Game 86: Can't Start the 2nd Half Better Than With A Reds Win, A Cards Loss, and A Pirates Loss

Brandon Phillips, Superhero Todd,  and the Bullpen Take Game One and Put Reds Back in First Place.

Cardinals   3   9   1
Reds         5   7   0

By Ryan Bramwell

• Brandon Phillips went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.  His defense was subpar and definitely not the standard gold glove BP caliber we are accustomed to seeing day in and day out.  Luckily, his single in the 8th, followed by a triple from Ludwick allowed him to score and sort of make up for his defensive miscue in the top half of the inning. 
• Mat Latos looked sharp in the first inning.  ...But that was about it.  It wasn't as though he was terribly bad on the mound, but he was very inefficient.  Latos threw 97 pitches in just five innings pitched.  He faced 21 batters in that time frame as well.  Overall, Latos gave up two runs, four hits, three walks, and five strikeouts.  Like I said, he wasn't that bad.  But when you consider we were playing the Cardinals in a tight race, and it was the first bit of action us fans have seen in a week, well everything gets highlighted just a bit more.  If Latos was able to pitch one more inning and escape undamaged then he would have had a quality start.  And consider this, Big Mat had thrown 25 innings in his previous three starts, where he allowed a total of two runs and pitched two complete games.  So, yeah...no need to nitpick at him tonight.  This St. Louis lineup is no joke.  Have you seen the batting averages up and down that lineup? 
• Superhero Todd Frazier got the start tonight and did not disappoint.  Frazier was the only Red to do any harm to Adam Wainwright before the 7th inning.  Todd sent a line drive over the right field wall on a 2-1 pitch.  It was the rookie's 10th homer.  Still outperforming Bryce Harper.  Still not getting to play everyday.  I now submit that Frazier should be batting cleanup and Phillips should be our two-hole guy (more on that later).
• I was forced to listen to the St. Louis radio broadcast for the majority of the game because "MLB At-Bat" had issues obtaining the WLW Cincinnati broadcast.  I found out I wasn't the only one having this issue.  I point this out because I have to admit that the St. Louis radio team was less aggressive and more complimentary than I expected them to be toward a rival like the Reds.  Let's face it, I love Marty Brennaman because the guy tells it like it is.  No bones about it.  And if he doesn't like you, buddy you will know.  Thom Brennaman isn't quite as outspoken as his father, but the "strong opinion" trait didn't fall far from the tree regarding him either.  But that is partly why I like listening to these guys.  And I know Marty has had some things to say about the Cardinals team before.  Once they complained about groundscrew at GABP which sent Marty mouthing off about how they will find anything to complain about.  I tend to agree with him there.  But I digress.  The point to this story was that the Cardinal radio booth said a few nice things about BP (the last guy I would expect to get a compliment from anybody in St. Louis), and even said they'd better not say much more or they'll be getting some angry emails from their listeners.  That is probably very true, and I respected it.  However, they got a little 'bickery' after the Todd Frazier homer.  They went on and on about how it wouldn't have been a homer in Busch Stadium or any other ballpark.  They called GABP quote "a whiffleball park."  They went on to say that was how the Reds beat teams, by homering at home.  Well, fellas, I don't know how to break this to ya', but both teams were playing in the same ballpark.  And from my knowledge that is how it works every game.  We don't get special homerun powder sprinkled into our gatorade before we go to bat.  We just play in a homer-friendly ballpark.  And whenever we play at GABP, our opponent is also playing at GABP. And we play half our games on the road, where in which we also have a winning record.  So.... 
• Going into the bottom of the 7th, the Reds still trailed 2-1.  The switch was suddenly flipped to the 'on' position for the Redlegs at this point.  Back-to-back singles from Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce got things going quickly.  Ludwick then put down a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners up a base.  Wainwright then intentionally walked Superhero Todd so as not to be embarrassed by his awesomeness once again.  And that brought up one of my favorite Reds in Ryan Hanigan.  Hanigan is patient and waits for a pitch he can drive up the box almost always.  To my dismay, he swings at the first pitch and it heads down the first base line.  But wait!  Allen Craig fields the grounder and has to make a quick play. He makes a poor throw to Wainwright covering first base and the ball gets away.  Two runs score, Frazier moves to third and Hanigan scatters along to second.  Ryan is credited with a single and Craig is charged with an error.  Suddenly the Reds are winning this ballgame and Wainwright is on his way out.
• Victor Marte replaced Wainwright and walked Rolen (who pinch-hit in the pitcher's spot and replaced Frazier in a double switch) after seven pitches.  With one out and a runner on third all we need is a sacrifice fly to get that insurance run home.  Cozart did just that.  On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Zack hit a fly ball to center that was long enough to score the runner from third.  It was the only positive thing the top of the order did all night.  Stubbs, Cozart and the immaculate Votto went a combined 0-for-11 with three strikeouts and an RBI.  Cozart's sac-fly RBI.
• In the top of the 8th, Arredondo replaced Alfredo Simon after two solid and scoreless innings of relief.  Arredondo had a tough task in facing the heart of one baseball's best offensive lineups.  He gave up hits to Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina while getting a force out at 2nd base off a ground out from Allen Craig in between their at-bats.  Jose battled with David Freese next and it took six pitches and a full count, but he got him to ground into what should have been a certain 6-4-3 double play.  However, after Cozart tossed the ball to Phillips, Brandon had a heck of a time gathering his footing quickly enough to make a timely throw to first.  And with that, Arredondo was replaced.  He should have been out of the inning with just a scare, but sometimes that's just baseball. 
• Shaky Sean Marshall entered.  I didn't necessarily mind this move, as I figured that Sean would have to start pitching better than he had of late.  The law of averages, right?  He's too good of a pitcher to continue this poor streak of nerve-racking outings.  Well, that may be.  But it didn't happen last night.  Marshall's opponents were two weak bats off the Cardinals' bench.  Shane Robinson and Tyler Greene. Robinson singled on Marshall's second pitch which scored the runner from 3rd and cut the lead to one run.  Ugh.  Marshall then proceeded to walk Tyler Greene on seven pitches.  Ugh, again.  Now Furcal is up to bat with a pair of runners aboard.  Furcal chopped a grounder to Cozart at short who tossed to his left to Phillips covering 2nd base.  It was very close, but the Reds succeeded in getting the force out just in time.  Marshall and the Reds would survive the inning giving up only the one run.  Pheww!
• In the bottom of the inning, a single by Phillips and a triple by Ludwick (yes, Ryan Ludwick) allowed the Reds to get that insurance run back.  Always huge. 
• The Cuban Missile came in to close her out in the 9th.  He struck out John Jay with a combination of fastballs and sliders.  Holliday then got his first hit of the game (1-for-5) on a knock to right field.  That did not phase Chapman.  He struckout Beltran on three pitches and Allen Craig on five.  After striking out Jay, Chapman went to exclusively using his fastball (which I am against since he has such a devastating slider) and it topped 100mph nearly every time.  He is out of this world good.  Chapman threw 15 pitches in all, 12 of which were strikes.  He picked up his 12th save of the season as well. 
• Alfredo Simon was awarded the win for the Redlegs.  His first win of the season.

