The first 18

[JohnU]

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Inconsistent offense against a team that's better than advertised.

 

[Ickey Shuffle]

Bases loaded a few times and all but stranded. Same shit, different year.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Got lucky with rain today- dry all day until the 4th...or about when Reds SP are going to get rained on too much this year, IMO.

Didn't show it today, but I think the Reds can score...the bigger problem is going to be the pitching. Feldman is no teams #1SP, above high-A.

 

[JohnU]

I didn't see anything today that I didn't expect.

 

[eburg5000]

I was surprised that it was close as it was. I thought after that 1st inning that the Phillies might reach double digits

 

[eburg5000]

Feldman 98 pitches in 4 and 2/3s Phillies starter Hellickson 62 in the 6th. this is a continuation from last year.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I was thinking the same thing.

Six pitchers, 170 total pitches, 5 BB and two HR's..... still priceless.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Feldman got ahead in the count often, but wasted a lot of pitches after getting two strikes the first two innings. He had a nice stretch of retiring 10 in a row, but 60+ pitches through 3 innings is always a problem.

The bullpen did a nice job keeping the club in the game. The one run allowed by Blake Wood was a big run for the Phillies, but it came on a two out triple by the pitcher that a lot of right fielders catch.

Next up is Finnegan. Didn't have a strong ST, but we'll see if he was working on something or was truly struggling when he takes the bump tonight. If he struggles the Reds could be set to begin the season with a losing streak with a trip to St. Louis on the horizon.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I think he only retired 6 in a row. It was raining and cloudy and apparently so is my recollection of the events.

Could be alcohol related.

 

[eburg5000]

I hate it when a pitcher gets an 0-2 count. the pitcher seems to let up a little while the hitter does the opposite. It seems the hitter almost always gets on. I would like to see the % of hitters that get on with 0-2 counts. I'm sure there is a stat on this, but I wouldn't know where to look. I would also think the Reds are high on the list of letting hitters get on with 0-2 counts

 

[JohnU]

Good hitters down 0-2 are tough because they can tell when a pitch is being wasted. No pitcher wants to lose a guy on 0-2 which is all mindset, so they nibble till it's an acceptable count to get beat on. Never quite figured out why throwing 5 pitches to a guy was better than 3, if the result is going to be the same.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

That's where last season's bullpen excelled. They knew they were going to give up a HR and they got it out of the way by letting the first batter they faced round the bases.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Phillies have waived Tyler Goeddel. They acquired him in the 2015 rule 5 draft and carried him on the roster for the entire 2016 season despite hitting .192 in 200+ AB's.

Of course that means the Reds had to claim him.

Why you may ask?
Because Dick Williams believes you have to shovel a lot of manure to find the really good shit.

 

[JohnU]

Pete McK thinks this kid has some potential, according to a guy I know who knows Pete.
That and a quarter will get you 25 pennies.

 

[Ickey Shuffle]

The pitching was on point tonight. Now the bats need to heat up.

 

[JohnU]

great relief pitching.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Finnegan had what might be the most dominant start we've seen from a Reds starter the past couple seasons. He had a 25 pitch first inning and only 53 pitches over the next 6 innings. That's getting it done those last six innings. The better his changeup gets, the better Finnegan has pitched.

If it hadn't already been raining, that towering HR Votto hit might have brought the rain by itself. It didn't end up going very far into the stands, but it was one of the highest flyballs you'll see get out of the park. Probably not a HR in most parks, but we'll take it.

 

[eburg5000]

Well Rookie Davis goes today. A noon start.

 

[wvu_man]

I was very pleased with Finnegan's outing. After a 25 pitch 1st inning, I looked for him to be at 100 pitches and headed for the dugout by the 5th but he shook off the jitters and retired the next 19 he faced. Unfortunately, shutting down the Phils offense isn't a very good barometer of how good he'll be when faces a lineup with a pulse. Hopefully, he will build on this performance though and will continue to trust his stuff, throw first pitch strikes and stay aggressive.

 

[Ickey Shuffle]

12 hits today. That's more like it.