The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
Anthony DeSclafani had to wait, and wait, and wait to start his 2016 season, as a lingering oblique injury struck in Spring Training and set the second year Cincinnati Reds starter back for months. Since he's returned to the big leagues, however, he's continued to improve upon his 2015 rookie season, one that saw him lead all rookies in Major League Baseball in fWAR.
On Saturday, Disco, notched his first career complete game, and did so while recording a shutout against the poor, poor Arizona Diamondbacks. He struck out 9, allowed just 4 hits and a single walk, and never once appeared to be in any significant trouble with any of his 108 pitches. His season ERA plunged to 2.96 in the process, and it certainly seems the Reds have found an anchor at the top of their rotation for years to come.
Have a trophy, Disco, and treat yourself to some corned beef taquitos at Red Reporter's favorite Phoenix establishment, Tim Finnegan's.
Honorable Mentions are due to: Scott Schebler, who launched a pair of dingers, drove in a career high 5 runs, and added a single for good measure; Joey Votto, who went 2 for 4 with a homer, a double, a pair of runs scored, and a pair of runs driven in; Zack Cozart, who also went 2 for 4 with a homer (and added a walk for good measure); Adam Duvall, who dingered, too; and Brandon Phillips, who did not join the dinger parade, but still chipped in with a damn fine 3 for 4 evening that featured a trio of runs scored, a double, and a pair driven in.
Key Plays
- There was a Buy One, Get A Billion Free sale on dingers somewhere in the Land of the Endless Strip Mall on Saturday, and the Cincinnati Reds bought in with cold, hard cash. In the Top of the 1st, Billy Hamilton led off by poking a single into LF, and he later scored when Votto curled a 2-run dinger down the RF line. Phillips later poked a single of his own into LF, and that left him on base for Schebler's first dinger of the evening, a 2-run blast of his own a full section deeper into the RF stands than Votto's. Reds led early, 4-0.
- The evening did not get any better for Diamondbacks starter Zack Godley, as the Reds mounted a 2-out bash party in the Top of the 2nd to further blow the doors off the scoreboard. No, scoreboards do not have doors. Yes, it's a terrible metaphor. Cozart got the ball rolling with a single that leaked into CF, and he ended up on 3B when Votto smacked a double just inside the LF line. Godley then plunked Adam Duvall with a change-up to load the bases, and 2-runs scored when Phillips followed by blooping a single into shallow RF. Schebler then stepped up and muscled a 3-run laser into the LF seats, and the Reds were ahead a full 9-0.
- The dinger party rolled into the Top of the 4th, too, as Cozart belted a solo blast into the LF seats to shake the rust off after his near week-long absence with a sore achilles. The Reds weren't done yet, however, as both Phillips and Schebler singled, and Phillips then scored when Eugenio Suarez hit a ball right at Michael Bourn in LF that the former CF blatantly dropped. Reds led, 11-0.
- Duvall joined the dinger brigade in the Top of the 8th, launching a laser into the LF seats to put the Reds ahead 12-0, and after Suarez trotted home on a high chopper in the Top of the 9th to make it 13-0, the scoring mercifully ended. From then on, Disco kept right on chewing, and the Reds took home the win.
Source: FanGraphs
- Tonight was the first multi-dinger game of Schebler's big league career, and it couldn't have come against a better run, well-front-officed franchise.
- Sometimes, it's incredibly tough to type when your tongue's in your cheek.
- There'll be a joke about that previous Other Note in the comments in 3...2...1...
- Homer Bailey will toe the rubber for the Reds in Sunday's series finale, with Archie Bradley on the mound for the opposition at the start. First pitch is set for 4:10 PM ET.
- Tunes.