Rus Livingood
April 6, 2013 – Nationals @ Reds – 1:10pm – Fox Sports Cincinnati
Reds Record (3 – 1)
Home Record (3 – 1)
Nationals Record (3 – 1)
Away Record (0 – 1)
Starters: Detwiler (0 – 0) vs. Leake (0 – 0)
Storylines: The Reds demoralized the Nationals last night in every way, crushing them 15 – 0. Both teams are 3 – 1 and tied for the best record in the league.
Mike Leake takes the mound for the Reds, and it will be interesting to see if he pulls his weight like the other starters for the Reds.
The Setting: Good old reliable home, as the grass is calling my name, needing its first mow of the year.
It will have to wait, as I’ve got this sandwich and the Reds game!
The Game and Analysis:
Leake catches a rocket off the bat of Bryce Harper, ending a 1-2-3 inning.
Votto takes a phantom beaning on the arm, and is awarded first in an otherwise uneventful first inning for the Reds. I have to say, a few questionable calls have gone the Reds’ way in this series, not that it would have amounted to anything had they gone the other way.
Choo’s strong arm probably just saved a run on a double to the gap. He brings a lot to the table. The third base coach did not even consider sending the runner home. With the catcher up and first base open, we’re looking at an intentional walk to face the pitcher. Leake gets him swinging. Still scoreless.
Bruce stays hot with a solid liner to right. That’s three hits in a row by Bruce. As he’s shown every year, when he gets hot, he gets nuclear. His leadoff hit didn’t amount to anything, as we’re scoreless after two.
Harper gets the scoring started by jacking a two-run homer into the right field stands. 2 – 0 Nationals. Harper gets great extension on his swing, which is very fast.
Leake helps his own cause with a hit to lead off the Reds’ half of the third inning. This guy played shortstop when he wasn’t pitching in college. Shin-Soo Choo follows with an opposite field single, and then Chris Heisey beats out a double play, but Votto hits into one the very next batter. The Reds can’t get anything going. Strategy talk: In the first game, it was lamented that Dusty Baker sacrificed Heisey to move the runners in scoring position, only to see Votto intentionally walked. Similar situation here, though they decided to not bunt. The result? Basically back to back double play balls. That’s why there is strategy involved, folks. Nothing works every time.
When we come back after commercials, it is shown that the first baseman was clearly off the bag at the tail end of that double play. That robbed the Reds of a run. I hope that doesn’t come into play later.
I could use another sandwich, but this recliner is so comfy!
The Nats don’t make any noise in the fourth, so the Reds quickly get back to work to play catch up. Detwiler has only thrown 36 pitches though three.
Phillips reaches by error as the shortstop tries to take out a hot dog vendor or something. Phillips is awarded second base on the absurdity of the throw.
“The Toddfather,” Todd Frazier continues to stay hot as he smokes a double off the wall. Let it be reminded to you that Frazier was my pick to replace Ludwick as the cleanup hitter. 2 – 1 Reds. That’s where we stand after four.
Leake continues to pitch well, as the hits have been scattered and the only major mistake being the home run by Harper.
We move to the Reds half of the fifth. Choo gets grazed in the arm, and Heisey singles. That brings up Votto, who flies out to Harper who has to slide head first due to his momentum running for the catch. Phillips hits into a double play to end the inning, and it is obvious that this is a much different ballgame from last night.
Leake has put together a very solid game here. He has a lot of movement on his pitches, and with the exception of the second and third, has had really low pitch totals per inning.
On cue, Leake walks a guy and Devin Mesoraco throws it to the outfield wall (nearly) when the guy tries to steal. Hold the phone, though, the batter hit Mesoraco with the bat on his follow through, so the runner has to go back to first. As I jinxed him, Leake is now over 90 pitches and gave up a two run homer to Wilson Ramos. He now walked the pitcher on five pitches.
It’s like he heard me typing positively about him and decided to hit the wall. He thankfully ends the 32 pitch inning, and the Reds trail 4 – 1 as we go to the bottom of the sixth.
The Reds can’t get anything going today. I wish we could have banked some of that offense from last night.
Starting off the 7th, Jayson Worth destroys a pitch by Sam Lecure, and it is 5 – 1 Nationals. Harper grounds a ball up the middle and Zach Cozart goes all the way to the right of the infield, and it is booted. They called it an infield hit. Double play ball adds one relief, and the Reds sure need it right now. Another easy out and we move to the Reds’ turn at the plate.
