Game 10 - Cincinnati Reds (Edinson Volquez) at San Diego Padres (Mat Latos)

• Azubuike24

  

  Tough loss on Sunday and overall, a disappointing start for the pitching staff. They should be happy to see the pitcher-friendly surrounding of PETCO Park, but this is also a place the Reds have been absolutely dreadful at since it opened. They are only 9-13 since there since the park opened in 2004.
• mhs95_06

  Azubuike24;737867 wrote:Tough loss on Sunday and overall, a disappointing start for the pitching staff. They should be happy to see the pitcher-friendly surrounding of PETCO Park, but this is also a place the Reds have been absolutely dreadful at since it opened. They are only 9-13 since there since the park opened in 2004.

  
  Aaron Harang is really liking PETCO so far this season as he is 2-0 already there with 1.5 ERA!
• Midstate01

  

  i just hope edinson can put together a decent start for once, and itd be nice to see a 0 in the first inning from him.
• thavoice

  Harangatang gave up so many HR...with this big ballpark i bet that helps him!
  
  Hope the Reds get to face Cory Luebke, a SD lefty. He is a graduate of Marion Local High School (they have won like 4 football state titles...Cory was a QB on a runners up one season). He also pitched for Ohio State Buckeyes. He was drafted three times......Pirates...Rangers (i think), and Padres!
  
  Go reds...goodlulck to Luebke
• SportsAndLady

  

  Game tonight at 10 pm
  
  Chris Heisey cf
  Brandon Phillips 2b
  Joey Votto 1b
  Scott Rolen 3b
  Jonny Gomes lf
  Jay Bruce rf
  Ramon Hernandez c
  Paul Janish ss
  Edinson Volquez p
  
  vs. LH Clayton Richard
  
  I like Heisey in that leadoff spot when Stubbs is struggling
• SportsAndLady

  

  Whoops, didn't see this thread
• jordo212000

  

  smh at Dusty. Looks like he is back to making the CF the token leadoff hitter, even if the guy isn't necessarily suited to be the leadoff hitter.
  
  Oh well, at least Heisey is worlds better than Ryan Freel and Corey Patterson ever were.
• jordo212000

  

  Have I mentioned that I really hate the west coast time zone? Tonight's game might as well be an off game for me.
• wildcats20

  

  
• SportsAndLady

  

  jordo212000;738522 wrote:smh at Dusty. Looks like he is back to making the CF the token leadoff hitter, even if the guy isn't necessarily suited to be the leadoff hitter.
  
  Oh well, at least Heisey is worlds better than Ryan Freel and Corey Patterson ever were.

  
  Can't fault Dusty for his original leadoff guy being 0 for his last 10 and desperately in need of an off-day. Then when you add in the fact that Stubbs' backup, Fred Lewis, is unavailable, you cannot at all fault Dusty for putting Heisey there. Who else you gonna hit leadoff?
• jordo212000

  

  SportsAndLady;738526 wrote:Can't fault Dusty for his original leadoff guy being 0 for his last 10 and desperately in need of an off-day. Then when you add in the fact that Stubbs' backup, Fred Lewis, is unavailable, you cannot at all fault Dusty for putting Heisey there. Who else you gonna hit leadoff?

  
  Where did I say that Stubbs should be hitting leadoff? Personally, I don't think that Stubbs or Heisey are suited for the leadoff spot. And you are right, there isn't an ideal candidate for the leadoff spot. I just hate seeing those guys slotted at the top of the order when they should probably be hitting 6th or 7th
• SportsAndLady

  

  Lol wait..you don't think Stubbs should be our leadoff guy...and on top of that, you don't even know who should be our leadoff hitter????
• jordo212000

  

  SportsAndLady;738539 wrote:Lol wait..you don't think Stubbs should be our leadoff guy...and on top of that, you don't even know who should be our leadoff hitter????

  
  Yes, that is correct. Even though I do not who should be the leadoff guy, one thing I am sure of... Stubbs should not be. He struggled in the leadoff spot last year, has problems making contact from time to time, and there are better candidates.
  
  Phillips isn't ideal, but he could be a leadoff guy. If Janish keeps hitting he could be another candidate as well.
  
  I'm still a little unsure about what you were confused about in post #11. Just because it is unclear who the best leadoff candidate is, doesn't mean you should arbitrarily just pick somebody to slide into the spot. You also probably shouldn't slide a guy into that spot who has already struggled mightily in the role last time you tried to make him hit there.
• TigerNation10

  

  Janish is interesting.
  
  Janish
  Phillips
  Votto
  Rolen
  Gomes
  Bruce
  Stubbs
  Hernandez/Hanigan
• jordo212000

  

  TigerNation10;738617 wrote:Janish is interesting.
  
