Rus Livingood
May 6, 2013 – Braves @ Reds – 7:00pm – Fox Sports Cincinnati
Reds Record (18 – 14)
Home Record (12 – 4)
Braves Record (18 – 12)
Away Record (9 – 7)
Starters: Maholm (3 – 3) vs. Arroyo (2 – 3)
The Setting: Home, home on the. . .street?
The Game and Analysis:
•Atlanta hopped out to an early lead and never looked back. In the first inning, Bronson Arroyo gave up a walk and two consecutive hits to put the score at 1 – 0 Braves. He gave up another walk later in the inning, but was able to get out of the inning with the bases loaded. The second walk was to Huntington, WV native Brian McCann in his first game of the year. The Braves would go on to score seven runs in the game, four on Arroyo.
•Arroyo gave up at least one hit in all five innings he pitched. His final line was 5.0 innings, 4 runs, 8 hits, 2 walks, and 7 strikeouts. He lost his third straight decision and has not won since April 15th, a stretch of four starts. His ERA is now 4.30 on the year.
•The star of the game for the Braves was shortstop Andrelton Simmons. He went 3 -4 with two homers and four runs batted in. His first home run hit the façade between the first and second deck in left field, as he just crushed an Arroyo breaking ball. He homered off Logan Ondrusek in the 8th inning, and also had an RBI single in the fourth. In the field, he had a couple of nice plays, but one in particular needs to be seen to do it justice. After Shin-Soo Choo was walked, he was picked off first by the pitcher. The first baseman’s throw to second was way off to the right, so Simmons caught the ball and reached back between his legs to tag Choo while running/diving to catch the ball. Simply amazing!
•Joey Votto hit a double (his fourth in the last three games) and had a run batted in. He scored two of the Reds’ four runs, as he scored both times he got on base. Votto has gotten a hit in nine straight games, amassing 15 hits during that time in 36 at bats (.416). Through the first 16 games, Votto was walked 24 times; through the 17 games since then, he has only been walked six times.
•Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, and Todd Frazier also knocked in one run each for the Reds. Phillips doubled to drive in Zack Cozart, while Bruce and Frazier each got RBI groundouts. It was just too little and too late against the Braves, though.
•Devin Mesoraco went 0 – 4 and is in a 3 – 23 (.130) slump. He was hitting well (.286) prior to this slump, and with Ryan Hanigan on the disabled list—and ineffective at the plate prior to his injury—the Reds need Mesoraco to produce.
•In his two innings of relief, Alfredo Simon struck out all six batters he faced. In his second inning of work, Simon needed only 11 pitches to strike out the side. Overall, the Reds struck out 15 batters in the loss.
•In the ninth, the Reds tried to rally, getting back to back singles by Donald Lutz and Choo with one out. Cozart swung at the first pitch he saw and popped out to the first baseman. Votto was then struck out by Craig Kimbrel to end the game. The Braves won 7 – 4, spoiling the opener of the Reds’ home stand.
What Worked: The Reds were able to put together a couple of good innings at the plate, getting runners on driving them in. Brandon Phillips was 2 – 2 with runners in scoring position. Simon was unreal in relief. For the Braves, Simmons could do no wrong in this game. He looked tremendous.
What Didn’t Work: Overall, the Reds were only 3 – 15 with runners in scoring position and wasted quite a few opportunities to score. Arroyo continued to struggle as he gave up eight hits and two walks in his five innings.
Where They Stand: The Reds are 18 – 15 and trail the Cardinals by 3.0 games, and the Pirates by mere percentage points in the NL Central.
Overall Thoughts: Andrelton Simmons just blasted the Reds today. With the Cardinals and Pirates off, the Reds had the opportunity to move up a little in the standings, but failed to do so. It is still early in the season, but the Reds need to make up ground whenever they can. The NL Central looks a lot tougher than it did on paper before the season started.
Up Next: The Reds host the Braves for game two of the series tomorrow night.
