Reds Weekly Wrap Up
By Matt Niehaus
The Reds Weekday Wrap is a new feature we will be doing Thursday nights or Friday mornings where we will cover the Reds
Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
games from Monday through Thursday. Just to give everyone a run down of what happened this week. We will also be doing one on Sunday Nights for the Weekend wrap up.
This week the Reds stumbled into Chicago losers of 4 out of their last 5. Going into Chicago cold and frustrated left many Reds fans wondering what team would show up. Thankfully the Reds play better at Wrigley than any other ball park, GABP included. Having won 10 straight going in things were looking up for Cincinnati.
Monday: The Reds sent Homer Bailey to the mound. Homer has been shaky recently, not Monday night. Homer dealt and he dealt well. Going 8 innings strong only giving up 4 hits, 1 run and struck out 8. Alfredo Simon closed out the 9th giving the Reds the W. Offensively in this game Brandon Phillips had a big night, hitting a home run going 2-4 but recording 6 RBI. This was a much needed 6-2 win, especially after the colossal collapse of Sunday night against the Cards.
Tuesday: Tuesday brought a much needed 12-2 stomping of the Cubs. Cincinnati still frustrated from their weekend series against the Cards lit up the Cubs. Tony Cingrani took the mound for the Cubs, his first game back since going to Louisville after Cueto was re-activated. Cingrani faced the Cubs for the third time this season Tuesday night.
Tuesday night the Reds lit up Cubs pitching. More importantly they lit up Cubs loud mouth Matt Garza, scoring 9 runs off him in 5 innings. The club then got after Zach Putnam in the 8th who never recorded an out but gave up 3 runs. The Reds offense was great Tuesday night. Xavier Paul did the most damage in regards to RBI recording three on the night. Joey Votto, Zach Cozart, Jay Bruce all had very solid nights. Tuesday was much needed for the Reds.
Wednesday: What do you do the night after you score 12 runs and the offense looks to be on fire? You change the line up. Thats exactly what Dusty Baker did, moving Shin Soo Choo down from leadoff to second in the order and moving Derrick Robinson to leadoff. A move that made no sense, Choo has an OBP of .433 on the season, third highest in the majors.
The game was relatively uneventful, Cincinnati won 2-1 behind and impressive outing from Mike Leake. Leake went 8 innings giving up 3 hits and only 1 run while striking out 6. The Reds offense game up big for Leake and more specifically Todd Frazier whose home run gave Leake the win in the 8th. Other than that it was a pitchers game, both teams starters did excellent. The Reds won their 12th in a row at Wrigley.
Thursday: Going for their 13th win at Wrigley Thursday afternoon the Reds sent Mat Latos to the mound. Latos has easily been the best pitcher on the staff this season although the team has not got him the run support he has deserved this season. Latos wasn’t as strong Thursday as he has been only going 6 innings giving up 8 hits and 4 runs. Latos could have gone 7 but Dusty pulled him in favor of a very very shaky bullpen.
Shaky is what it was. Dusty went through Alfredo Simon and Manny Parra in the 7th, not bad actually. He then gave Sam LeCure the ball in the 8th, bad move. LeCure has been shaky lately and Thursday afternoon was no different. Giving up the game tying run in the 8th. From there the game would go the the 14th inning.
The biggest story has to be Curtis Partch who gave up a grand slam against the Cards in his first appearance. But Thursday Partch went 4 innings only giving up one hit. An excellent outing for the young minor leauger. Actually he should get a spot in the bullpen, has to be better than what we have now.
Partch was pitching so well Dusty pulled him for the 14th to go with Jonathan Broxton, a Broxton who doesn’t appear to have any confidence lately. Thursday was no different Broxton looked hurt and tired out there. It showed in the results to, finally giving up the game winning run in the 14th. That run sent to Cubs dugout into a World Series esque celebration.
Just a reminder, Aroldis Chapman was available the entire time. The Reds lost 6-5.
Overall three out of four wins in a series is nothing to complain about. A good week for the Reds will hopefully result in a good weekend.