had 14 strikeouts against Reds pitchers on the day. Of course the Reds didn’t draw a walk, while the Phillies drew six of them.
Chase Burns was gave up one run, which scored after he exited the game. He threw a career high 91 pitches in the game (including his time in the minor leagues), but only 52 strikes as he battled control. That led to four walks, but he also struck out seven batters on the day.
That was the 13th time since 1901 that a team’s lone base runner (including ROE) was a home run.
It was the 2nd time that Reds hitters did it. The other time was 5/13/1954 against the Phillies. The Phillies pitcher that day was Robin Roberts, who started the All-Star Game in 1954. #symmetry
— Joel Luckhaupt (@jluckhaupt.bsky.social) July 6, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Miami Marlins vs Cincinnati Reds
Monday July 7th, 7:10pm ET
Janson Junk (2-1, 3.62 ERA) vs Brady Singer (7-6, 4.36 ERA)
We’re on to Cincinnati.
Wheeler continues his dominance against MLB hitters. Reds unfortunately ran into a good pitching team on the road. It happens.
Nice to see Burns settle in and pitch well. Great rebound from Boston. Let’s keep building his confidence. His first 3 MLB starts were against tough teams.
91 pitches, only 52 strikes, 4 walks in 4.2 innings and you say he pitched well?
Once he settled in, he really did pitch well (especially for a young rookie on the road against a good team).
Three of his four walks were in the first two innings.
It was messy but in the first with two on and no outs, Burns struck out Harper (looking), Bohm, and Castellanos.
His second inning was almost as messy but ultimately he put another zero up.
I thought he was really competing and staying focused. HE started executing better in innings 3 and 4.
I really enjoyed watching him pitch but I didn’t want to see him have to face Harper, Bohm and Castellanos for a third time. At that point, it seemed like the Reds were gonna have to eke out a win in a close, low-scoring game and while I don’t trust the bullpen, I thought Tito made the right choice to give the game to those guys and see if it was gonna be a good day or a bad day from the weakest part of this team.
It was… a bad day. But not from Burns.
That is in fact what I typed.
He did pitch well. Ump had an inconsistent zone. Once he settled down and settled into a groove, he pitched well.
Sure the walks inflated his pitch count. Considering it’s his third major league start, he did in fact pitch well. It’s also a substantial upgrade over his outing in Boston. He’s showing maturity on the mound and I expect him to be more pitch efficient as he progresses.
Tough crowd.
The walks are obviously a problem, but he did much better than his previous start. Though not as well as his first. Let’s see what happens next time. Regardless, he won’t be able to pitch in October.
Triple. Stink. Fish. Pot!!!!
Wheeler was REALLY on today. Had the boyz chasing a LOT … 🙁
Brought back the negative memory of Halladay no-hitting the Reds in the 2010 playoffs. The young Reds team seemed like children playing against men in that brief playoff appearance against the Phils. Today they seem like amateurs playing Phillies professionals.
So Burns will pitch again Friday? My hope is he can get his first mlb win. Has talent for sure, however facing Yankees, Redsox, and Phillies first 3 games is brutal.
Get ready for something special from Burns against the Rockies.
He’ll be at home on a Friday night. City Connect jerseys, fireworks loaded up, and the Reds will be on a 4-game winning streak.
The 2025 Rockies vs power pitchers:
.201 BA / .270 OBP / .325 SLG
900 PA
305 SO
74 BB
Is it just me, or do the Reds as a team perform worse during day/afternoon games than night games? Haven’t taken the time to research it, but it feels like they lose the majority of daytime games. And this trend goes back several years. Maybe it’s my imagination…
Before today, they had won four Sunday games in a row.
I think they’re .500+ish on Sundays this year, but that doesn’t really answer your question.
They did lose both day games to start the season.
The Reds continue to struggle against good pitching. They have McClain batting second and hitting .206. What a joke. He is a big part of why they are coming up short this year. There was too much hype attached to him at the beginning of rhe year. The relief pitching is good, but not good enough in many games. They need luck to reach the playoffs. I am not so confident in what I see. I still have hope.
The Reds are battling and thats a good thing. But I want more. And it was so good to watch Chase bounce back in a big way. This Kid is a star ? in the making. 7 ks and 2 hits on a day when he had to fight for for his own survival. And he did it! Just imagine once he settle into a rhythm and smoothly glides along. He will be better than Zack Wheeler.
Most teams struggle against good pitching. That’s what makes it good pitching!
