Cueto gets Rocked, Reds Still Lose; Plus Thoughts on the Draft

Lets talk...Cueto's Return:

 
 Johnny Cueto made his return to Great American Ballpark last night as the starter for the San Fransisco Giants. Usually not someone you want to see as an opposing pitcher, but Cueto had a rough start to say the least. Although he was welcomed back graciously by fans and former teammates alike, the Reds didn't take it easy on their former All Star. Joey Votto hit a 425 foot bomb that plated 3 of the 6 runs the Redlegs scored in the third inning alone. Six runs; should be enough offense to win a game right? WRONG. Not with this bullpen anyway. True to fashion, the pen let another lead slip away, resulting in a 9-6 loss. If you can recall we had just snapped a six game losing streak on Sunday in extras over the Pirates. Now that we're on this home stand, I'd hope we could avoid another losing streak, but this team's relief is so god awful it's embarrassing.

Once again, I know this is a rebuilding year and that we aren't too expect the Reds to define the odds. But really, this team could have a winning record if not for the relief pitching. Half of last year's starters are still banged up on the DL. The ones that are starting are young, but for the most part have shown great promise. If you take out the dreadful series with the Cubs where we lost 13-0 and 9-0, our offense has been producing runs more than they have the past couple years. So we're left with the bullpen. Bryan Price being a former pitching coach, to me, should be able to MANAGE PITCHERS a little better. So glad Dusty Baker is out of here because he had no chance of getting us deep into the playoffs. Where's Dusty now you say? Oh just tearing it up with the Nationals this season. Yeah, but that's something that can't be changed. However; If I see Bryan Price looking dazed and confused as to why JJ Hoover is giving up run after run yet again I'm going to scream. The man has an ERA of 13.97!!!!! That's absurd. Send him down for the love of God. He can regain confidence in Triple A, but giving up runs every outing in the majors isn't going to do it.

Lets talk...Bengals draft picks:

With the 24th pick of the 2016 NFL draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select...William Jackson III, cornerback, Houston. Ok, I like the help in the defensive secondary which we will need with the loss of Reggie Nelson at safety. We'll also have to address the more than likely loss of free agent, Leon Hall, at the cornerback position. He will come into a young team of cornerbacks with the exception of veteran Adam Jones, who clearly still has some maturing to do  after last season. Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard will be mentoring the rookie and Kirkpatrick has strong thoughts on Jackson starting day one. He believes Jackson needs major development and it will take time to adjust into his role on the roster. We'll see, but I'd definitely like to see our first round draft pick making an impact sooner rather than later.

I think the Bengals came away with decent WRs too. They didn't reach in the first round when most of the top receivers had already gone off the board. They picked up Tyler Boyd out of Pittsburgh and Cody Core out of SEC powerhouse Ole Miss. These two will cushion the blow of losing Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu to free agency this off-season. Lets not forget, our offense is still quite strong. We have an elite WR in A.J. Green still, a standout TE in Tyler Eifert, and a great duo in the backfield with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. Also, a lot of the experts are saying we got a steal in Andrew Billings, defensive tackle out of Baylor. Billings already has a chip on his shoulder from falling so far in the draft, so hopefully he can use that to the team's advantage.

So Long Johnny Beisbol

Lets talk...the inevitable:

To say that we all didn't see this coming would be a lie. Johnny Cueto was going to be eligible for free-agency at the end of the season. We don't have the money to pay him the kind of dough he deserves. We are in fourth place in the Central, with virtually no hope of making the playoffs. Last, but not least, the Royals who are very much contenders to get back to the World Series desperately needed to add an ace to their starting rotation. Of course, that doesn't make losing our ace hurt any less. I'm sure Cueto didn't appreciate the way the trade was handled either. For a player that has spent his whole career in the Reds' organization, he was treated like dirt. Michael Lorenzen telling Cueto before a start that he had been traded. Unacceptable. Cueto was a key ingredient in the Reds' success while he was in Cincinnati. The front office should be ashamed with the way they shoved him out the door. Just classless.

Lets talk...who we got:

As a fan, it's frustrating when we deal away our best starter for three guys who will not immediately be out on the big league field. It feels like we got cheated, but who's to say that these lefties won't be our next big aces. The Reds acquired  minor league left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed.  Finnegan and Lamb were sent to Triple-A Louisville and Reed to Double-A in Pensacola. Only time will tell if they can help get this club back on track. Don't be surprised if more pitchers get the boot before the trade deadline. There have been talks about dealing starter Mike Leake and reliever Aroldis Chapman.

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.

The Streak Plus Battle of Ohio

Lets talk...the losing streak:

I do apologize for my absence. It feels like a decade since I last blogged, but it's hard to bring myself to write about such a depressing team. Losers of five straight, this club has a lot to change. This is the longest losing streak thus far this season. Yes, they faced stiff competition during those five games. World Series Champs the San Fransisco Giants, then they took on the WS runner ups, the Kansas City Royals, for two games. BUT COME ON. That was last season's WS match up. I'm talking about winning games that matter NOW. We can't just beat up on the Brewers all season long and think we're a good team. Quality wins matter. I'm starting to question my faith in the front office. It's like they are completely fine with sitting back and doing nothing, all the while the fans are stuck watching the demise of this ball club. I'm fed up.

Lets talk...Cueto's rant:

You know who else is fed up? Johnny Cueto, and he very well should be. He spoke on Wednesday through an interpreter, but the message was crystal clear. He is doing his job, and he's tired of everyone else not doing theirs. Every time this guy goes out he's giving you a chance to win and the Reds just blow it. And I'm not talking just this season. Run support during a Cueto start has always been scarce. He's your ace for god sake, give him something to work with!

Lets talk...Battle of Ohio losing records:

Even though the Cleveland Indians just took three of four from the White Sox, they're still the bottom-dwellers of the AL Central at 17-23. But we can't say much because we're nowhere near the top of the NL Central at 18-22! The good news is, this is a rivalry series and we seem to do well against teams with losing records, who woulda thunk it? It starts with pitching. Mike Leake has got to have a solid outing. He's coming off one of the most embarrassing starts of his career giving up 9 runs and 11 hits, 3 of which were home runs against the Giants last Saturday. We'll see if it's time to swim or if the Reds continue to sink. I live with my boyfriend who is a Cleveland fan. I need them to win this series!!! First pitch goes out at 7:10.