Random Reds Rumblings

[CincyRedsFan30]

Checking in from great American on droid sparse crowd

[missionhockey21]

Lucky you... for two reasons.

#1: Getting reception in GABP (AT&T is garbage there.)
#2: Being at the game and not stuck in the Baltimore airport. LOL

Enjoy the game! I will be following it on my phone likely listening to 700WLW.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Still getting used to the droid (got it this weekend...the day the 4G Droid Charge game out actually..lol), so forgive the typos and such. I have Verizon so I guess it is better in GABP than AT&T!

Anyway...good game.

A couple of quick observations: Bailey seemed to struggle with his release point in the first inning, missing low consistently until he retired two batters with some calm, collected pitching. He made a few mistakes but looked decent since he didn't have his best stuff.

The Reds took too many early swings against Zambrano at times but I thought they may finally get to him the second time through the order. I was close... it was the third time. The cool air seemed to cause several balls to die early and they weren't quite squaring up on the pitches but seemed JUST a tick off based on my observation; promoting my prediction at the time (to my friend).

Impressive to fail early and then explode for one big inning to completely change the tone of the game. Big hits from Votto, Phillips, Bruce, Rolen and of course Gomes (finally!) tonight, even though he forgot his HR trot during his extended power outage.

Hope your trip home was uneventful, mission, and you could follow the game!

[missionhockey21]

Thanks! I had a good trip back outside of the delays, but I had my brother with me and nowhere urgent to be last night so it really wasn't bad.

Anyway, great game last night. Zambrano pitched a good game, but the Reds are a team with a lot of fight and didn't get discouraged/give up like some teams on the past might have when you have a big pitcher dominating the game.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Dusty playing this game to lose tonight. Terrible bullpen management. Arredondo looked absolutely horrendous. Votto dogged a throw to change the complexion of the inning. Volquez struggled to get through six innings (a long outing for him!) and put them in an early hole and the Cubs take the lead. Just a brutal game and they've looked bad quite often against this team already on the year.

Cardinals appaer close to pulling within 1/2 a game again with the pesky Pirates looming for the Reds. Perhaps out of first again before they head to play the Indians - the best team in baseball so far this year? Did the Cards' sweep clinch the division and I missed something??

[CincyRedsFan30]

By the way, I don't know if I can take much of Janish batting. Some abysmal AB's, including bunt attempts, an apaprent sign he knows he isn't seeing the ball well now or something. Plus, a couple of errors recently, too.

Votto looks lost tonight as well.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Jordan Smith brutal to blow the game open. Dominated by this miserable Cubs team and off-and-on against them on the year. Embarrassing. But really, how many of the Krivsky pitchers are consistently good? This pitching staff is still inconsistent at best.

Dusty absolutely refuses to use his best pitchers in this game, even though it was tied going into the 7th. Masset didn't even pitch last night, nor did Ondrusek.

I start to wonder more and more how Bryan Price has a job. SO tired of this unpredictable group of pitchers. Their "eh" performance was masked last night by the gutty comeback but they can't get behind early all of the time or give up so many add-ons and expect to keep winning.

Meanwhile, Jaime Garcia is again on cruise control after Westbrook dominated the same Phillies team last night and outdueled Cliff Lee.

[CincyRedsFan30]

I don't know if the Cards or Cubs' defense is more LOL worthy. Just wow.

But Rolen and Lewis set that whole fiasco up, so good job by those two.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Finally, Votto tags one against the wall to add another run. Brutal fundamentals once more from the Cubs. Cue up the circus music here.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Now I see why Masset wasn't used earlier but still not understanding Ondrusek's non-usage, despite being used a lot so far this year.

And he gets the save...wow.

7-5 REDS WIN despite some bizarre and frustrating moments. Why can't this team prevent these types of crazy games from happening to start? Must have entered some contract with area heart doctors to get everyone's chances of a heart attack up and the blood pressure pumping.

[Slyder]

Now I see why Masset wasn't used earlier but still not understanding Ondrusek's non-usage, despite being used a lot so far this year.

And he gets the save...wow.

7-5 REDS WIN despite some bizarre and frustrating moments. Why can't this team prevent these types of crazy games from happening to start? Must have entered some contract with area heart doctors to get everyone's chances of a heart attack up and the blood pressure pumping.

I Must take credit for this one. I tune in to watch the game and Volquez immediately proceeds to give up the 3 run jack. I turn the game off at that point. Then I turn the game on while channel flipping to proceed to watch some rookie lace a double to make it a 5-3 game. I turn the game off again. Come on here to check out new posts and find the Reds proceed to win late.

So in closing:
While I am watching: Cubs win 4-0
While I am NOT watching: Reds win 7-1

Seriously though. I am so sick of watching Edison Volquez bomb the first inning, that is NOT an ace and no amount of numbers is going to change my belief that he should NOT be a starter right now. I dont know if he's got options or not (some big debate over it on another board) but I felt he was rushed last year for no reason and is still struggling with getting warm. He and Chapman both need a session with a psychiatrist or a trip to Mr. Soto's Neighborhood is in order for both.

[zodious]

I start to wonder more and more how Bryan Price has a job.

If they had the radio on in the dugout at all they would know all they need to. Jeff Brantley is on top of everything in the booth. He knows where to throw the ball to what hitters and whats wrong with a pitcher early. If they were smart they would PAY him to be the pitching coach, I would miss him in the booth, but I think it would make the reds that much better.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Thanks for flipping the channel then.

And I do like Brantley's commentary about pitching - though I wonder whether the players would listen to him. Sometimes pitchers on this staff look good and Price seems smart but the consistency really needs to improve. I just don't get what is going on sometimes with the scouting reports and how Price prepares the staff for starts. And all of the walks frustrate me.

[zodious]

Its all mental Lapses! They have a ton of talented pitchers who just dont stay in the game mentally. Especially if the other team hits a ball that the pitcher thinks was great or the ump isn't giving them the call they want they seem to get too emotional and lose it!

[missionhockey21]

Its really a shame we can't take Volquez's ability and add in the confidence and nerves of another pitcher. Why does he get tagged early so often?