Is it just me or was baseball better when markets like Cincinnati, Oakland, Pittsburgh, Miami, etc could actually compete for a title?
This current set-up doesn’t sit right with me. About 24 teams are the Washington Generals for the Harlem Globetrotters. If I wasn’t addicted to the Reds I’d quit watching. To quote the most unique Western ever made….”Baseball I wish I could quit you”
+100,000
It does seem like there are that many “B” teams out there now. A few may straddle the border at times, but the draw isn’t there if you aren’t closer to a hard-core fan.
Something has to change IMO or it will come to a bubble that bursts.
Think you shorted the 100+ wins of the Orioles last year and Tampa Bay’s performance this year. And Miami has had 2 World Series runs in the last 10-15 years. And KC also had a taste. Problem with lower budget teams is sustaining success. In Cincy’s case, we have not had any recent years of 90 plus wins and a deep playoff run. And that includes some pretty talented teams in the last 5-6 years. Never going over the top at the trade deadline and bringing in strong adds. The Pirates have made it pretty well known that any of their pieces except Skenes are probably available for the right prospects. Wow!
excellent point and something not discussed on this site enough.
It isn’t just you, Indy. I still pay attention partly out of long-established habit.
Embarrassing performance today
By whom? They were dominated by an outstanding pitcher. Was every losing performance against Bob Gibson an embarrassing performance?
My dad took me to the Reds ballgame at the old Riverfront stadium on August 18, 1971. I sat in the upper Red seats near the top of the stadium. Don Gullett shut out the Cardinals 5-0. The Reds had 11 hits against Bob Gibson. Yes, a good team can hit a good pitcher. It does not always happen, but the big Red Machine could do it.
Even a bad team can hit a good pitcher if the pitcher is having a bad day, which happens sometimes. Wheeler was having a great day, though. Brantley was effusive about him.
A solid effort from Burns. Phanatics Phouled off a bunch of pitches and drove up his count, but he stuck in there.
Agreed. Solid effort by Burns, and really all the pitchers except Santillan. Tony has been overused and they need to keep searching for someone to take on his role more in the 2nd half.
Phillies pitching is quite good. That is an expensive team. And battle-hardened.
I don’t remember every at-bat but it seems to me that Burns was missing a lot in the first two innings. More than the Phillies fouling pitches off.
But I do remember that Burns settled in and got things together as his day went on.
And I will always remember his first time facing Bryce Harper.
https://www.mlb.com/gameday/777217/play/5
AND his first time facing Aaron Judge:
https://www.mlb.com/gameday/777385/play/2
Imagine how much this team would improve if you had Pete Rose and Joe Morgan at the top of the lineup beginning the next game. I am talking about both of them in their prime. Then add Pedro Borbon and Clay Carroll to their bullpen. I think they would make the playoffs. LOL Have a good day!
What do you think about the Marlins’ Bender? His ground ball rate is over 50%. Might be a good addition to tge Reds pen.
our first 3 hitters should be TJ, Elly, and Hayes, if Tito is bent on hitting Elly third then put Hayes in the 2 hole.
Wheeler is maybe the best pitcher in baseball.
Phillies are good.
Reds need to go 5-2 minimum against the Marlins and Rockies or they are sellers. CES and HInds arent the answers. Benson fire and ice. There’s no one in AAA. Need a bullpen arm and a big bat. Krall is on record as wait and see and I can’t argue with that. If you cant go 5-2 or 6-1 against the Marlins and Rockies then there’s no reason to trade Collier or Stewart or Petty. Id still trade them though if Reds 51-46 or 52-45 AS break. At some point you gotta commit to winning and with Greene coming back, this rotation is good.,
The CES situation is extremely frustrating. I get he’s pretty much a guy without a position, but that play today looked a bit like the second coming of Edwin Scissor Hands to me. And even the booth was talking about his inability to lay off stuff low and out of the zone.
that k looking on CES was not a strike, was proud that he did not swing, regardless that it was called, he should never swing at that pitch
Marte is the big bat. Hays coming back is the big bat. They can’t afford expensive outside help. Maybe a Jonny Gomes type somewhere that actually hits lefties? CES/Hinds? I agree although if Hinds is a platoon guy then bringing him up to pencil him in against Fried, Crochet, and Suarez is cruel & unusual punishment. What can he do against a regular lefty? Vodnik from the Rockies and/or Anthony Bender and we’d have a much better chance with the pen. GA looks rejuvenated, but he’s tried to trick everyone before
I agree Indy but we all gotta admit this is MLB and that means you’re facing Fried and Chapman and Sonny Gray and Wheeler every day. Im tired of hearing of what Hinds or CES ( or Phil Ervin or Aquino ) did against a 28 yo AAAA guy in Louisville.
