The next 12 games ....

[JohnU]

This month:
6 against the Birdlegs
6 against the Cubs
6 against the Boo-Hoos

I realize the games are the games are the games but I am not a fan of packing this many divisional games into the first month. There are plenty of intangible reasons for that but I am one who would like to see the divisional games more spread out over the summer. Rosters change, players adapt, pitchers get sore fingers, catchers get beat up.

It may be just whining into the wind.

Either way, winning 12 of these 18 would be a real nice way to go into May.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Cardinals have printed playoff tickets at the expense of the Reds much to often. Last season the Reds handed them the division by faltering against the Cards 7-12 and playing 33-24 against the rest of the division including 12-7 versus the Pirates. That's a five game difference in a division won by two.

The Reds will be OK versus the other three, they have to play better against the Cards. The Reds can't expect other teams to beat the Cards... they need to take care of business themselves.There's no time like the present to reverse the trend. Otherwise send the St. Louis playoff ticket printing bill to:
100 Joe Nuxhall Way Cincinnati, Ohio

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Not much of a news flash...but Marquis is getting drilled by a MLB team. The bullpen has been over used the last couple games, might see Gregg in mop up duty. It's 3-2 in the 2nd inning and how we lookin?

Not good!!

Votto is carrying this team and hasn't walked yet this year as teams are going after him. Shouldn't take long for teams to realize "Joey is back" and start taking their chances with the guy on deck.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Never fails....slam a guy and he turns it around. Quality start for Marquis, but the bullpen has at least three innings or more to pick up for the third straight game.

How does BP lose a tailor made DP ground ball off the bat? Appeared to have line of sight around the umpire and broke the wrong way, strange play. The guy isn't smiling, bruised ego must be getting him down. I suggest he try getting his head out his azz.

 

[JohnU]

Gregg didn't get much of a break.

 

[JohnU]

Anyone else notice that Cozart has 1 hit this year?

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Reds haven't been charged with a error in the first four plus games, but there have been 3 or 4 uncharacteristic plays in the IF. THE OF defense has been solid with addition of Byrd. Nice throw'em out at third by BH really helped out in the seventh.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I think Byrd only has one hit as well.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Reds take the lead in the 8th and Chapman is warming up. Will the Reds win their first four games in their last AB? To put that in contrast they only had 5 walk off wins all of last season. The wins with the deciding run scoring in the 8th doesn't count as walk offs, but this team is really battling to start the season.

 

[JohnU]

I think this might just be a nice homestand.

 

[JohnU]

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Reds got four hits, scored five runs and Chapman nails down the save. First team in over 100 years to win it's first four games in it's last AB.

These are huge wins, not only because they're against division rivals, but they're doing it with very little contributions from half the lineup. It's pretty much the Hamilton Votto show. The pitching has held up when it mattered, but the bullpen is getting burned up every game. They could really use Cueto to go deep tomorrow, my money is on Johnny.

 

[WvuDieHard]

Not since 1912 has a MLB team won the first 4 games of the season in their last at bat. I am cautiously optimistic for the Reds. I thought Marquis looked really good for a stretch. Hoover has looked outstanding. Jumbo looks great and Chapman is a beast. The rest of those bums in the bullpen need to shape up or ship out. Byrd, Phillips, Cozart, and Meso--need to start hitting the ball. Votto and Frazier can't carry this team all year.

 

[JohnU]

Gotta wonder if Negron will get a start at SS.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Price is riding the same lineup, at least while they are winning. Mesoraco is going to need a day off soon. I'd think they will play Pena when Iglesias pitches Sunday with the language barrier being the biggest with him. Mesoraco looks like he could use a day off to regroup offensively. Might be putting too much pressure on himself.

Cozart, Byrd. and Phillips are all struggling. Cozart is the one of that three that has the lowest offensive expectations from Price. IMO, Phillips is the player to be worried the most about. That play breaking the wrong way looked like he was in la la land.

 

[JohnU]

Phillips may end up benching himself. In that 7 hole, he's done nothing ... I think he leads the league in 1st-pitch popups. He did work a nice play with Cozart that was probably just luck. Not sure what is up with him at 2B. One play last night, Polanco almost beat one of his casual throws to first.

 

[WvuDieHard]

Phillips' best days are behind him. If you could ship him out for a good hitter or prospect, now is the time to do it.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Phillips has gotten to the 10-5 MLB service time rule and has a no trade clause as a result. They tried to trade him last year prior to him reaching 10 years, no takers. The Reds owe him $39M spread over the 15-16-17 seasons which makes it nearly impossible to trade him even if he waives the no trade clause. I can see why the Reds wanted to trade him.....but if you were a opposing GM would you trade anything at all in exchange for a aging egotistical 2nd baseman with a declining skill set owed $39M?

The offense is in desperate need of a couple other guys kicking it into gear. The Reds as a team are hitting .203 with a .275 OBP and have shown little to no offense past the three hole. They are 4th in runs scored mostly due to being 2nd in HR's. The current 243 HR pace will correct itself to a more realistic number in the 150-170 range which would be a good power year for the Reds, but hard times are coming if they're going to be dependent on one guy stealing bases and waiting on the long ball to bail them out on a regular basis.

 

[JohnU]

It's conceivable the Reds could get their 16 wins over the next 30 days with this strategy. Not unlike the 1983 White Sox "winning ugly," the Reds are "just getting by."

Some components here: Speed doesn't go into a slump. Hamilton, if he plays, will continue to do what we are seeing. If he makes contact, his OBP will go up.

Votto, if he plays, will probably hit like this all year. The occasional oh-fer-the-series can't be avoided.

A third component that is less predictable is whether the pitching has been this good or whether the opposing hitters have been this bad. Let's go on the road to see more about that.

Watching the last few games, Frazier has had some prodigious cuts but he's far from an ideal 3-hole hitter. There are no options.

Mesoraco is clearly flailing away at everything. So is Phillips, who seems disjointed about hitting 7th. His other spot on the lineup card is under "reserves" so he needs to stop trying to hit his way back into the cleanup spot.

Bruce doesn't appear to be struggling but he's never going to break his slump if he keeps hitting the way he has. The Parrot shift got into JB's head.

Byrd isn't going after bad pitches. Byrd hasn't been able to hit the routine pitches. Could be, he's due for a 12-game bender. Either way, he's been of marginal value.

Reds announcers are quietly pretending they don't see Cozart's obvious inability to hit. tHom B. last night was lauding his "hard-hit" pop flies to center field, all the while still romanticizing Cozart's near-home run on O.N. -- his only hit of the season.

Personally, I'd have given Marquis one more inning last night.

 

[JohnU]

What we saw today is what we really can expect -- if this team can't hit, they are not going to sustain much success. The 4-5-6-7-8 spots in this order are clueless against a manager who can run in 4 different pitchers to face 4 different hitters and get basically the same result.