WLBs @ Reds, game 2

• justincredible

  

  Lineup is out. SMH.
  
  Stubbs 8
  Renteria 6 - WTF???
  Votto 3
  Phillips 4
  Bruce 9
  Rolen 5
  Heisey 7
  Hanigan 2
  Arroyo 1
  
  vs. RH Carpenter
  
  It's baffling, because Renteria has a .167 AVG in his career vs Carpenter. Dingle fucking Baker.
• se-alum

  

  Lol...Cozart goes 3-5 last night and earns himself a spot on the bench...smmfh!
• Midstate01

  

  Wtf baker. This makes zero, ZERO, sense.
• justincredible

  

  It makes less than zero sense. Negative sense. This is enough to make my head explode.
  
  "Cozy, I know you were 3-5 last night and have been hitting like crazy since the call up but I think Edgar can bring more to the table tonight against Carpenter. His .167 avg is misleading."
• dave

  Reteria is going to get a start every series. This one makes the most sense. BA is a flyball pitcher, Cozart probably won't hit Carp, now Zack can face a LHP tomorrow.
• justincredible

  

  Renteria shouldn't get a start every series. Especially not while Cozart is still flying high. That also makes negative sense.
• justincredible

  

  And I'll take "probably won't hit" over "can't hit" every time.
• dave

  Yeah most would. That's why I don't like Dusty or Walt.
• se-alum

  

  Cozart needs to play against guys like Carpenter. We need to know what this kid has, and you find that out by playing him everyday, and not trying to shelter him from failure.
• justincredible

  

  dave;831767 wrote:Yeah most would. That's why I don't like Dusty or Walt.

  
  lol. Gotcha.
• Ironman92

  

  Cozart not playing is ridiculous.
  
  Think about the top 2 on base yesterday....and imagine that production today. Lol
  
  This will have to be one of those WDD days.
• Ironman92

  

  WDD = win despite Dusty
• dave

  Tony made several lineup changes today
  
  Descalso, SS
  Jay, CF
  Pujols, 1B
  Holliday, LF
  Berkman, RF
  Freese, 3B
  Molina, C
  Carpenter, P
  Schumaker, 2B
• TigerNation10

  

  Stubbs leading off is also questionable. Baker on Cozart and Stubbs...
  
  
  I asked Dusty Baker if he considered going with the hot hand and playing Zack Cozart tonight, instead of Edgar Renteria.
  
  “No,” Baker said. “I try to match up guys against guys they have a chance against. We’re facing (Chris) Carpenter. This guy can carve you up. Edgar knows him. Cozart will be in there tomorrow. I told him that yesterday.”
  
  Renteria, however, has not had success against Carpenter. He goes into tonight’s game 3-for-16 against Carpenter.
  
  Baker’s other point was that Renteria has not started a game in eight days.
  
  “That’s too long for anyone,” Baker said. “Edgar’s getting his stroke together.”
  
  There’s little evidence of that in the numbers: Renteria went into Saturday 4-for-20 in the July and hitting .193 since April.
  
  Cozart has impressed Baker so far.
  
  “We liked this guy in spring training,” Baker said. “It was just a matter of when. He’s showed improvement. He’s got good aptitude. The time in Triple-A is very necessary. What did hit hit last year? (.255)?”
  
  Baker also had Drew Stubbs back in the lineup at leadoff and playing center field. Chris Heisey led off and played center Friday. He hit two home runs and scored three of the Reds’ six runs.
  
  He was playing left Saturday and hitting seventh.
  
  “I got him down in the lineup to protect Scott (Rolen), Baker said. “I had Fred (Lewis) down there yesterday and didn’t work out. We need some RBIs down there.”
  
  Heisey’s home run ratio is 14.3. He doesn’t have enough at-bats to qualify as a league leader. If he did, he’d be second in the National League in home run ratio to Lance Berkman (11.3).
  
  I was going to ask Baker what led to the power surge, instead we got this:
  
  “That’s dangerous to do,” Baker said. “Some guys play every day . . . you start averaging with guys like Oscar Gamble they’d have 50 home runs and 172 RBI. It doesn’t work like that.
  
  “Heisey is playing more and more. There some things he still has to adjust to. I know what they are. Most people don’t know what they are. Today (against Carpenter) is a real test. They’re going to be throwing balls mostly on the outside and breaking balls. We’re helping him adjust to. We’re trying to match him up with guys — instead of criticizing, recognize what we’re trying to do — we’re trying to match up guys to help them be successful, depending on the repertoire of pitches a pitcher has, depending on what everyone’s strengths and weaknesses are.”
  
  Baker compares Heisey’s role to that of nickel back in football or a sixth man in basketball.
  
  “That’s very, very important that you have balance on your team — on the bench and on the field,” Baker said. “Look at Jon Jay over there. He’s kind of their Heisey.”
• dave

  Pretty much everything he says there makes sense, whether you agree with it or not. If he had more talent it would make his job much easier.
  
  God I hope Arroyo doesn't get shelled tonight.
• swamisez

  

  Reds missed great chance in 3rd. I think carp was wanting to get Bruce to chase away, missed twice then bruce obliged for the dp on the third pitch. Jay has to be a little more patient 2-0 does not guarantee middle in.
• mhs95_06

  Heisey's bonehead baserunning cost the Reds turning over the line-up and they have to lead off with Arroyo next inning, plus deprived Arroyo of a two out RBI chance in the 4th.
• mhs95_06

  That hurts! Lead-off double by Carpenter!
• mhs95_06

  A Giant unconventional gold glove worthy play by BP to keep the lead runner from making it to 3rd with less than two out!
• mhs95_06

  Bronson badly wanted to keep Albert from coming up this inning, so bad he airmails the throw on Jay's bunt over Votto. Lucky it didn't cost him a run.
• mhs95_06

  Ump not properly calling strike 2 on Pujols leads to Albert getting a 3 run HR! And makes the Phillips great play all for naught.
• mhs95_06

  Just like last night, Reds failing to capitalize on good scoring chances early is directly related to the Cards coming back to take the lead.
• mhs95_06

  A 2nd bonehead baserunning play tonight, this one by Stubbs.
• mhs95_06

  Renteria was fortunate on the backhanded play he made deep in the hole to have Molina running, as it allowed him to take two or three more steps, shift his weight, deliberately get squared up for the throw, and still get Molina out by a couple steps.
• dave

  Pitch to Pujols with a base open there and you deserve to lose.
  
  Little surprised by Heisey's baserunning error, not surprised by Stubbs. He can't read a ball to short center ever.