Rus Livingood
August 17, 2013 – Reds @ Brewers – 7:10pm – Fox Sports Cincinnati
Reds Record (69 – 53)
Away Record (32 – 33)
Brewers Record (53 – 69)
Home Record (23 – 32)
Starters: Latos (12 –3) vs. Gallardo (8 – 9)
The Setting: After driving several hours to Virginia for a couple of family reunions on my wife’s side of the family, then driving several hours home, I will watch the game with the magical power of DVR.
The Game and Analysis:
•Yovanni Gallardo came off the disabled list to help shut down the Reds, allowing only three hits in 6 1/3 innings. Mat Latos pitched a good game in his own right, but got no offensive help in a 2- 0 win by the Brewers. All the details are below.
•Gallardo did not allow a hit until the fourth inning. That hit was a Brandon Phillips single that followed a Joey Votto walk with two outs. During the next at bat, Gallardo bounced a ball in the dirt that did not get past the catcher, but Phillips strayed too far off first base and was picked off and tagged out in a rundown.
•In the bottom of that inning, the Brewers would score the first runs of the game. With two outs, Khris Davis singled up the middle, and Scooter Gennett followed with a single to left. Logan Schafer then drove in both runners with a big double over the head of Jay Bruce in right field. That broke a huge slump for Schafer and put the Brewers up 2 – 0.
•Both Latos and Gallardo would not give up many hits. Gallardo was particularly effective, pitching 6.1 innings of shutout baseball while only surrendering three hits. Latos gave up six hits in 7.0 innings, but the only two runs he gave up proved to be the winning runs for the Brewers.
•The Brewers got a couple of double plays, and one of them came at just the right time for them. With one out, the Reds got three consecutive singles by Phillips, Bruce, and Ryan Ludwick to load the bases. The first hit was the last pitch Gallardo would throw, and Brandon Kintzler came in to immediately give up singles to the next two batters. Xavier Paul was brought in to pinch-hit for Zack Cozart, and Kintzler got Paul to ground into an inning-ending double play. That was the only real threat the Reds had on the day.
•That Paul double play was the first of seven consecutive outs by the Reds to end the game. Kintzler threw eight pitches in the eighth inning to sit the Reds down in order, and Jim Henderson struck out the side in the ninth inning.
•The game lasted only 2:28, and flew by without having to watch the commercials and all the other dead periods. I guess that is what happens when there isn’t much offense.
What Worked: Latos did not give up many runs, and his only bad spot was the three hits in the fourth.
What Didn’t Work: The Reds offense was dismal. They had only two chances with runners in scoring position, in back-to-back at bats. Ludwick hit a single to load the bases and then Paul grounded into the double play. They had no extra base hits and left four men on base. When three of those were left on at once, that shows just how bad the offense was tonight.
Where They Stand: The Reds are 69 – 54 and trail the Pirates by 3.5 games and the Cardinals by 1.5 games in the NL Central.
Overall Thoughts: Ugh. That was ugly and not what the doctor ordered after last night’s loss in the bottom of the ninth. Just when the Reds start making their move in the NL Central, they come up lame in a couple of games in a row to nullify their recent run. Losses happen, but these two happened at inopportune times, and they were both winnable games.
Up Next: The Reds finish up this series in Milwaukee tomorrow afternoon.
