Rus Livingood
June 26, 2013 – Reds @ Athletics – 3:35pm – Fox Sports Ohio
Reds Record (45 – 33)
Away Record (19 – 19)
Athletics Record (45 – 34)
Home Record (23– 12)
Starters: Bailey (4 – 5) vs. Griffin (5 – 6)
The Setting: I am watching at home on the DVR. After work ended, I helped cook at my church for a large group of college students that are biking across the country and stopping in towns and cities to help build houses for Habitat for Humanity. I don’t mind delaying my Reds-watching ritual for something like that. It does mean yet another late night, though, as I am not starting the game until just after 8pm.
The Game and Analysis:
•Well, it wasn’t as late as I thought it was going to be. The Reds decided to not get many hits off A.J. Griffin, and the game was only two hours and twenty minutes long according to the box score. With fast-forwarding through commercials, it made for a very short game, even with taking the dog out 95 times and pausing several times to get my daughter situated and happy. Oh yeah, the game review. Griffin dominated the Reds as they were shut out 5 – 0.
•Griffin was the story in this game. He threw a complete game, two-hit shutout while walking two and striking out seven. The commentators said that he had not cut his hair since Spring Training of last year (if I remember correctly), and he wears these (clear) glasses “so the batters can’t see his eyes” according to those same announcers. Yeah, I don’t like this guy. Nothing personal, but don’t be eccentric if you are going to throw a complete game shutout against my team.
•In one of the few bright spots for this game, the Reds executed a double steal in the first inning as Derrick Robinson stole third and Joey Votto stole second. The throw to third nearly went over the head of the third baseman, but obviously it did not or there would have been no shutout.
•Homer Bailey found himself in a lot of trouble in the fourth inning. He gave up back to back singles to Jed Lowrie and Yoenis Cespedes to start the inning, then gave up an RBI double to Brandon Moss for a 1 – 0 Oakland lead. Josh Donaldson crushed the next pitch for a three run homer to make the score 4 – 0. Four runs were in and the Reds had yet to record an out in the inning. Another small bright spot came later in the inning as Bailey picked off Eric Sogard for the final out of the inning. I say “picked off,” but Sogard took off running for second and made it about eight steps before Bailey stepped off the rubber and easily threw him out at second. That was a heck of a jump.
•Tony Cingrani came in to pitch the seventh inning and gave up the final run to the Athletics. He gave up doubles to Sogard and pinch hitter Nate Freiman. Freiman was brought in because he hits lefties well, and it worked out just fine. Manager Bob Melvin seemed to be 18 steps ahead of the Reds at every turn in this short series.
•The Reds’ lone hits came on a single by Devin Mesoraco in the fifth inning and a double by Xavier Paul in the seventh.
•In an interesting move, Dusty Baker loaded the lineup with six left-handed batters (including two switch-hitters). The first four batters all hit from the left side.
What Worked: The Reds executed a double steal.
What Didn’t Work: Nearly everything else.
Where They Stand: The Reds are 45 – 34 and trail the Cardinals and Pirates by 3.5 games in the NL Central.
Overall Thoughts: The Reds have got to snap out of this cold streak. The Pirates have tied the Cardinals for the best record in baseball, and the Reds are now the third wheel. This game was so frustrating for me to watch, as the Reds could not hit anything that Griffin was throwing. Brandon Phillips was definitely missed, but I don’t know what kind of difference he would have made.
Up Next: The Reds have an off day before traveling to Texas for a weekend series with the Rangers.
