The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
I suppose I'll go with Billy Hamilton with a solo home run and a double, though he struck out three times with runners on later in the game. There's not a lot of other material. Joey Votto's three walks? Todd Frazier's 2 RBI? Tony Cingrani, and Aroldis Chapman for being pitchers who didn't give up runs? Raisel Iglesias's valiant maiden start? Brendan Boesch cuz it's his birthday, even though he did not hit at all?
Key Plays
- Raisel Iglesias had three very solid innings to start out, while Jay Bruce hit a solo home run to give the Reds a 1-run lead . In the top of the 4th, Iglesias ended up with a couple of runners on, and started to get nervous, but got out of the inning, perhaps in thanks to Brayan Pena who looked to be keeping him calm (he also translated for Iglesias pre-game), and kept a couple of balls in front of him (He did less well defensively with Cingrani on the mound). However, in the fifth, Iglesias allowed three runs on a double, a single and a walk, leaving the Reds in a two-run hole.
- Billy Hamilton drew us one closer with another solo home run, Tony Cingrani threw a solid pair of innings, and then Frazier and Phillips put us ahead with singles in the fifth inning.
- But the drama started in the eighth. Jumbo Diaz allowed a two-run homer in his first three pitches - game tied 5-5. Bryan Price got tossed looking for a review of an HBP call. And then Yadier Molina put down a short bunt. Mesoraco fielded the ball, threw to Frazier who forced at third, and then threw on to first to get Molina out. Matheny came out once to argue that Mesoraco tagged Molina, requiring a tag at third. Then, he came out again to request an official review. After a long review, the call was overturned, despite the fact that the call on the field was safe, which would have given Frazier the cue not to tag. Thus two outs with a man on second was transformed into one out with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Thankfully Jumbo got a weak popup from the next two batters. Diaz may not have had good outing on the whole, but he certainly stayed cool in a chaotic set of circumstances.
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Kevin Gregg pitched a 1-2-3 inning in 5 pitches, including a strikeout in the 10th, but then Gregged it in the 11th, giving up a 2-run homer to Matt Carpenter.
Fangraph
Source: FanGraphs
Other Notes
- Raisel Iglesias's start was pretty exciting. Watching a pitcher like that is a bit like watching a baby. Look, it's Raisel's first strikeout! Raisel's first jam! Raisel's first lead blown! I think he showed a lot of promise, but also showed us that he should go hang out in AAA for awhile.
- Tony Cingrani did us as much good as he could - though it took 43 pitches to get through 2 innings of work.
- The Reds had a lot of runners left on base, and a lot of bunts that didn't do us a lot of good. Whether you attribute that to some bad attempts, or toooo many bunt attempts is your own judgment call.
- Brayan Pena actually started the seventh inning rally with a bunt hit. At first base, though, he took a rough tumble, and came up grabbing his shoulder, so Negron came into run for him, and Mesoraco got double-switched in. No official word on his status.
- The strikezone for today's game.
- The Reds are now 1-1 in 11 inning games.
- Our bullpen is problematic.