Reds Drop Another Thanks To Dusty Baker

Same story just a different day for the Cincinnati Reds. Once again a game that looked like it was easily in control for the Reds

Jonathan Broxton in the 8th inning of the Reds 5-4 loss. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

ends up in a loss thanks to awful pitch management by none other than Dusty Baker.

For about what seems like the tenth time this season Dusty Baker has cost the Reds a win do to poor management of his pitchers. Mat Latos was on the bump today for the Reds and in typical Latos fashion he was stout throughout the game. Latos was pulled after 6 innings and only 94 pitches.

Now to play devils advocate here Latos did get himself into some jams, but he was able to get himself out of them. Latos stat line for the day reads as follows: 6IP, 3H, 2ER, 7K, 1HR. Not a bad stat line, three hits to a decent Pittsburgh team isn’t reason to pull him.

Dusty Baker decided 6 innings was enough for Latos and put Manny Parra in for the seventh inning. Reds nation groaned at this, twitter exploded, it was nasty. Parra though did what he had to and struck out his batter, he was then pulled for Hoover who recoded outs 2 and 3 sending the game to the 8th.

In the 8th Dusty decided to pull Hoover in favor of Jonathan Broxton. Broxton was brought in to be the setup man for Aroldis Chapman in the 9th. On paper this move makes perfect sense. Broxton came into the game and immediately hit Starling Marte. Putting the tying runner on wasn’t ideal, he then got Neil Walker to ground into a double play. All Broxton needed to do was record one more out. Unfortunately for Reds fans he recorded that out after he gave up a 2 run monster homerun to Garrett Jones.

That game tying homerun sent the game to extras where Alfredo Simon gave up the game winning singe to Travis Snider. Simon had been in the game for 2.2 innings up to that point. Why he was in for that long is mind boggling to anyone.

The part that has everyone furious is Dusty Bakers decision to pull Mat Latos after 6 innings. Latos easily could have gone 8 innings setting up the 9th for Aroldis Chapman. Also why was Chapman not used in extras? He is capable of going more than 1 inning.

Dusty Baker has cost the Reds more wins this year than anyone on the team. One has to wonder if the front office should have fired him after last years NLDS collapse and hired Terry Francona. Just food for the thought.

The Reds return home tomorrow for a three game series against the Colorado Rockies. Bronson Arroyo is on the mound for the Reds.