Reds Slug, But Pitching Slumps in 7-6 Loss to the Giants

Reds Slug, But Pitching Slumps in 7-6 Loss to the Giants

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Prologue

A driver uses a relief jug like a six-shot. He shoots until it’s empty, then takes the gun and throws it at the villain. ”—Dan Quisenberry

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Match # 11

It quickly became clear that it would not amount to which team could strike early, but which team could keep KEEP. The first innings Votto bomb after a Castellanos single cut gave the Reds a quick 2-0 lead. Moments later, a Mike Moustakas missile penetrated McCovey Cove with Eugenio Suaréz on board with a walk that made it a steep 4-0 climb to climb for the Light Bay Area Boys.

What had to go smoothly for Luis Castillo turned into anything but Mike Yastrzemski and Brandon Crawford, each with a man up, to erase the Reds’ lead in one go. Neither Gausman nor Castillo could find their order early, and the question quickly became: In which jug would it sit??

Castellanos doubled Jesse Winker’s lead to regain a 5-4 lead in the second innings. And the game would stay that way until the home half of the 6th.

The Arms

Posey strikes out swinging.
Wade Jr. strikes out swinging.
Gausman strikes out swinging.
Dickerson strikes out swinging.
The belt swings out.
Crawford strikes swinging.
Posey strikes out swinging.

By the end of four innings, Castillo, just like Stella, had found his groove. But after a Giants single and a colorful single against the shift in the 5th, Castillo threw 92 stands, and the bullpen waited in the wings. A timely double on a ball bounced back against the box, and La Piedra took the Reds out of the innings after throwing 98 stands. His night was over. The line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 7 K.

The Antone-less bullpen would quickly give up the lead. Sean Doolittle waved the white flag and handed a home section to Evan Longoria, a single to Buster Posey, while Austin Slater of Carson Fulmer would triple. The Giants would lead 6-5 after 6 overs.

Cincinnati would strike back for a turn in the top of the 7th, thanks to old friend Wandy Peralta. After a single by Jonathan India, a beam and a wild pitch would be followed by a blunder single by Alex Blandino to level the game at 6.

But the Giants continued to take advantage of the Reds’ suspicious bullpen. A few hikes by Cionel Peréz and a pocket fly by Lucas Sims by Wilmer Flores gave the lead at 7-6.

Suaréz would double out in second place with 2 outs and David Bell would pinch Kyle Farmer in an attempt to get the run off second base, but submarine Tyler Rogers would knock out the side.

And that would be the last serious threat from the Reds.

What it Ons Learn Today?

You simply can not pass night after night your way to victory. In five of the Reds 7 wins this season, the championship held the opposition to a total of 9 runs. Pitching was a big part of the Reds’ quick start. The lack of it was the reason they lost tonight.

Final thoughts

Tejay Antone clearly did not have enough time to build his innings into a viable starter in the spring. Still, I’m not so sure the Reds, when he’s ready, can get the best service by just keeping him there until the bullpen finds his feet. This pen without Antone can bubble away a lot of games before April makes way for May. Sonny Gray will be back soon to bolster the rotation. And Castillo is not going to continue with these erratic outings. Tyler Mahle is better than many Reds fans think he is. Miley has been proven, despite an injury-stricken 2020.

On Deck for the Redlegs

Cincinnati Reds by San Francisco Giants
14 April at 15:45 ET
Tyler Mahle (1-0, 2.00 ERA) vs. Johnny Cueto (1-0, 2.51 ERA)

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