Suarez and O’Hearn would immediately make an offensive roster a World series caliber offense. I’ve seen enough of Hinds and CES. Benson and Espinal can be 12/13. Grab an elite reliever and this team with Greene coming back has a shot.
OS>> Consider what Benson was at 24 before the Reds picked him up. That’s Hinds today in his age 24 season.
He will figure lefties out, or he will be a bust. But if he does, he is a two-way everyday guy with a 100+ OPS+ and will mature into an outstanding OF.
Right now, he needs to go back to AAA and apply what he has learned, like he did when sent back in late May.
Can/ should the Reds wait on him (he can still be optioned next year)? That’s Krall’s pay grade and risk either way.
Saw an article that said Lodolo was a good fit for the BoSox. Lodolo for Duran? Duran has one more year of control than Lodolo, so that wouldn’t be a mere push for the playoffs.
The Reds battled, but in the end, the best pitcher in the game threw a complete game against them while only giving up 1 hit.
Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap.
But with this game, on paper, the Reds’ toughest stretch of the year is over. A lot of people on here were expecting the Reds to fall out of contention during this stretch, but they hung in there. They were competitive with everyone they played, which is saying something.
Now let’s see if they can win some of the games they’re supposed to win and really build some momentum heading into the second half.
7 against the Marlins and Rockies to close out the first half, 2nd half opens with a tough series away to the Mets, then a trip to struggling Washington followed by a 9-game homestand.
It should be interesting. If the Reds are going to start stacking wins, it needs to start now.
I think the Rockies Marlins this week will determine a lot for the rest of the season. They need to stack some wins to have any hope.
Thanks for mentioning the end of the tough 24-game stretch! With today’s loss the Reds completed the 24-game stretch that began on June 9th with a 13-11 record. Not bad! Could have been a lot worse given the teams the Reds faced (3 Division Leaders and 7 of 8 series against teams with winning records).
Mets rotation is ailing, and their pen is worse than the Reds’.
Yeah, but I’m not sure the Reds’ offense can out-hit the Mets’ offense.
It all comes down to our starting pitching keeping the Mets off the board.
But that’s a long ways away. They me to focus on the Fish first.
*Time to focus on the Fish first.
Stupid phone.
Was not able to watch/follow today’s game! Looking at the Box Score, 2 stats stand out! ONE HIT by the Reds! Sorry, but you are not going to win many MLB games with only one hit! Hats off to Wheeler!
Secondly, the 4 Walks by Burns! If he wants to go deeper into games at the ML level he needs to cut down on the walks!
Always disappointed in a loss but the Phillies are good and with Wheeler on the mound today they were simply better!
Time to reset and refocus on the 7-game homestand before the ASG break! A 5-2 homestand would be nice and get the Reds to the 5 games over .500 mark! A 6-1 homestand would be even better!
I know you dont like walks, Dennis, but Burns rebounded nicely from all if them. Kid was amped up. He ended up charged with one run, which came from a double dished up by Moll. Overall, Burns did very well, imho. Would still like to see more of his other two pitches, but that will come in time and with more confidence. 4.2 innings at Philly, charged with only one run, along with 7 K’s is pretty good work. Good things ahead for Burns for sure.
I would not trade Collier and Stewart. They are future starters on this team. I am quite certain they will not be traded. The Reds need to continue to try to win. I will be following them to the end this year. Life is good. I look forward to seeing Stewart and Collier in a Reds uniform.
But they are basically the same player. One will play 3rd , the other DH, and the next day they switch.
According to Doug. Stewart is a poor defender at 3rd. So he becomes either a DH or 1B.
Not sure how good defensively Collier is, but I know at draft some projected he may eventually move to outfield. A comment when he was drafted “He’s known for his advanced hitting ability, impressive bat speed, and potential for power, but also for some concerns about his foot speed and ability to stick at third base long-term. ”
So I think you make a decision about which you want to keep, and then stick them at that position.
Collier will be a 1B/DH guy.
That’s why you pay Zack Wheeler 42 million a year is to come out in the rubber match of a series and win the game mostly by himself.
Was nice to see Burns pitch well though overall for the Reds. He’s going to have some great starts at some point with some wins I think in the near future.