Okay, regarding that snippet I typed up about the lineup.  When Todd Frazier is starting (which should be everyday, except for when rest is needed) he should be batting cleanup.  He has earned it.  Pitchers know he is a dangerous hitter now.  Wainwright intentionally walked Frazier to bring Hanigan up.  Hanigan, who has the second best OBP on the team.  Here is my proposed lineup with the team we have right now:

Order/Pos/Bats/Player                   BA/OBP/SLG/OPS   HR/RBI/SB

1. SS (R) Zack Cozart            .249/.295/.405/.700    9 HR, 18 RBI, 2 SB
2. 2B (R) Brandon Phillips      .286/.327/.435/.762    10 HR, 48 RBI, 5 SB
3. 1B (L) Joey Votto              .344/.465/.608/1.074  14 HR, 48 RBI, 5 SB
4. 3B (R) Todd Frazier           .280/.350/.571/.921    10 HR, 30 RBI, 1 SB
5. RF (L) Jay Bruce                .250/.328/.503/.831    18 HR, 56 RBI, 5 SB
6. LF (R) Chris Heisey            .268/.313/.390/.702    3 HR, 19 RBI, 3 SB
7. C  (R)  Ryan Hanigan          .276/.354/.351/.704    2 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB
8. CF (R) Drew Stubbs           .212/.282/.361/.643    9 HR, 21 RBI, 17 SB

Bench

1. LF (R) Ryan Ludwick          .240/.312/.486/.797   12 HR, 35 RBI, 0 SB
2. C   (R) Devin Mesoraco       .214/.295/.393/.689   5 HR, 14 RBI. 1 SB
3. 3B (R) Scott Rolen               .178/.246/.302/.549   3 HR, 16 RBI, 1 SB
4. SS (R) Wilson Valdez           .232/.247/.268/.515   0 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB
5. IF (R) Miguel Cairo              .147/.171/.221/.392   0 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB
6. P  (R) Mike Leake                .333/.333/.567/.900   2 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB 

It's a pretty poor bench with the exception of the Ludwick/Heisey combination.  And I am indifferent about those two guys at the moment.  They are both playing well as of late and therefore interchangeable.  But how about Mike Leake?  Yeah, his OPS is .900, no big whoop.  Just behind Joey Votto and Todd Frazier, ha!  Leake has 10 hits in 30 at-bats, including a double and two home runs.  Got to love that. 

So what do you say?  Should we approach the trade deadline cautiously and find some better help off the bench?  Maybe someone who could start in the outfield, but mainly a guy or two to improve those dreadful numbers on the bench.