A Red Hot Start; How Sweep it is

Lets talk...the first series:

What a way to kick off the season! A sweep of the Phillies, including two comeback wins on opening day and night. I'm not saying we'll go 162-0, or 182-0 according to the drunk gal at the bar & grill I was at on Monday night, but the Reds have gotten off to one heck of a start. It always seems like we lose on opening day to me, so I figured that was how it was going to end. The Reds proved me wrong and went on a five-run rally in the eighth that lead to our first victory. This run production was backed up by a pretty good outing from starter Raisel Iglesias. In all reality he only made one big mistake by giving up a two-run homer. Other than that, he looked like he has potential to be a big asset. Definitely exciting.

On a frigid, rainy Wednesday IN APRIL, the Redlegs rallied again behind a double in the ninth by Scott Schebler. He hadn't seen the ball well all game, tallying a total of three strikeouts in his previous at bats. Low and behold he would have the game winner. With the bases loaded, he brought em' in to push the Reds past the Phillies for the second straight night, 3-2. Brandon Finnegan, who we acquired from the Royals in the Cueto trade, had a nice night himself including a career-high nine strikeouts. He's no Cueto yet, but it's refreshing to see we did get someone useful out of that heartbreaking trade.


No comeback needed in game number three. Cincy rolled Philadelphia in a 10-6 win today. Now, if you read my previous post, I was a bit harsh on ol' Brucey boy, but I also said he needs to become the power hitter that we know he is capable of being. Would you look at that, the kid jacks out two homers, AND grabs five RBIs. I like what I see, and I want to see more of it. Eugenio Suarez had a big day with a grand salami. The battle of the big league debut went to the Reds. Both starting pitchers took the mound in the majors for the first time today, and our top prospect Robert Stephenson recorded the first win of his MLB career.

Lets talk...perspective:

I know it's the first series of the year people, I'm not delusional. However; when you're franchise is throwing words around like, "rebuilding year", you get a little down before the season even begins. It's refreshing to come out guns-a-blazin. Do I expect us to win the division? Probably not. Do I expect us to be in the hunt for a wildcard spot? Ehh. But guess what...we're 3-0 and I'm going to relish in that. And to make it that much sweeter, the Cardinals are at the bottom of the division at 0-3!

I'm all about that Tourney, bout' that Tourney, No Bubble

Lets talk...this past week:

Wednesday was rough to watch. I was at Fifth Third Arena when the Bearcats PUMMELED Tulsa in their first meeting, and then an overtime loss to them on the road? Tough to stomach, that's for sure. Especially since the Cats are battling for an at-large bid to the tourney. Yes, 95% of their losses this season have come down to the wire. The only problem with that is, they have eight of them. The sad truth being that after watching this team all season, I almost expect them to lose in a close game. I need a cushy 10-point lead to feel comfortable that they'll snag a victory. It's definitely not what I would have predicted in the pre-season. I mean, on paper this team is the best Cronin has had in his head coaching stint at UC.


The Cats redeemed their loss to Tulsa with a big win over Connecticut on Saturday in front of a sellout crowd. UConn had just beaten top 25 opponent SMU prior to this game which helps the Cats' cause. Also, the fact that they swept Kevin Ollie's team this season doesn't hurt.

Lets talk...the bubble:

UC is smack dab in the middle of the bubble conversation. With the regular season winding down, I think they can solidify an at-large bid if they win out. They have East Carolina next, which should be an easy W. Then, they face a tough Houston squad on the road and round out their season with big, bad SMU. When they faced #15 ranked SMU in the beginning of January, they narrowly lost on the road, 59-57. This time they'll need a win on their home court.  It helps us bubble teams that there are teams like SMU that have been ranked all season, but because of NCAA sanctions are unable to participate in the tournament. Hey, every little thing counts. The Bearcats also need to make a convincing run in the American Conference tournament to make a trip to March Madness.

If they can make it to the NCAA Tournament, I think they can do some real damage. If Gary Clark can keep being a dominant presence underneath and keep playing great defense, he's going to do big things. They've got Troy Caupain as their floor general who somehow hits the biggest shots at just the right times. The freshmen have been a delight to watch this year. Justin Jennifer can handle the point when Caupain needs a breather, and Jacob Evans III looks more and more confident with each game I watch. Throw in our other big men, Ellis and DeBerry, and it's a recipe for success! As long as Ellis can keep that attitude of his in check.  I know I'm a little biased, but I'm not the only one that thinks this team has a real shot. ESPN's Myron Medcalf believes that out of all the teams in the American, Cincinnati has the best chance to make a run at the Final Four. They could easily have 4 more wins on the season if not more, they just have to learn to finish in close games.

Lets talk...baseball...only because we have to:

Pitchers and Catchers have reported! Usually that would be an exciting statement, but I'm keeping my hopes low for this season. After last season's ugly ending, and all the liquidation of assets they had this offseason, the Reds cease to excite me. Of course I'll watch the games and cheer on my hometown team as always, but being a pessimist by nature, I don't expect much. I assume I won't even know half the 25-man roster because of all the "prospects" we've received. And Bryan Price, much like other professional coaches in this town...has another chance to show what he can do when in reality, he doesn't deserve it. He's a pitching coach. That's what he's good at, and that's what he should return to. He's not a team manager and I don't have faith that he'll turn it around.

Speaking of turning it around. Jay Bruce, after trade rumors swirled around all offseason, still remains on the team. I've loved Bruce since he came up, but my love is running short. He needs to step up or get out for how much money we threw at him. I'm almost embarrassed to own the man's jersey. He's only 29, and I feel like he's already washed up. He did show good faith to the team by showing up to spring training two days early this year. However, the only thing that will really get my attention, is if he shows up batting in the high .200's for longer than a week.