Danny Espinosa made a terrific leaping catch at second, robbing a hit from Derrick Robinson. Everything is going the Nationals’ way. Choo strikes out on three pitches by Tyler Clippard. Heisey also strikes out.
I consider heading out to mow the grass and finish watching the game on DVR later. Nah, I’ll suck it up and watch it now.
Alfredo Simon retires the side, and makes a pretty good play on a “swinging bunt.” I never liked that term. They should call it what it is. . .a pathetically weak hit. No one is ever trying to bunt when they hit like that.
Brandon Phillips doubles off the wall to renew my hopes, and a Bruce single sends him running for home. Harper comes up gunning, though, so Phillips holds at third. The Toddfather is back up, and we need some runs in a bad way! And he delivers with a lunging single to the right side. 5 – 2 Nationals. Cozart flares a blooper into center, but Espinosa catches it on the run.
That probably wouldn’t have scored Bruce as he had to see if it would have been caught, but the extra out and base runner sure would have helped. Mesoraco’s grounder to short goes through the fielder’s legs, and Harper overthrows the plate as Bruce scores. It is now 5 – 3 with runners on second and third. Come on, Xavier Paul! And he strikes out. At least we put a couple of runs across as we head to the final frame.
Big Jonathan Broxton gets a 1-2-3 ninth, but the third out was a long fly ball to the track by Werth.
Okay, Redlegs. . .top of the order and we need two to tie and three to win. Let’s do this!
Choo takes one further step toward my erecting a statue of him by blasting a home run to right. 5 – 4 Nationals and there are none out. Heisey pops up to the catcher and Votto comes to the plate. Do they pitch around and him and risk bringing the winning run to the plate? It sure looks that way. Three balls and no strikes before they throw one right down the plate. Votto swings through a second strike to bring the count full. Votto smashes the next pitch off the top of the wall in left for a triple. Tying run on third with one out.
Wild pitch, and Votto scores! Tie ballgame, and there is still only one out. Ryan Zimmerman dives to stop a Phillips grounder and throws him out at first. Bruce flies out to end the inning, but the Reds were able to tie it at 5 – 5. Hey, does anyone remember that run that would have scored if the ump would have seen that the first baseman was a foot off the bag? I sure do.
Here comes Aroldis Chapman, and he faces off with Harper. The slider makes him look silly, as it does to most lefties. Zimmerman can also take a seat after a high fastball. A slider is missed by a foot by the next lefty, and Chapman strikes out the side. He is an absolute weapon.
Frazier stays red hot with a leadoff single. He is now hitting .500 on the season. Cozart lays down a beautiful bunt to move Frazier to second, so now we have a couple of chances to drive him in. Mesoraco gets the first chance. He hits a long fly ball to the wall in deep left center. Frazier didn’t tag up, so he is still at second. I’m not sure that changes anything as Jack Hanahan comes in as a pinch-hitter. Even though you can score in so many more ways from third than you can second, the Reds would still need a hit with two outs barring another wild pitch or passed ball. Hanahan strikes out to end that debate in my head, though.
Ian Desmond tried to hit his face that was showing on the scoreboard in the upper deck and nearly succeeded. 6 – 5 Nationals, and J. J. Hoover is looking vulnerable this year after an electric spring. The announcers talk about Sean Marshall not being available due to shoulder fatigue from spring training.
Ramos crushed his second home run of the game, and it is now 7 – 5. Thankfully, that is the final tally heading into the bottom of the frame.
Choo is leading off again, and he strikes out. Heisey strikes out, too. Votto is our last stand. He draws a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. The Reds keep battling in this game.
Phillips lines a double to the gap scoring Votto after he had taken second on defensive indifference. Bruce comes to the plate with the tying run on second. Two quick strikes. A third strike ends the game, and I head out to mow the yard and think of missed opportunities.
What Worked: The Reds not giving up on this game. They battled back on multiple occasions.
What Didn’t Work: Some of the small ball strategies. Moving the runner to scoring position with one out didn’t get him in, but you cannot fault the strategy. The execution is another story. Earlier in the game, they chose not to sacrifice, and that resulted in double play opportunities. Nothing leaps out at you and says “bad decision.”
All in all, the Reds simply did not take advantage of what they were given. Leake seemed to unravel in the 6th, which really turned the game around until the Reds battled back to tie. Not having anyone loose to replace him is not a fault, though, as he was cruising until he lost control.
Where They Stand: The Reds are 3 – 2 on the season.
Overall Thoughts: I still have to mow the grass. Sigh.
Up Next: The Nationals finish the series tomorrow, with both teams looking to get the series victory.
