Despondently, the Reds lose, 6-2.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Eugenio Suarez - Only cause he’s responsible for the Reds two runs. He hit a two run dinger in the first inning. He didn’t do anything else the rest of the game, but his batting average will rise! Yay!

Honorable Mention: Nick Castellanos who singled, walked, and made two nifty plays in right field, Michael Lorenzen for pitching two scoreless innings even though he allowed four base runners, and Tyler Thornburg who continues to prosper in the Reds pen by getting a strikeout in his scoreless appearance.

Key Plays

• Ponce De Leon took the mound looking to stymie the Reds just like everyone else. He was actually doing pretty well. He did walk Castellanos and then was facing Suarez with two outs. One a 3-1 count, Ponce De Leon grooved a fastball down the middle of the plate that Eugenio Suarez mashed into the left field seats. Moustakas then walked. Akiyama then flew out to end the inning. Reds lead, 2-0.
• In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Yadier Molina led off with a single. Paul DeJong struck out. Then, Dylan Carlson dribbled a ball in front of Tucker who got Molina out at second base because he’s hella slow. Harrison Bader strode to the plate, and he’s not that good, but Mahle hung a slider which Bader hit hard to center field. Akiyama gave it the ‘ol college try but came up short. He likely could have caught it but didn’t get to the ball in time. The ball actually bounced off the top of the fence and over. That’s a two run dinger. Mahle then walked the next hitter and balked to send him to second. Derek Johnson came out to calm down his pitcher and then Mahle got a ground out to end the inning. Game tied, 2-2.
• It didn’t take long for the Cardinals to take a lead. In the third, Paul Goldschmidt doubled, Mahle got two outs, and then gave up a two out single to Molina to score Goldschmidt. I hate just about everything about that sentence. Cardinals lead, 3-2.
• Nothing happened for a while. Really, this game is so boring. The Reds are boring.
• Nate Jones came in to pitch in the bottom of the 7th. He gave up a bloop double to Matt Carpenter who then advanced to third when Tyler O’Neill hit a deep drive to right center that Castellanos tracked down. But, on a 1-2 count, Nate Jones threw a fastball that was high and outside of the zone. Yadier Molina was able to flip it into right field to score O’Neill. He honestly had no business hitting the pitch. Paul Dejong hit a drive to deep right field that Castellanos made a great running grab on. It really was a great play, his second of the inning. Dylan Carlson then hit his first career home run, scoring Molina too. I’m not a big fan of Nate Jones. Then Harrison Bader hit a ground rule double. I’m really not a fan of Nate Jones. He eventually got out of the inning. Cardinals lead, 6-2.
• What is very fun is in the 8th Jesse Winker was called out for leaning into a pitch. The pitch may not have been a strike but it was close. Winker obviously threw his elbow at the pitch, but I have never seen this called in Major League baseball. Cool.
• I can’t even begin to describe how shittily the Reds whimpered out of this one. Fuck it. Reds lose, 6-2.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• Hoooooooo boy.

• This tweet hurt me.

• All of this really sucks. It does. However, the Reds are the unluckiest team in the Major Leagues and it’s not even close. I don’t like to harp too much on luck stats but coming into today the Reds have a BABIP of .232. That is last in MLB. The next closest? The Cleveland Indians at .260. A thirty point difference is astounding.
• Their wRC+ is a 95. That’s below league average but not by much. That actually puts them at 20th in the league offensively. Imagine if that BABIP turns around. We’re getting to the point that small sample size isn’t a thing. Obviously, the luck of the bats can turn around but it has to turn around now. The Reds can’t wait any longer.
• Mahle didn’t last long in this one obviously. Until Nate Jones had give up those three runs in the 7th, it had been like two days since the Reds bullpen had given up a run.
• None of these points are intended to make you feel good, but I’ve never seen a team do everything wrong at the most inopportune times. It truly is fascinating. When they hit, the bullpen sucks. When the bullpen is good, the hitting sucks. It’s all ass backwards and stupid.
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