Something that keeps popping up

[BluegrassRedleg]

... from year to year with the Reds is our pitchers seem to inevitably give in to hitters and groove the ball, while the opponents are far more stubborn. Look at Westbrook tonight. The guy is an average pitcher on his best day. He nips and nips and nips around the strike zone all night long -- walks 4 in the first two innings -- and simply allows the Reds to get themselves out. Never gave in.

Meanwhile, you got Homer out there pitching batting practice early on and JA grooving that ball to Molina when the game was still in question.

I don't get it. Is it team philosophy or just guys that aren't very good? I tend to think it's the former because Westbrook isn't very good either.

[dubc47834]

I think it's team policy to let the other team hit home runs!!! Come on man, are you for real?

[Ironman92]

At one point Westbrook had 27 pitches and 21 were balls...and Dustyball has them swinging at the first pitch.

[BluegrassRedleg]

I think it's team policy to let the other team hit home runs!!! Come on man, are you for real?

Not what I said or implied at all.

I'll type slower if you'd like.

[Wonderful Monds]

I think thats less of an indictment on our pitching or praise for Westbrook as much as it is an indictment on the offense. They take this awful approach all the time where they get way too aggressive against a pitcher that clearly doesn't have his command. I just don't understand.

[KYRedLeg]

I think thats less of an indictment on our pitching or praise for Westbrook as much as it is an indictment on the offense. They take this awful approach all the time where they get way too aggressive against a pitcher that clearly doesn't have his command. I just don't understand.

Didn't something similar happen Saturday night? I seem to remember the Extra Innings on WLW talking about how few pitches the Reds saw compared to what Latos had to toss. A young, excited team not focusing enough on plate discipline...

[Wonderful Monds]

Didn't something similar happen Saturday night? I seem to remember the Extra Innings on WLW talking about how few pitches the Reds saw compared to what Latos had to toss. A young, excited team not focusing enough on plate discipline...

I can't remember which game I watched, but I saw it then as well.

[CWRed]

It's Dusty Ball. Be aggressive early in the count. Don't clog up the bases.
Westbrook should not have lasted 4 innings tonight.

[joshua]

This team does definitely need to work on plate discipline. Westbrook is throwing turds out of the strikezone and everyone is still swinging at everything. Why would he even try to throw it in the zone under those circumstances?

[Wonderful Monds]

It's Dusty Ball. Be aggressive early in the count. Don't clog up the bases.
Westbrook should not have lasted 4 innings tonight.

Dusty gives lip service to being aggressive, but I don't think there's enough evidence to lay it at his feet. At the end of the day, he's not the one with the bat in his hands.

[BluegrassRedleg]

I think thats less of an indictment on our pitching or praise for Westbrook as much as it is an indictment on the offense. They take this awful approach all the time where they get way too aggressive against a pitcher that clearly doesn't have his command. I just don't understand.

May be right there. I'd still like to see the Reds staff make hitters fish a little more often. Having a great defense doesn't mean you just serve it up there and let what happens happen.

[texasdave]

This team does definitely need to work on plate discipline. Westbrook is throwing turds out of the strikezone and everyone is still swinging at everything. Why would he even try to throw it in the zone under those circumstances?

Question of the night. No answer for that one.

[joshua]

And I've also been concerned with how many of our pitchers do well in AAA and when they hit the majors they cease to develop. Price has won two coach of the year titles for pitching in the past...one with Seattle and one with Arizona and it seems like he hasn't been able to work the same magic here. I wonder what the deal is. Volquez and Bailey have both had problems mentally with pitching. Once they get rocked or get in a funk, they seem to struggle out of it before they even out. I think if a really really good pitching coach got ahold of them early, they would both be #2 and #3 in our rotation right now. Would it be possible to steal Derek Lilliquist from the Cardinals? They always seem to be turning **** into gold over there.

And seriously, with the plate discipline...other teams have to be catching on that as soon as there's two guys on base, everyone in our lineup starts swinging out of their shoes at anything that is within 6 inches of the strike zone.