  Janish
  Phillips
  Votto
  Rolen
  Gomes
  Bruce
  Stubbs
  Hernandez/Hanigan

  
  To me, the lineup looks much stronger with Janish leading off. Stubbs hitting 7th is crazy, he could do a lot of damage there. The bottom of the order is still very strong and has a lot pop.
• charliehustle14

  Janish isn't a bad thought. The guy is a pretty solid hitter and doesn't swing at too many bad pitches. He doesn't have the great speed on the base paths, but then again, what use were Taveras' and Patterson's elite speed when they were walking back to the dugout every 8 of 10 at bats?
  
  I'd like for anything to have Stubbs be our 7 hitter. Guy is a very good ball player, but he just doesn't get on base enough consistently to be a lead off hitter in front of run producers like BP, Votto, and Rolen. I thought Stubbs had his most success last year when he was bumped down to the 7th spot....the guy seemed to start raking the ball after the move. Having his speed and power in the 7 hole in absolutely sick.
  
  Of course, none of this matters because Dusty hates Janish, I think.
• mhs95_06

  Phillips
  Votto
  Rolen
  Bruce
  Gomes
  Hanigan/Hernandez
  Janish
  Pitcher
  Stubbs
  
  I think pitcher batting 8th is a wonderful idea and LaRussa is a genius for doing it. Get Votto up more by hitting one spot up, but don't kill an inning by starting out with an easy pitcher getting an out. Stubbs hitting .220 is better than a pitcher before the top comes up.
• mhs95_06

  Phillips
  Votto
  Rolen
  Bruce
  Gomes
  Hanigan/Hernandez
  Janish
  Pitcher
  Stubbs
  
  I think pitcher batting 8th is a wonderful idea and LaRussa is a genius for doing it. Get Votto up more by hitting one spot up, but don't kill an inning by starting out with an easy pitcher getting an out. Stubbs hitting .220 is better than a pitcher before the top comes up.
• wildcats20

  

  I don't think you're ever going to see Joey in the 2 hole.
• SportsAndLady

  

  jordo212000;738614 wrote:Yes, that is correct. Even though I do not who should be the leadoff guy, one thing I am sure of... Stubbs should not be. He struggled in the leadoff spot last year, has problems making contact from time to time, and there are better candidates.
  
  Phillips isn't ideal, but he could be a leadoff guy. If Janish keeps hitting he could be another candidate as well.
  
  I'm still a little unsure about what you were confused about in post #11. Just because it is unclear who the best leadoff candidate is, doesn't mean you should arbitrarily just pick somebody to slide into the spot. You also probably shouldn't slide a guy into that spot who has already struggled mightily in the role last time you tried to make him hit there.

  
  Stubbs struggled last year because he was a rook...it had nothing to do with where he was hitting in the lineup. I remember towards the end of the year he was doing really well in the leadoff position.
  
  I understand you don't want him at the leadoff, but most reds fan want him there, and there is rarely any talk about him moving out of that spot. All of a sudden you want him out, you would think you'd AT LEAST have a player in mind to replace him.
• Ironman92

  

  I think the pitcher batting 8th is over-thinking things.
  
  Votto would get a dozen more at bats on the year and so would the pitcher.
  
  Why not bat Votto 1st and have the pitcher bat 7th, Stubbs 8th and Phillips 9th?
  
  Batting the pitcher 8th instead of ninth will cost you a few chances of first inning runs over the span as well. Phillips leads off with a single, Votto doubles in Phillips, Rolen flies out to RF...Votto to 3rd, Gomes walks, Bruce whiffs, Janish singles in Votto and Hanigan gets walked to face the pitcher...who makes an out 88% of the time....3 hits, 2 walks and only 2 runs......that kills....and it happens 7-8 or so times a year.......happens less with the #9 hitter.....3-4 times. Yeah, it's a little silly and not a huge deal, but I just don't buy the advantage.
  
  I'm all for a stud batting 2nd and 3rd as opposed to 3rd and 4th....but not convinced it works any better.
• mhs95_06

  Ump misses the first pitch of the game! Clear strike he called a ball.
• mhs95_06

  Ump giving a lot to the P off the plate - 3rd strike to Votto and the first pitch to Rolen he called both strikes when they were off the plate.
• charliehustle14

  Well that was a terrible AB by Gomes. Flails at 2 offspeed pitches and then looks at strike 3 down the pipe.
• SportsAndLady

  

  mhs I think Votto's was a good call..it came back over the plate.
  
  And Gomes swings at 2 balls, then doesn't swing at a strike and strikes out