Reds vs Giants...Game 1

• Ironman92

  

  Giants aren't clicking in (or the NL West is just beating one another up)
  
  Reds 7
  Giants 4
  
  Phillips and Cozart HR
• Rotinaj

  

  Umm Reds lose. Probably by about 100.
• gport_tennis

  Start of a reds 6-1 home stand tonight
• thavoice

  As reds fans we should change our expectations for this year.
  Going in we thought this was a WS contending team and we get mad and frustrated when they falter.
  
  I am going back to the thinking that this is just a good team, a few pieces away, and will just be happy with the above .500 record they will end up with and anything other than that is a bonus.
• se-alum

  

  Hopefully they can get right on this homestand. Eventually they're going to have to beat +.500 teams if they expect to make the playoffs.
• Ironman92

  

  Playoffs aren't good enough. Need series wins.
• Rotinaj

  

  thavoice;1466354 wrote:As reds fans we should change our expectations for this year.
  Going in we thought this was a WS contending team and we get mad and frustrated when they falter.
  
  I am going back to the thinking that this is just a good team, a few pieces away, and will just be happy with the above .500 record they will end up with and anything other than that is a bonus.

  Um no. if they don't at least win 1 series in the postseason then this season is a 100% failure(and winning a 1 game wildcard playoff doesn't count) The Reds are hitting .248 as a team. That's beyond horrible. Theyre also 13th in OPS which would probably be about 25th if Votto and Choo didn't lead the world in walks by a LARGE margin. Jacoby needs fired now and its insane that he still has a job. Has any hitter actually gotten better over this decent little run we've had over the last couple years?
• thavoice

  Rotinaj;1466416 wrote:Um no. if they don't at least win 1 series in the postseason then this season is a 100% failure(and winning a 1 game wildcard playoff doesn't count) The Reds are hitting .248 as a team. That's beyond horrible. Theyre also 13th in OPS which would probably be about 25th if Votto and Choo didn't lead the world in walks by a LARGE margin. Jacoby needs fired now and its insane that he still has a job. Has any hitter actually gotten better over this decent little run we've had over the last couple years?

  Goin into the season I would agree, but I have changed my attitude on this team as I dont think they are as good as advertised coming into the season.
  I Know, i know..injuries and such, but you have to expect that. Last year the lack of injuries to the rotatio nwas something you wont see often.
  
  
  To switch gears a little bit. What to do about Cueto? Should he switch up his mechanics to a more traditional style? Go through and extensive ab, oblique training in the offseason to strengthen it up alot? He seems to be a little soft in the midsection, I dont know, maybe if he gets it too tight he may have more problems.
  
  Something has to give. Cannot have the 'ace' out this often.
  
  Joey Votto...will the reds regret his contract? His MVP year he was lights out, and I dont think we expected that each season, but that is basically what they paid him for. He is a very, very good player no doubt about that. He is a doubles hitter who will hit 25-30 HR and drive in around 100 a season, get on base alot and play good defense. Dont get me wrong..that is pretty damned good numbers and he is the only batter in the lineup that if he is coming up I make sure and watch, but is that worth the contract?
• Heretic

  

  Rotinaj;1466416 wrote:Um no. if they don't at least win 1 series in the postseason then this season is a 100% failure(and winning a 1 game wildcard playoff doesn't count) The Reds are hitting .248 as a team. That's beyond horrible. Theyre also 13th in OPS which would probably be about 25th if Votto and Choo didn't lead the world in walks by a LARGE margin. Jacoby needs fired now and its insane that he still has a job. Has any hitter actually gotten better over this decent little run we've had over the last couple years?

  I can see a bit from both sides. One thing the Reds had last year they don't have this year was almost unheard-of pitching stability. Five starters who were all healthy all year long (until Cueto in the playoffs) and ranging from adequate to excellent. Add to that a deep bullpen with quality guys where if one guy struggles, you can easily slide him and another piece around role-wise and not skip a beat.
  
  This year, Cueto's already making his third DL trip, while the pen (other than Chapman) seems to be a ghost of what it was. Arredondo hasn't sniffed the major leagues, Ondrusak has done a great job of showing his great start to last year where he didn't give up a run for over a month was a huge fluke, Marshall can't stay healthy and the other set-up guy, Broxton, also is on the DL. The pen performance probably is almost as big of a worry as the offense, I'd think. I know I've heard announcers mentioning how both Latos and Leake could be 3-4 wins better if not for the pen blowing leads for them a lot. All stuff that can be overcome, but it has to be a concern.
  
  And like you mention, the offense. Of good teams, the Reds have to be as bad as they get at doing the little things with any consistency. Sometimes, I think their entire offensive plan revolves around drawing a walk and then hitting a homer. If there's anything that does boggle the mind, it's how there NEVER seems to be any internal rumblings of how something may need to change there, because there's a ton of talent -- just really inconsistent results because of how rarely they do things like steal bases or bunt guys over simply to get a guy in scoring position.
• wildcats20

  

  Not looking forward to this series. I think it might be ugly.
• wildcats20

  

  Very, very solid top half from Bronson
• Rotinaj

  

  Reds lose 5-4.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Good start now we wont score
• sherm03

  

  Man...Frazier just CRUSHED that ball.
• gport_tennis

  Announcers basically called that b4 it happened
• SportsAndLady

  

  If only we could have done this in either games 3, 4, or 5 last October
• Ironman92

  

  Ok....here's what happened.
  
  I had to be down at the ball fields tonight and was recording the Reds. Stormy weather hits....games get postponed. I come home to watch and I get thru part of the 1st inning and the recording was knocked off by lightning/weather......click on live tv in the 4th and it's 7-0
  
  Reds scored because I couldn't watch.
• Ironman92

  

  You wonder how this happens.
  
  The Reds have fought themselves tooth and nail trying to score and even more so to win.....now they lead 8-1 in just a crazy blowout.
  
  The Giants pitchers are laying some cream puffs up there for sure and they are just smoking them.
• Rotinaj

  

  Crazy stat of the night- Votto only has 2 infield pop ups since 2010. That's fucking insane!
• SportsAndLady

  

  Rotinaj;1466709 wrote:Crazy stat of the night- Votto only has 2 infield pop ups since 2010. That's fucking insane!

  Kurkjian was perplexed as to how that was possible lol
• Ironman92

  

  SportsAndLady;1466710 wrote:Kurkjian was perplexed as to how that was possible lol

  
  Lord I bet he was squeakin
• Azubuike24

  

  Even crazier stat they discussed during the Sunday night game.
  
  In his career, Votto has pulled ONE BALL foul into the stands.
• Ironman92

  

  Rotinaj;1466709 wrote:Crazy stat of the night- Votto only has 2 infield pop ups since 2010. That's fucking insane!

  
  I don't have any.
• wildcats20

  

  Game called.
  
  Reds win 8-1
• Ironman92

  

  12-5