I agree with your comment about Burns! Only 3 ML starts and all against very good teams! He will need to cut down on the walks which drove his pitch count to 91 in only 4-2/3rd innings!
@D For sure. In time.
If he wasn’t ready to face those teams then he should not have been called up when he was. By definition you’re saying he wasn’t ready.
Doc, he gave credible performances against two out of three of those teams. In an ideal world he might have had more time at AAA, but it also may be that he already had little to learn there. I wonder if his walks are a function of MLB hitters and umps?
Burns will likely be facing the Rockies at home on Friday night.
And then maybe the Nats in his first start after the AS break.
Those teams lose a lot and the Rockies offense is turrible. Burns could get 10 K against em. (The Nationals lose a lot but they can hit a little.)
Wheeler is a great pitcher but good teams find a way to score off of great pitchers, this is not a good team. Good teams don’t have a guy hitting .205 batting 2nd and don’t strike out so much.
If I could pick the Reds All Star it would be Pagan. Abbott has trailed off lately, the same can be said for Friedl and while Elly is great he is still way too inconsistent as a 3rd place hitter and besides he will have many chances. So pick 2 Elly and Pagan, pick 1 Pagan.
Good point Mark about Pagan.
He’s been a pleasant surprise as closer. TJ still can get on base but he’s played a lot of games too.
CES and Hinds look lost at times at the plate. The Cowboy and Larkin have commented too about making bad decisions on pitches and swinging out the helmets . Chris V hopefully is working with these guys . If he is it isn’t working .
CES, Hinds, Benson, and Stephenson could all be moved.
So, Wheeler’s ERA is about 2. So which are these good teams who are finding a way to score off of him. Did good teams find a way to score off Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton, Warren Spahn? What makes excellent pitchers is that teams rarely find a way to score off them. Duh!
The Padres, Astros, and Mets, who are the three teams to face Wheeler before the Reds, scored a grand total of ZERO earned runs against him.
In fact, since April 14th, Wheeler has given up more than 2 runs only once, while also having 6 games where he gave up zero runs.
Against a pitcher like Wheeler, even good teams are going to need a bit of luck to score on him. That the Reds didn’t get shutout is already a lot better than other teams have done against him.
The better team won today and the series. This series proved once again that offense is Reds biggest problem followed by BP. This series also showed that Reds are not that far off to compete with the best teams. This team competed hard over the last 24 tough games with only one blow out loss in Boston and for that we as fans should have nothing to gripe about. One thing I wish to see from Francona is he stand up for his players more, whether when his players HBP or when they get squeezed by ball/strike call. I wish he came out of the dugout to argue with umpire today on a few egregious calls, got tossed in doing so, but at least showed his players that he got their backs, and it could light a fire and got his players going. Done with griping.
“Terry Francona headed to the mound for a pitching change and brought in Sam Moll to face Kyle Schwarber who has obliterated lefties this season.” Interesting managerial decision.
Reds need to sign Schwarber this offseason.
I agree! Tough minded guy who is not platoon based. Only trouble is that he takes all flexibility with the DH spot away. If you get him, might as well trade Tyler Stephenson.
“If you get him (Schwarber), might as well trade Tyler Stephenson.”
Jose Trevino is on the books through 2027 with a team option for 2028. The AAV on Trevino’s contract is $5.11m, including if he is retained for 2028. Stephenson is making $4.93m this year, is arbitration eligible for 2025, and FA eligible for 2026.
The Reds may have already pushed the “Print” button on TS’s eventual departure ticket when they signed Trevino to his deal back in the spring.
We are not in their league. We are one notch below.
That is all.
^^^ This.
(Unfortunately.)
we are really a year away. Some of us do not want to hear this, but , I think we should trade Pagan, Ty Steve, Lux, Hayes, and Nick M, package them for top 5 organizational prospects ( for example TY Steve and Hayes to padres for Salas and Kash Mayfield) then turn around and use some of our blocked prospects to acquire 2 to three year controllable assets. Maybe go after a controllable outfielder, maybe pick up Duran from minny or Bird from the Rockies for the bullpen. Use Arroyo, petty, and stafura in these trades, Maxwell too. I do not not want to sneak into the playoffs, just to get bounced without scoring a run again. I want to be a real threat.
Hats off to our local statistician Joel. Knew I was seeing something pretty special in Wheeler’s outing but would not have guessed how rare the feat was. Heck, nowadays I get pretty excited to see a complete game of any type.
