(07-05-2023, 09:25 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Just absolutely stupid by India.

I’ve seen them bad on the base paths over the years, but good lord that one just can’t happen.

India where the hell are you going??? Bases are loaded and there is no reason to get picked off by the damn catcher.

(07-05-2023, 09:27 PM)cinci4life Wrote: India where the hell are you going??? Bases are loaded and there is no reason to get picked off by the damn catcher.

On first base with absolutely nowhere to go. Crazy.

And of course EDLC hits a bomb that could have been a grand slam.

Votto draws a balk. :lol:

(07-05-2023, 10:15 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Votto draws a balk.

They fear his mad base running skills. He hasn't been caught stealing since the 4th game of 2017. 

He's 13 for his last 13 steal attempts. 

(07-05-2023, 10:28 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: They fear his mad base running skills. He hasn't been caught stealing since the 4th game of 2017. 

He's 13 for his last 13 steal attempts. 

Last one in 2019

Marlins just walked off on the Cards in hilarious fashion. Cards were up 9-8 and Marlins had runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. The runners both take off on a pitch that was hit back to the pitcher who catches it just in front of the mound and proceeds to somehow air mail it over the first baseman down the right field line and both runners scored. So nice to see it finally happening to them now.

(07-05-2023, 10:54 PM)cinci4life Wrote: Marlins just walked off on the Cards in hilarious fashion. Cards were up 9-8 and Marlins had runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. The runners both take off on a pitch that was hit back to the pitcher who catches it just in front of the mound and proceeds to somehow air mail it over the first baseman down the right field line and both runners scored. So nice to see it finally happening to them now.

So they had time to tag up and still score? If so that’s one hell of an overthrow. And hilarious either way

(07-05-2023, 10:57 PM)StoneTheCrow Wrote: So they had time to tag up and still score? If so that’s one hell of an overthrow. And hilarious either way

It was a bouncer to the pitcher not a line drive. My fault for not clarifying that. The lead runner had stopped at 3rd until he saw the ball go to the outfield and the winning runner at 2nd still had time to score.

Reds win and go for the sweep tomorrow!

(07-05-2023, 11:05 PM)cinci4life Wrote: It was a bouncer to the pitcher not a line drive. My fault for not clarifying that. The lead runner had stopped at 3rd until he saw the ball go to the outfield and the winning runner at 2nd still had time to score.

That’s awesome, screw ‘em.

And yet another one belongs to the Reds

Cubs down 3-1 to Brewers going to the 9th just scored 3 on Williams to take a 4-3 lead. Going to bottom of 9 now.

Cubs win and Reds now up 2 games!!! Sad thing is Cubs should be going for the sweep tomorrow too. Can't blow a 6-0 lead.

Tomorrow is kinda big now. We win and Brewers lose we go up 3 games heading to the Brewers series and at worst be tied for first going to the all star break. On paper it's possible. Stroman is pitching for the Cubs which should give them better than average chance to win. Hopefully Williamson pitches well for us.

They’ve won 7 consecutive road series now. Most since the Big Red Machine won 8.

(07-06-2023, 12:36 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: They’ve won 7 consecutive road series now. Most since the Big Red Machine won 8.

That surprises me since the 1990 team remained in first place the entire season.

(07-06-2023, 12:36 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: They’ve won 7 consecutive road series now. Most since the Big Red Machine won 8.

Yep

Since losing series 1-3 vs. Brewers and then calling up DLC we're 21-6 winning 8 series and only losing 1 - Braves, thus far the best team in MLB. And we battled them hard losing 7-6 in two games.

Going back into May since getting swept by the Yankees we're 29-12 having lost only 2 series - Braves/Brewers. They've swept 4 series including the Astros on the road.

Abbott is quickly turning into the staff Ace. Ashcraft is pitching much better lately, granted he kinda got lucky yesterday. But I don't have a ton of faith in Weaver and Williamson.

Can Kennedy help us out? He looked decent the other day. But I'm worried about Greene and Lodolo. When will they be back? Will they be effective?

