Rus Livingood
April 5, 2013 – Nationals @ Reds – 7:10pm – Fox Sports Cincinnati
Reds Record (2 – 1)
Home Record (2 – 1)
Nationals Record (3 – 0)
Away Record (0 – 0)
Starters: Haren (0 – 0) vs. Bailey (0 – 0)
Storylines:
The Reds wrapped up a great series with the Angels to jump out to a 2 – 1 record.
Their bats have been cold or inconsistent, though there have been some bright spots in the lineup.
Newcomer Shin-Soo Choo has been doing his job of getting on base, and scored four runs in the opening series.
The Reds’ pitching has been very good, with three quality starts (if you respect that stat), and above average outings from the bullpen.
Homer Bailey looked tremendous in Spring Training, and can hopefully continue that in his first start.
The Reds defense has been pretty good at saving runs and extra bases, though they have had a couple of miscues, one of which directly led to a run.
The Reds lost one player (Ryan Ludwick) for several months due to a slide that went awry, and nearly lost another (Chris Heisey) when he took a baseball to the nose when sliding into second. Injuries can crush a team, and fundamentals can help prevent those injuries. More on that later.
The Nationals have only given up one run so far, and are off to a 3 – 0 start. It should be a great series.
In an article on reds.com, it was reported that Dusty Baker had warned all of his players in Spring Training not to slide head first into any base, as it could cause injury. Three innings into the season, Ludwick caught his hand in the wet dirt and will be out for half a year following surgery. The next game, Heisey slid into second (feet first) and took a ball off the nose, though he stayed in the game and hasn’t missed any time. I mentioned in yesterday’s blog entry that he slid the wrong way, and Heisey himself seemed to agree with that. In that same article on reds.com:
Heisey learned a lesson from the experience. He’ll never turn his head toward the catcher when sliding into second base.
“What was I doing looking back at the ball while I was sliding?” Heisey wondered aloud after the game on Wednesday. “That’s one of the dumbest things I’ve done in a long time.”
The Game and Analysis:
I was through 3 1/2 innings worth of live notes when I inexplicably closed the browser without saving. I decided to watch the rest of the game without typing anything so I didn’t have to pause it forever to catch up. I am pretty confident I can recreate mot of what I typed from memory, but I am still sick to my stomach.
Homer Bailey put on some muscle and weight for the second straight offseason. That should help keep him strong and ready for the long season. This former top pick is ready for a breakout year, unless you count last year as his breakout year.
Joey Votto picks a grounder down the foul line and turns and tosses perfectly to a covering Bailey. Votto’s defense goes largely unmentioned, but he works diligently to be the best he can be. He is one of the best defenders at his position, and his hard work makes him a true complete player.
In the Reds’ half of the inning, Votto stays up the middle with a single. It’s just a matter of when he gets it going, not if. His bat control and patience at the plate is just too good. Okay, enough love for Votto. For now.
Bailey is painting corners and getting good action late on his pitches. He has really matured and looks like he could develop into a true number two starter in the rotation, or could continue to develop even further. He is great to have as your fourth starter. Bailey is sitting at 27 pitches through two innings.
Todd Frazier absolutely blasts one to left for a 1 – 0 lead.
Zach Cozart sends the next pitch over(?) the top of the wall for a 2 – 0 lead, but that looked like fan interference to me. Manager Davey Johnson comes out, but must not ask for a review, because there is none. It was clearly interference, but the Reds are up 2 – 0 nonetheless.
Bailey surprises Jayson Werth by doubling off his glove as he tried to catch it down the line. I love seeing pitchers swing away and/or help themselves at the plate. That is one reason I prefer NL baseball. That and I am a huge Reds fanatic.
Back on the mound, Bailey faces the pitcher Dan Haren, who squares to bunt. He falls behind 3 – 0, which frustrates me. If a guy is bunting, especially the pitcher, just throw it over the plate and let the fielders make the play. Haren ultimately fouls out, but that was six pitches instead of one. He follows up with a seven pitch walk. He’s running up his pitch count, and even though he got out of the inning unscathed, this will not help him go deep in the game.
The last out was a testament to Votto’s determination on defense. He took a grounder down the line but kicked it into foul territory. He stuck with it and fluidly backhand-flipped it to Bailey to just get the runner. With a guy on second and another on first, that could have easily been a couple of runs had he not gotten to the ball, or extended the inning if he didn’t get the out.