I’m going to mention things I repeatedly hear you guys bring up: What to do with CES? Addressing middle as well as late relief? McLain hitting in the two-hole? Acquiring a quality corner outfielder? Surely, Krall is aware of all of these things, right?
Yes, they are aware of all that.
I mention it with tongue in cheek. I know they’re aware of it. The question is what, if anything, will be done about it? CES and MM are managerial decisions.
I as well was just being sarcastic. Hard to tell sometimes on here. LOL
A few years ago people said “play the young guys” well they are now playing the young guys. Patience in my opinion is of virtue in the situation of Mclain and CES
Kevin is a company man. Be careful what you say because its getting back to the boss lol. I’m sort of kidding, but they knew we needed bullpen help and Krall decided to give us a bunch of guys near the end. Renteria at SS comes to mind. Barlow was really good 3-4 years ago.
If you’re aware of an issue and yet do nothing constructive to fix it then atleast one of two things are apparent:
1. Dumb
2. Don’t care. They’ll show up for Elly and fireworks/bobbleheads.
Nothing personal. We all want the same thing. I play devils advocate too and when everyone is griping then counterpoint is ok too.
And Pagan is one success I think for Krall. Resign him to 2 years. Hit 98 mph the other day and mixes his pitches well. He’s atleast a good set-up, but could fall off the cliff quick too at his age. 2027 might be dicey
Alrighty. Both you guys have set me straight. All good! Let’s beat the Fish and Rockies for starters and go from there.
LOL@Indy. We all want the same thing. I agree though if they see the problem and do nothing then well…
I know I say Reds are a good team, however not blind to the fact they have holes. We do need bullpen help and Chapman comes to mind. Dude was out there this season and we know the rest. The wait and see approach is nauseous at times
All Good Indy!!!
Burns has had a tough start facing 3 good teams in a row. Obviously, this was a better start than his last game out. I think the only reason Burns really is in the big leagues is because Hunter Greene is down with injury. I feel like he has been rushed a little too fast. Burns should be in AAA at this point in his career. Next year is when he should have been ready to go for the Big Leagues. At this point with him facing Colorado next time out he should be able to build a lot more confidence against big leaguers. If he struggles against the Rockies though or has just a so-so start I feel like they need to send him back to AAA.
Also, the team did what I expected them to do against one of the best teams in baseball. I’m just glad they didn’t get swept by the Phillies. Wheeler is a really good pitcher too so there is that too.
I could probably pitch against the Rockies and have a quality start. I don’t know where the Rockies are heading seems like they have been bad for a while, and they don’t seem to be getting better.
I asked Tito to pencil you in against the Rockies, and he said, “Yes.” Better get that 100+ mph fastball of yours ready.
I think Burns is actually doing alright.
I think his biggest thing is he needs to calm down and trust his stuff. He seems to be trying a little too hard, maybe because he feels a bit of “imposter syndrome” now that he’s facing MLB hitters. That’s why I think he threw so many balls yesterday. He was trying to put a little “extra” on his pitches, but at the cost of control.
I thought he did really well in the 3rd inning. He got a strikeout and groundout on his curve, then when the 3rd batter didn’t chase his curve, he brought the heat and got a lazy fly out. I hope the coaches review the tape of that inning with him and discuss why it was effective for him. I also hope they tell him his stuff is good enough for MLB and that he doesn’t need to try to throw harder. He just needs to stay calm and trust himself.
Seems funny to me how the fan base in Cincy have drastically lowered the bar of expectations. Many only hoped for one win versus the Sox and the Phils. This seems rather silly considering they were both three game series. Hold on, hold on, hold on ‘til there’s no hope left, this seems to have become the collective montre for this perpetual, professionally pathetic organization. “The hope and desire of spring slowly fades to the disappointment and despair of autumn”. Need I say more.
Yeah, you could say more…
Who are these “many” who…”only hoped for one win” against BOS and PHI?
That sounds to me like a straw man argument, Mr Montre.
Oh, and uh—One hit today. Great job everybody, including You Francona, throw away game number 21. Best of luck versus the Marlins.
I don’t think anybody threw it away: I think that the best pitcher in baseball took it away.
I think Burns stays up if he continues like this. First start was great, we all know how the BoSox game went, but yesterday in my opinion was good. He overcame some trouble he got himself in, and he kept his composure against a talented squad.
We’d all like him to be a bit more efficient, but we’ve been saying that about Greene for years and nobody wants him back in AAA. Burns has the stuff, and it looks like he’s building the poise to go with it. It doesn’t look like he needs to prove anything in Louisville.