I'm still hoping they can trade some combo of Senzel/Newman/Barrero ? for just an average starter than can help fill the void if Greene and Lodolo aren't up to speed soon enough.

At any rate Reds baseball this summer is a hot ticket. Who woulda thunk it?

(07-06-2023, 09:05 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: That surprises me since the 1990 team remained in first place the entire season.

Wire to wire, man what a fun season that was. I had just got home from the Navy and got to watch a bunch of those games with dad. He was a giant Reds fan, big baseball fan in general. Dad worked at the steel mill in New Boston, Ohio with Pete Tenace father of Gene Tenace of Oakland A's fame of early 70's. Gene got me a baseball signed by basically the entire A's team which included Reggie Jackson, Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers, Mgr. Dick Williams and so on.

I still have it but it's badly faded over the decades.

(07-06-2023, 10:01 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Yep

Since losing series 1-3 vs. Brewers and then calling up DLC we're 21-6 winning 8 series and only losing 1 - Braves, thus far the best team in MLB. And we battled them hard losing 7-6 in two games.

Going back into May since getting swept by the Yankees we're 29-12 having lost only 2 series - Braves/Brewers. They've swept 4 series including the Astros on the road.

Abbott is quickly turning into the staff Ace. Ashcraft is pitching much better lately, granted he kinda got lucky yesterday. But I don't have a ton of faith in Weaver and Williamson.

Can Kennedy help us out? He looked decent the other day. But I'm worried about Greene and Lodolo. When will they be back? Will they be effective?

I'm still hoping they can trade some combo of Senzel/Newman/Barrero ? for just an average starter than can help fill the void if Greene and Lodolo aren't up to speed soon enough.

At any rate Reds baseball this summer is a hot ticket. Who woulda thunk it?

I get the appeal of trading Senzel and Newman but, man, they've been so good whenever we come up against a left hander.

Our lineup is surprisingly heavy on left handers with Friedl, Fraley, Votto, and Benson (with Elly switch hitting). Senzel and Newman can be swapped into the line up for Fraley and Benson (moving Steer to LF) against left handers.

Newman is hitting .258/.318/.371/.689 overall, but he's hitting .307/.388/.520/.908 against left handers.
Senzel is hitting .241/.315/.374/.689 overall, but he's hitting .373/.422/.627/1.049 against left handers (which is ridiculous).

It is not an exaggeration to say that Senzel may be the best platoon bat in the entire major leagues.

Moving those two into the line up against left handers for Fraley and Benson, who are batting .100/.200/.133/.333 and .100/.182/.300/.482 against left handers, respectively, is such an incredible boon, it has likely won us multiple games already.

For the season, we have an OPS of 0.776 against left handers, which is 5th in MLB behind only the Braves, Rays, Rangers and Marlins.

We could survive without them and if they brought in a good starting pitcher, the trade could be worthwhile, but we also have a bunch of guys coming off the IL at the beginning of next month in Greene and Lodolo as well as Lively later this month, who I think many people have forgotten about.

Lively has given us a 4.11 ERA in 7 starts and 40.2 starter innings (average depth of 5.2 to 6 innings per start), 46 innings total (his first "Start" was during a bullpen day following an opener and he also took over a Greene start that was getting away from him), a WHIP of 1.26, 45K and only 13 BB (K/BB of 3.5).


What are the odds we can find a pitcher that could provide those kinds of stats for a hand full of platoon players and "fresh starters" (like Barrero)?

Our rotation of Abbott, Ashcraft, Williamson, Kennedy and, soon, Lively, (along with Weaver...ugh), has been good enough for the month of June. If we can make it through July to get Greene and Lodolo back to have a rotation of Abbott, Ashcraft, Greene, Lodolo and one of Lively/Kennedy/Weaver or Phillips, I think that's a playoff caliber rotation with no trade needed.

Plus, any trade will likely occur around the end of the month since teams will want to wait to the last second to make sure they're getting the best deal, so we may be stuck with this rotation as it is until the end of July anyway.