Rus Livingood
April 20, 2013 – Marlins @ Reds – 1:10pm – Fox Sports Cincinnati – 800AM – Fox Sports OH
Reds Record (9 – 8)
Home Record (8 – 3)
Marlins Record (4 – 13)
Away Record (2 – 6)
Starters: LeBlanc (0 – 3) vs. Arroyo (2 – 1)
Storylines:
Word is going around that Ryan Hanigan is hurting and could go on the disabled list. It has been a rough April for the Reds roster, if so. He would be the third player from the opening day lineup to hit the DL, as Ryan Ludwick and Johnny Cueto were both injured before him. The Reds look to bounce back against the Marlins, and let’s see if they can bring their bats with them this game.
The Setting: We’ll have three legs to this journey. I am watching the start of the game at my house, and then will be leaving around 2:30pm to head to Grayson, KY. I am the advisor for my college fraternity, and emcee the annual awards banquet and dance every year. Lots of alums come in for it every year so my wife and I don’t feel so old. It’s a black tie affair, so I get to break out the tailored tuxedo and act like I’m somebody for a change.
The Game and Analysis:
•What a game for Shin-Soo Choo! He went 3 – 4 from the plate and also walked three times. The difference that he makes at the top of this lineup is ridiculous. His on base percentage is now just under .500 on the year, trailing Joey Votto for second in the league.
•Speaking of Votto, he had a dandy of a game himself. His home run in the third inning was a laser beam and was hit to right-centerfield. He does not usually hit them there as he is most comfortable driving the ball the other way. Votto was on base five times out of seven plate appearances, raising his OBP to .517 on the year. He also raised his average back over .300. He looked comfortable and confident at the plate, and that was a site I have wanted to see for a while now.
•Choo and Votto helped set the stage in the 13th inning, and the Reds enjoyed another walk off win.
•Devin Mesoraco looks good at the plate, and though he is not up to par with Ryan Hanigan’s abilities behind the plate, he looks to be doing much better than he was last year on offense.
•I can’t praise Bronson Arroyo enough. He went into 9th place (?) all time in strikeouts for a Reds pitcher, and threw another solid eight innings in this game. Forgive me if that stat is off on Arroyo. I know he is sitting at 1,009 strikeouts as a Red or something, but I forgot what the graphic said on the screen when he tied and surpassed the record. It was nice to see the fans give him an ovation with the strikeouts and announcement.
•It was an interesting dynamic watching the game at my house; listening to it on an AM radio station on the 35 minute drive to the motel; and then finding Fox Sports OH on the outdated television in our room. No baseball in HD makes me feel like I am watching a game from the 80s as there was also some static lines on the screen. The motel could also invest in an elevator for those patrons who are trying to get large coolers to the second floor. As soon as I settled into my room, some undergrads and other alumni that are Reds fans joined me, as they didn’t think the game was on one of the channels. My wife had checked the channel lineup before I even got the cooler in the room. She’s a one of a kind! Great atmosphere to end the game, as everyone there was in a celebratory mood, and the last several innings were fun to watch.
•Aroldis Chapman was straight up sick with his performance to bounce back from the loss the night before. He threw 10 pitches, and nine of them were strikes. He got two more strikeouts and lowered his ERA back down below 1.00 after giving up his first run of the year on Friday.
•The game lasted over four hours, which I didn’t mind as it allowed me to make up for the missed parts during travel.
What Worked: The Choo and Votto combination was on fire in this game. Combined, they went 7 – 10 with four walks, reaching base 11 times overall. That is nice to have at the top of your lineup! Arroyo and the bullpen also need to be praised for their terrific work.
What Didn’t Work: Zach Cozart went 0 – 6 from the plate and left eight on base! That is NOT nice to have near the top of your lineup. Cozart had a good little run of games to boost his stats up, but this game was a harsh blow. When your leadoff man is on six times, and the third slot gets on five times, you expect to score more runs than this.
Where They Stand: The Reds are 10 – 8 and remain ½ game behind the Cardinals in the NL Central.
Overall Thoughts: I love a walkoff win. These are the types of games that you have to find a way to win, because they can make a big difference in the chase for a playoff spot. You cannot ask for much better performances out of Choo and Votto, and Brandon Phillips continues to drive in important runs in the cleanup spot.
Up Next: The Reds finish up this four game series, hosting the Marlins tomorrow.