Votto follows at the plate with another solid hit up the middle. If he gets locked in, look out. Votto was fooled by Phillips’ single, as he thought it was going to be caught. Werth could not capitalize, as he threw a bad throw to second when he had Votto dead to rights. Instead of one on, one out, there are runners on first and second with nobody out. We’ll have to see if that comes into play.
Indeed, the next two batters are outs, and then Cozart hits a three run homer, this time definitely over the wall. It wasn’t an error due to it being a hit and plausible advancement of the base, but Werth’s poor throw cost his team there. After three innings, it is 5 – 0 Reds.
Bailey is not totally able to locate his pitches now, but he still gets a couple of strikeouts to end the inning. He has been very good with not his best stuff. When he is really on, his pitch count is much lower due to his attack of the strike zone. These games are terrific for him though, as it teaches him how to pitch when he doesn’t have his best stuff.
Shin-Soo Choo continues his impressive start with the Reds with another home run. 6 – 0 Reds. Choo is fun to watch. This is going to get reviewed, but it is confirmed as a homer.
Votto is 3 – 3 and is easily lining pitches into the outfield at this point.
Bailey gives up a hit in the fifth, but still holds the Nats scoreless. He is at 87 pitches through five, but should be able to get another inning if he doesn’t get into trouble.
New pitcher Zach Duke is slow to the plate, so Frazier steals second. The throw goes into the outfield putting Frazier at third and scores on a sac fly from Cozart. A few short years ago, the Reds were making these mistakes on a routine basis, and now I am watching good teams make them against the Reds. I love to see this. 7 – 0 Reds.
Bailey with another fine inning, likely finishing him for the day. Final line: 6 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, and 98 pitches. The Reds are 4/4 in quality starts.
Derrick Robinson—called up for the injured Ryan Ludwick—reaches on an error in his MLB debut. The announcers talk about Duke’s slow delivery (1.67 seconds) and the Reds could probably steal a lot of bases against him. With a 7 – 0 lead, though, they might just lay back and not be overly aggressive. A strikeout and a double play ball prevent the error from costing the Nationals even more.
New pitcher Manny Parra gives up a ground rule double, but Brandon Phillips makes a tremendous diving catch on a liner to the outfield and flamboyantly flips the ball to second for the easy double play! Brandon Phillips may be the best second baseman I have ever seen. His range and the ability to make amazing plays are complimented by a strong arm and the ability to consistently make the routine plays as well.
Phillips singles, Bruce doubles off the top of the wall, and the Reds are up 8 – 0. Bruce has struggled early this season, but he has shown power to the opposite field. That is a good sign if he can cut down on the swings and misses.
Frazier hits his second homer of the game to put the Reds up 10 – 0! He is off to a rocket start this year.
The Nationals have to be wondering if this could get any worse. The bases get loaded and pinch hitter Xavier Paul comes to the plate. It gets worse. Grand slam, 14 – 0 Reds. Coming into the game, the Nationals had given up one run in three games. This has just been utter dominance.
In the eighth, Parra is getting into a little trouble with a couple of runners on and no outs. I sure hope he doesn’t give up 14 runs! Three straight outs end the threat.
Bruce leads off the bottom of the eighth with another opposite field double. Please keep heating up, Jay. Frazier singles him in and the Reds keep pouring it on. 15 – 0 Reds. There are still no outs when Frazier goes to second on a wild pitch. Are they going to score even more?
No, the next three batters get out, including reliever Manny Parra in his SECOND at bat of the game, a drive to the gap that is caught on the run near the warning track. Man, the Reds have just pounded the baseball tonight.
J. J. Hoover keeps it scoreless in the ninth, mercifully ending this game. Final score, 15 – 0 Reds.
What Worked: Uh, everything? The Reds exploded tonight and could do no wrong. Bailey was great, and the bats backed him up. The Reds capitalized on almost every mistake by the Nats.
What Didn’t Work: Bailey did run his pitch count up, but that is splitting hairs.
Where They Stand: The Reds are 3 – 1 and tied for the best record in baseball. They have won three straight.
Overall Thoughts: The Nationals looked like the bet team in baseball coming into this game. The Reds made a statement, dropping 15 runs on 19 hits on a team that only gave up one run in the first series and was undefeated on the year.
It is absurd to think that by could keep this kind of performance up, but they showed what they are capable of. Through four games against two very good teams, the Reds are 3 – 1 and looking great on the young season.
Up Next: 1:10pm against the Nats at home again tomorrow.