Bruce Hits for the Deuce

Lets talk...Bruuuuuuuce:

This is why we gave Jay Bruce that big fat contract, to hit the long ball. Frankly, it needs to happen more often but I'll take two in one game any day. The first homer came in the second inning. Fast-forward to the sixth with Votto and Frazier on base, Bruce jacked another one to right field. That gives him nine on the year. Fun fact; with those two yesterday, Bruce now has 116 home runs in GABP. Second only to former Red, Adam Dunn, who has 126.

Lets talk...Cueto:

What Johnny has been hoping and praying for...run support! Finally he received some help from the offense on Sunday. The main highlights of the game were obviously Bruce's two home runs, but lets not forget, Cueto pitched a heck of a game. He only gave up four hits in seven innings, striking out nine Padres' hitters. Both manager Bryan Price and Cueto wanted to err on the side of caution due to him recently coming off an elbow injury. Price says the next game he pitches will be a full go.

Miraculously, the bullpen did their job! J.J Hoover and Aroldis Chapman came in for relief and combined to retire the last 15 batters, giving Cueto the W. Speaking of bullpen, they did some revamping over the weekend. Jumbo Diaz got a big ol' see ya later and will be headed to Triple A in Louisville. The Reds also picked up the contract of right-handed reliever, Nate Adcock.

Lets talk...Mesoraco:

Big changes are in Devin's future as he can no longer catch due to the aggravation in his hip. The organization has decided to still utilize him, but in left field. The Reds have been making strides to get Mesoraco ready to play left and it has come time for the next step. He's headed to Triple A in Louisville to get some actual game experience in his new position.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Lets talk...my night at GABP:

Last night was my first game down at GABP this season. With that said, I won't be going to my first game next year until at least May because it was FREEZING. The cold front in April did not stop the Reds' offense from being red hot against the Brewers. It's safe to say, Jay Bruce would like to play Milwaukee in every series this year. The Brewers are really the only team he's had any success against thus far, and he got things rolling last night with a two-run homer in the bottom of the second. It was a combined effort from everyone in the batting order helping out to score nine total runs. Jason Marquis pitched a great eight innings. He even helped his own cause when he hit an RBI single. 

It was an exciting, offense infused game to be at, but lets get real... we have to beat more than the Brewers if we expect to see October this season. Another great part about last night's game was Bark in the Park! So many cute pups with their owners trying to keep them steady on a leash AND manage to hold a nine dollar draft at the same time. It's a great promotion. Plus, I got a first look at all of the additions to the ballpark that the organization has made and I'm impressed. It feels like I'm at a totally different venue with all of the bars and new restaurants. I say thumbs up.

Lets talk...bullpen woes:

I left the game in the seventh, lips blue and thinking to myself, "There's no way they'll lose this one, I'm alright with heading home". But of course, the bullpen had to make it interesting. What should have been an easy wrap up, turned into a sticky situation. The pen gave up four runs, including a two-run single in the ninth by Aroldis Chapman. It's great that we were able to get the win, but come on! The offense is not going to put up nine runs every game! The bullpen and Bryan Price have got to find a way to close games.

Lets talk...disabled list:

As soon as I thought we would have our five pitcher rotation set, Homer Bailey has been placed on the 15-day DL. He has a torn ligament in his elbow, the same elbow he had surgery on last year. Hopefully it will only be a 15-day visit and not something more serious. As for starting pitching tonight, Johnny Cueto will go for the Reds and Kyle Lohse for the Brewers. Lets get those wins while we have the Brewers in town! Go Redlegs!

Two Grand Salamis and...Football? Never too Early

Lets talk...grand slams:

The grand slam is not something you see everyday at the ballpark, much less three in one game. It's probably something we won't see again in a long time. Both of the Reds' grand slams came with two outs in the inning, one from Jay Bruce and the other from Todd Frazier. We really need Bruce to come alive at the plate like that more often to round out the offensive production. The Brewers had just called up Elian Herrera early yesterday which I'd say was a good call, seeing as he hit the grand slam for the Brewers in the sixth. Zack Cozart is really having me question all the trash I talked about him last year with the way he's been swinging the bat lately. He hit two homers last night! He already has four for the year which matches his total home runs for all of 2014. All the long balls were a bit of a shock to me because Miller Park is not known for giving up a whole lot of homers.

Lets talk...about that score:

Were they playing baseball or football last night? The final score was 16-10. At least the Reds were on the winning side because Jason Marquis didn't have a stellar game. He gave up nine hits and five runs in just five innings. Despite the numbers, Marquis did get the win. That puts the Reds at an even .500 now at 7-7, winning two straight against the Brew Crew. The Brewers have the worst record in the majors at 2-12, and the Reds have two more games at Milwaukee before they make the trip back home. Cueto's on the mound tonight, so all we need is the offense to keep rolling. I hate to say it, but maybe Bryan Price's profanity-filled rant was just what this team needed. By the way, Price did publicly apologize for his language, but not the message he was trying to convey.

Lets talk...football:

I didn't fall and hit my head, I know that it's still the month of April; however the 2015-2016 Bengals schedule has been announced! Now, this schedule definitely has some beef to it. There are two NFC West teams, the 49ers and the Seahawks this year, the Broncos are back on the docket in December, and FOUR primetime games. I'm not sure if primetime equals good time given our recent bad luck under the big lights. Andy Dalton does anything but thrive in primetime, but a new year brings new expectations. Personally, I can't wait to see how the season unfolds for the Bengals.

Here's a link to the full schedule:
http://www.bengals.com/schedule/season-schedule.html