Rus Livingood
June 22, 2013 – Reds @ Diamondbacks – 7:15pm – Fox
Reds Record (44 – 31)
Away Record (18 – 17)
Diamondbacks Record (40 – 33)
Home Record (20– 15)
Starters: Leake (7 – 3) vs. Corbin (9 – 0)
The Setting: After a glorious day of mowing the grass and running a bunch of errands, I am going to settle in on my couch and watch the Reds game on Fox. Being the OCD man that I am, I dislike when I cannot watch the game on Fox Sports Ohio and listen to the usual rotation of commentators that I am used to. It’s more than just the voices, it is the fact the regular team is familiar with everything that is going on with the team as they have watched and called just about every game, and they are commentating for Reds fans, not a national. But hey, at least the game is televised.
The Game and Analysis:
•If you listened closely enough, you could have heard my heart breaking in the ninth inning, then a loud snap at the end. There is a saying that without the darkness, the light would not be as bright. Well, without Jay Bruce crushing a go ahead home run in the ninth, this loss would not have hurt so badly. As it was, Aroldis Chapman struggled mightily and the Reds lost to the Diamondbacks 4 – 3. To feel my pain, read on.
•Patrick Corbin and Mike Leake both came into this game pitching terrificly. Corbin was 9 – 0, but had gotten three straight no decisions in looking for his tenth win. Leake had been on fire for the last two months, basically, with the exception of one rough outing. Both pitched well and had a pretty good duel going on, pitching eight innings each before turning the game over to their respective closers.
•Leake’s final line was 8.0 innings, 4 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs on 92 pitches. The runs came on a two run homer by Gerardo Parra in the sixth inning, one of Leake’s few blemishes in the game. He was perfect through 5.2 innings, throwing only 59 pitches at that point. He then faced Corbin, who doubled down the left field line on the first pitch of the at bat, ending Leake’s pursuit of a perfect game or a no hitter. Two pitches later, Parra hit his two run shot to break up the shutout and give the Diamondbacks the lead.
•Corbin was cruising in his own right, with his only blemish being a solo home run to Bruce in the second inning. Bruce absolutely crushed the ball, too. It dented the scoreboard in centerfield, estimated as a 472 foot home run. It was just a monstrous shot. Corbin was otherwise near-unhittable, as the Reds managed a single by Devin Mesoraco in the seventh inning and a triple by Derrick Robinson in the eighth. Corbin’s final line: 8.0 innings, 3 hits, 4 walks, 1 run, and 5 strikeouts on 104 pitches.
•Bruce’s second homer came off Heath Bell, who was brought in for the save. Brandon Phillips worked the count against Bell and walked on nine pitches to lead off the inning. On the sixth pitch of the next at bat, Bruce unloaded, blowing the save attempt by Bell and giving the Reds the 3 – 2 lead. I was euphoric! All game long, the Reds had been struggling to get hits or move someone into scoring position. With a swing of the bat, the entire complexity of the game had changed. That led us to. . .
•Aroldis Chapman came in for the save in the bottom on the ninth. Paul Goldschmidt singled to lead off the inning, and went to second on a wild pitch by Chapman. All of Chapman’s pitches to the next batter, Miguel Montero, were fastballs, and he seemed to be overthrowing with every pitch. He was hiting 101 on the gun routinely, but was wild. Chapman was also visibly frustrated by not getting a strike call, and ended up walking Montero on seven pitches. He also walked the next batter on six fastballs, though his velocity had dropped considerably. I am not sure if he was told to not throw as hard or if he was fatigued or something. At this point, I am beside myself with anxiety. Yes, I care about the club that much if you haven’t guessed by my writing a blog about watching every game of the season. With the bases loaded, Jason Kubel hit a walk off single to score Goldscmidt and Montero for the 4 – 3 comeback win.
•A lone bright spot for the Reds at the plate, Bruce’s two homers travelled an estimated 914 feet. Regarding his recent rash of homers, Bruce has now homered in four straight games; hit eight homers in his last nine games; and his last seven hits have been home runs. Do not make a mistake pitch to this man right now. He does not care if you are a righty, a lefty, or how well you are pitching. If you miss, he will not.
What Worked: The starting pitching for both teams was phenomenal. Bruce’s monster shots were amazing.
What Didn’t Work: The closers for each team blew their save attempts without recording a single out. I am sure I have seen that before, but I can’t remember it if I have. Besides the homers by Bruce, the Reds offense was non-existent, but that is probably a testament of how well Corbin pitched.
Where They Stand: The Reds are 44 – 32 and trail the Cardinals by 3.5 games in the NL Central. They trail the Pirates by 1.5 games.
Overall Thoughts: This game was a rollercoaster ride, and exciting to watch. Had Chapman somehow saved the game after loading the bases with no outs, I would have been singing this game’s praises for its dramatic moments. As is, I am bummed out after a frustrating loss, because the light was blinding in the top of the ninth, and now the darkness is beyond black.
Up Next: Game three of this series takes place tomorrow afternoon.
