Rus Livingood
July 14, 2013 – Reds @ Braves – 1:35pm – Fox Sports Ohio
Reds Record (52 – 42)
Away Record (22 – 26)
Braves Record (54 – 40)
Home Record (31 – 14)
Starters: Cingrani (3 – 1) vs. Teheran (7 – 4)
The Setting: I am watching this one in my old hometown, Gilbert, WV, before heading back home.
The Game and Analysis:
•After being sluggish lately, the Reds had plenty of offense in this game. Just about everyone for the Reds got in on the action as they scored eight runs in this final game before the break, cruising to an 8 – 4 victory.
•The game started off with a terrific catch by Jose Constanza in leftfield, robbing Shin-Soo Choo of extra bases. Constanza stretched up to catch the liner while sprinting toward the warning track, crashing into the wall after he made the catch. That would not be the only great play for Constanza on the day. The Reds went down quietly in the first.
•The first run of the game came in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs, Reed Johnson reached on a popup that Todd Frazier lost in the sun, and came around to score on a double by Gerald Laird. Tony Cingrani then walked the next two batters to load the bases before snaring a liner right back up the middle to get out of a jam. That inning could have been huge for the Braves, and goes to show you what can happen with defensive gaffs and walks allowing runners on base.
•The Reds would come back in a big way in the third inning. Cingrani reached safely on a bunt that Julio Teheran could not come up with. Choo followed with a single to put runners on the corners with no outs. After Derrick Robinson popped out, Joey Votto doubled to score Cingrani to tie the score 1 – 1. Brandon Phillips followed with a groundout to short that scored Choo (2 – 1) and sent Votto to third. Jay Bruce then connected with a two run homer to give the Reds a 4 – 1 lead. Todd Frazier flied out to end the inning, but the reds were able to do some damage and give Cingrnai some room for error.
•Speaking of errors, a throwing error by Zack Cozart put a run on the board for Atlanta in their half of the third inning. A walk and a single opened the inning, and then Evan Gattis lined out to Cozart at short. The attempted double play throw was low and got past Votto, allowing Andrelton Simmons to score from third on the play. The score was 4 – 2 Reds after three innings.
•Choo led off the fifth inning with a home run to leftfield to bring the score to 5 -2. Choo hit the ball hard the first three times up, and looks like a completely different hitter than what we have seen over the past two months.
•Cingrani would be replaced by J.J. Hoover to start the fifth inning. As Cingrani did not pitch a full five innings, he would not be eligible for the win. If the lead did not change after this point, the pitcher getting credit for the win will be decided by the official scorer. What is the process for that decision? I’m not sure anyone knows. I always disliked that rule, but I understand the reasoning for the starter not getting the win. But what if you are in a huge blowout and you want to save your pitcher’s arm? Or what about a rain delay that kept him from throwing more than 4.2 innings? Oh well. Cingrani’s line: 4.0 innings, 4 hits, 3 walks, 2 runs and 5 strikeouts on 96 pitches. The elevated pitch count was undoing here, and he still needs to keep his walks down.
•Both clubs would find themselves able to put runners on base over the next few innings, but ultimately come away with no runs. The Reds loaded the bases in the sixth, but could not get that clutch hit they needed with two outs.
•Dan Uggla hit his second homer in two games in the eighth inning. The solo blast came off Sam LeCure to lead off the inning. That brought the Braves back to within two runs, 5 – 3.
•The Reds answered that run with a big ninth inning to give themselves lots of cushion. Choo walked to lead off the inning. Derrick Robinson bunted and allowed Choo to go to third when no one was covering. An intentional walk to Votto put runners on the corners, and then Phillips hit a double to the warning track to drive both runners in (7 – 3). Bruce lined out on another excellent running, leaping catch by Constanza at the warning track, sending Phillips to third on the tag. Frazier followed with a single to score Phillips, and the Reds had an 8 – 3 lead.
•Aroldis Chapman came in for a non-save attempt in the ninth and struck out the first two batters he faced. He hit 103 on the radar gun as he struck out Constanza looking, as he may still be pumped to pitch in front of his parents. Simmons connected on a fastball in his at bat, and crushed it for a solo home run. Chapman did not seem to be fazed by the homer, and closed out the game on the next pitch as he got Chris Johnson to pop out to Votto in foul ground.
What Worked: The Reds had plenty of offense in this one, and came through with some timely hits. They had six extra base hits and were 4 – 12 with runners in scoring position. For the Braves, Constanza had the two highlight reel catches.
What Didn’t Work: Cingrani only lasted four innings and still found himself in trouble with walks. If he is going to work his way into the rotation next season, he will need to refine his control. As with Johnny Cueto when he first came up, Cingrani is a high strikeout pitcher that throws a lot of pitches and gets deep into the counts. Will he be able to become a more controlled pitcher a la Cueto? We’ll see.
Where They Stand: The Reds finished the first half of the season 53 – 42, and trail the Cardinals by 5.0 games and the Pirates by 4.0 games in the NL Central.
Overall Thoughts: The first half of the season has been a success for the Reds, as they are 11 games over .500. I would have to say it has been a disappointment as well, though. They have struggled with their offense for prolonged periods; struggled on the road; and struggled against teams over .500. However, they lost their starting leftfielder in the first game and he has been out all year; they lost their backup leftfielder for several weeks; they have lost their ace on three separate occasions so far, and there is no timetable for his return; and they have have lost several key members of the bullpen. All in all, these Reds have a lot going for them in the second half. I believe a few days off will do this club some good.
Up Next: After a long break, the Reds will open up the second half of the season by hosting the Pirates in a big series on Friday.
