Road trip

[Hit-n-Run]

I'd agree with John and 1507 in dropping Votto into the two hole. Even little league teams put their best hitters at the top of the lineup.

But, this team has a bigger problem than who hits in the two hole. Currently the Reds' LHB are leading the Majors in BA and the Reds' RHB are dead last in BA. Overall the team is hitting 0.230 versus RHP this season, it hit 0.246 last season. The last N.L. team to win a Championship with a worse number than the 2012 Reds was the 1969 "Miracle Mets".

A team has NEVER won a World Series that has hit so poorly versus RHP as the 2013 Reds have to this point. I think this team will improve versus RHP, but it's a glaring weakness either way.

 

[Redsfan1507]

A 1-3 start means the Reds need to finish 4-2 to play .500 on this road trip. IMO, best chance of that includes a sweep of the Cubs... but it's tough to win a series on the road, much less sweep ANY team in their park... unless you are playing our Reds in a playoff series, I guess. Lets hope for a couple in St. Louis.

 

[JohnU]

I have to think that over the season, the RHP offensive numbers will improve a little as the Reds face the league. So far, a lot of mediocre pitching is still out there.

That begs the other conundrum: Most teams can beat mediocre pitching but very few teams make the post-season with mediocre pitching.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I think the Reds pitching has been great so far... and mediocre offensive teams have done pretty well in the W-L column against us so far. I still believe the Reds offense is the ailment we need to cure.

 

[eburg5000]

Mediocre? I wish they were mediocre. this offense looks dead, I look for a no hitter or perfect game to be pitched against them. and maybe more than one.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I'm not sure if the team has played as bad as we think, or it's more that they haven't played up to the high expectations we had for them this season.

It's still April and they've had a lot adversity to deal with. They're only 1.5 games out and no one is running away with the division. There's a lot of baseball to be played.

 

[JohnU]

The Saturday night game was a bit of a freak show. Two or three balls back up the middle bounced off the pitcher straight to the infielders. Ah well ... luck being the residue of design, all the same ... it often takes one or two baserunners and a lucky hop to score a couple of early runs.

And scoring runs EARLY is what the Cardinals do VERY well.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Speaking of the Cardinals, over the last year or two, they lost most of their dugout staff, their top 2 starting pitchers, a Hall Of Famer, their bullpen, and a few infielders. Their offense relies on three often injured power hitters and a catcher. They don't play great defense, and the bullpen is always blowing leads. They've won a World Series and went farther in the playoffs than our Reds, who had the 2nd best record in MLB, and the only rotation that didn't miss a start and features Aroldis Chapman in the bullpen. Why ? When you get a few answers, you'll know what we're missing.

 

[JohnU]

I'd say Johnny Cueto would answer most of the playoffs questions from a year ago.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Well, at least one of the questions. He would have had at least one start. As it worked out Chapmans playoff appearances were in insignificant cameos. Latos tossed a stinker, but would have been in the post season rotation anyway, as would Arroyo and probably Bailey. The guy they left OFF ( before Cueto was injured) was... Uh, Mike Leake. Go figure... The guy who "won" the rotation spot this spring when they sent AC to the pen. May be a lesson unlearned there.

 

[WvuDieHard]

It is so hard to figure the insanity going on in Dusteromus's head. Til the day I die, I will always preach that DustMop doesn't set the right lineup or bat the order appropriately. X Paul is an OK PH but I believe Hanahan carries a much more potent bat. You have to find a way to get him in the lineup against righties especially when the whole ball club is struggling to hit. As far as the order goes, 2 hole is a problem but there really is no fix there unless you move everybody up. Frazier and Bruce and their inconsistencies are the big problem coming out of the 4-5 spots. They dont seem to hit togethor or will both have bad games. All in all here, you are 15-12 on the 4/30, so you cant complain to much. Dustmop has only lost one game with his BS so far. Reds will get healthy and make a big push in July.

 

[JohnU]

Win tonight and finish April with 16 wins.
That's a pace for 96.

 

[eburg5000]

If we could win at least one of these last two games against the Cards, my faith will be restored a little bit.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I think .500 on the road is success. That means 5 wins, and they only have 1 with 5 left to play. They need to win 4 of the next 5, and that is hard on the road...the price of losing 3 to the Nats.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Oops ...they've won 2 so far right ? They can do that with a sweep of the Cubs, huh ? No pressure.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Our offense still isn't very intimidating, but somehow against a good pitcher and team, a 2-0 win feels ok. I don't like getting 1 hit against anyone, and want to vomit when they get stumped by 5.00 ERA pitchers on sub.500 teams though.

 

[Ryanballa]

The road trip has definitely not gone as good as we hoped it would obviously, But we finally have a off day, which is what I think this teams desperately needed and also we have the Cubs this weekend so maybe we can take care of business in the Windy City and make the road trip a decent one.

 

[JohnU]

The Cubs are not winless and no matter who they throw out there, the Reds will be lucky to get 4 or 5 singles against them. Sorry, but Dusty and his dugout staff have embarrassed us, departed for the corner of the clubhouse and left this team hung out to dry. This is a .500 season waiting to happen. Being 5-6 games back, in 4th place, before the middle of May ... by then, everyone else will have their players healthy too.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I think the Cubs have the same road record as the Reds...and the same schedule. The Cubs arent expecting to win though...For whatever reason, every other year, the Reds just dont seem to get it...Underachieving... Is the word i'm looking for. Cueto is a major piece injured, but the pitching has been fine without him. There is no injury excuse for the offense, Ryan Ludwick ? C'mon.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Your lack of faith in Ludwick has been well documented 1507. I'm not willing to make a large investment in "Ludwick Inc." myself, but I have to believe he'd been more productive than the band of merry misfits that have patrolled LF thus far. Collectively they're hitting less than .190 this season.

This team wasn't going to be greatly improved offensively if everything went as planned, but they couldn't afford to lose their 2nd and 3rd best RHB in Ludwick and Hanigan with the lack of depth they have at those positions.