When Greene returns the Reds have six starters. Lodolo, Greene, Abbott, Martinez, Burns, and Singer. One can either be traded or move to the bull pen. Consider trading Singer or Martinez if you can actually get something in return. Otherwise Martinez to long and late relief?
A trade must bring back a strong bull pen arm or a hitter who can play 1B or RF. Fraley and Benson are not the answer. Hinds has a future but needs to be sent to Louisville as does CES. Way too many holes in their swings for now. McCain has been disappointing and probably needs to be sent down to work on his hitting. Lux can cover second. Maybe go ahead and bring up Collier and try him at 1B with Steer going to DH .
Stewart and Collier are the future. Please don’t trade them. With the pitching we have locked up for several years the Reds are only two or three players away from contending.
So the untouchables are two guys who aren’t even in the Top 100 in most lists, who play non premium positions and who are projected to be below average in defense?
A key part of your post is “when Greene returns…” Trading away starting pitchers might make sense if the Reds have given up, but injuries not only can happen, they can be assumed. We’ve seen, for the past few years, how it looks when the rotation has to be filled out with not readies, has beens and never weres.
This game was all about Wheeler and he is just really really really good.The rest is just us being frustrated in the fact our offense is just bad.I get it about the ops and the runs scored and our ranking in homers etc etc etc.Would be interesting if stats were available on our offense from the 6th inning on including extra innings We finished 2 -4 on the trip and other then the blow out first game we were in every game.We were down 3-0 in the third game but avoided the sweep when CES went yard in the 7th.lost in Boston when they scored late to win 5-3 and also lost the last two games in Philly when the Phils scored in the 6th in Saturdays game and again in the 8th and yesterday it was the 8th again.The reason for the record we have is on the offense and being down or tied after the 6th is just a signal for a loss is coming.Other then CES and his granny and his 7th inning 3 run double against the Yankees and Benson’s walk of against the Padres our offense stinks late.Odd isn’t it that CES and Benson get lots of ink in how bad they are at times playing part time for the most part.Won all 3 of those games.There is enough blame to go around with only 3 consistent hitters in Hayes,Friedl and Elly that play every day.Again it was all about Wheeler yesterday but the season has been and still is on the offense.Lots of under performing hitters that will have to get much much better at crunch time in close games.
I thought I saw a stat that showed Reds since June 1st have 12 come from behind wins. Not sure though how many are from 7 inning on.
You may be right.Since June 1st the Reds are 17-14 and 12 come from behind out of the 17 sounds a little high but it could be.I did read an article on the Reds site that as of June 3rd,29 games ago that the Reds were 0-24 when trailing after 6 innings,0-26 when trailing after 7 and 0-28 when trailing after 8 and had yet to have a come from behind when trailing going into the ninth.Thing have changed since with the heroics by CES and Benson over the last couple of weeks.
.760 OPS vs starters (which is not pretty good!)
.660 OPS vs bullpens (which is… not so good)
But in all fairness, those numbers may not be tooo far off from league averages.
For comparison, the Cardinals are right at league average overall on offense (while the Reds are a notch or two below)…
2025 Cardinals
.730 OPS vs SP
.695 OPS vs RP
I think the Reds probably do struggle later in games but that probably has less to do with “focus,” clutchiness, etc (though they are a very young team) and more to do with a lot of opposing managers bringing in lefties in innings 7-8-9. And everyone must know by now… the Reds can’t hit lefties.
Or… they’re couldn’t hit lefties while Hays was out.
DOES ANYONE THINK A CURRENT MAJOR LEAGUE PITCHER WOULD LISTEN
TO GREG MADDUX WHO HAS STATISTICS LIKE THIS?
From 1988 to 2001, Maddux demonstrated incredible durability by pitching over 200 innings in 14 consecutive seasons. During this period, he averaged 238 innings per season while maintaining exceptional efficiency and never suffering a major arm injury.
Maddux averaged just 13.4 pitches per inning throughout his career, the lowest rate of any starting pitcher since the statistic began being tracked. His efficiency peaked in 1997 when he threw a complete game against the Cubs using only 76 pitches.
The upcoming 4 game series with the Marlins will be a telltale. Are the Reds a notch better than Marlins as the record says? I watched the Marlins play Brewers and they played tough. I can see a possibility for 3/1 or 2/2 or even 1/3. A very intriguing series that will play a big part in how FO approaches trade deadline.