Huge win tonight

[ChatterRed]

I continue to see the Reds win games they would have lost last season.

It was funny how Hernandez got two bad strike calls and then he jacked that 2 run homer. That outside strike was exactly in the same place Cueto's bases loaded full count pitch landed, but Cueto's was a ball and on Hernandez it was a strike. Sweet redemption with the home run jack!

Props to the team for battling and pulling that one out. It would have hurt had we lost. We can't be losing to the Astros like that. And always nice to beat our nemesis Roy Oswalt.

[Donder]

Games like this is why I think the Reds can make things interesting. Cueto is our fourth best pitcher and he threw 4.2 innings of two hit ball and probably wouldn't have given up a run if the umpire was a bit more generous. The bullpen didn't give up a hit in 4.1 innings. With pitching like that (which it's likely we can see a lot of) you don't need to score many runs. And the team has enough hitters (like Hernandez tonight) that are capable of having a good night.

[jmac]

This shows what having pitching can do. I thought while watching the game last night how in the past, the reds may score 5 but give up 8.
Now, it seems we have a chance to be in every game and because of our pitching. It is certainly more fun to win 2-1 than lose 8-6.

Great win !

[bgwilly31]

Wow what a win!

I just figured it was going to be one of those games. Reds get shutout and we lose. What a finish! and to come from such an unexpected source.

Further more the reds have to capitalizing on on there earlier opportunities.

I think by the 7th or 8th inning the reds had 7 hits to the stros 2. And we were losing 1-0.

Huge win though none the less. Now i think we have another chance at a sweep.

[improbus]

Phillips and EE aren't hitting, but their approach has been a revelation. BPhil is tied for 9th in the NL in walks and his OBP is a solid .368, even though he is hitting .214. EE is 4th in the NL in walks currently and has an OBP of .405 w/ a BA of .185. Imagine how good this team will be when we don't have 5 regular players hitting below the Mendoza (aka Juan Castro) line.

Basically, if Volquez starts pitching we are in business. I am PUMPED.

[gedred69]

Maybe, just maybe at this point, (because it's still early), the "scratch and claw" design of this team might work. The team of the last few years rarely won games like this. Interesting stat from Welch last night was how many of the Reds runs have come via the long ball, even though Dunn and Griffey are gone.
Sitting at a ST game in Sarasota, my brother condemned this team. That was a good omen I think. Last year at ST he tells me he wasn't convinced Votto was going to be much. Ha!

[bgwilly31]

Originally Posted by improbus

Basically, if Volquez starts pitching we are in business. I am PUMPED.

I agree. If volquez gets his act together. This team should win 4 out of every 5 games.

[Captain Hook]

Originally Posted by bgwilly31

I agree. If volquez gets his act together. This team should win 4 out of every 5 games.

Thats a .800 winning percentage.Unheard of in MLB but I get your point.We can be very good this season if things fall they way the Reds have planed for them to fall.

It is still very early and we have all seen the Reds get off to better starts that have lasted up to or close to the All Star break only to see things fall apart.The 1 difference is that this team can do it with pitching.When pitching is good a team can survive a cold spell from the offense where the team is only scoring 2 or 3 runs over a 10-15 game span.When this has happened in the the past the team would loose every game for to weeks and I would find myself looking to see when the NFL started.I'd say with our staff this season we could probably pull out half of those games.It's very important to avoid the 7-10 game loosing steaks that have doomed this team in past years.

If the bullpen can continue what they are doing and the rotation can live up to its potential then I could see this team possibly winning 3 out of every 5 the rest of the way.

[Eric_the_Red]

Gotta love Hernandez glaring at the ump after two called strikes and then taking the ball out opposite field. That's gotta feel great.

3-1 on the road trip so far. Great start!

[xavr1]

Even though Hernandez hit the winninng shot, the bullpen really did the yeoman's work last night. It was great to see Mike Lincoln throw well too.

[JBChance]

Originally Posted by xavr1

Even though Hernandez hit the winning shot, the bullpen really did the yeoman's work last night. It was great to see Mike Lincoln throw well too.

Very true. When Lincoln came in for Johnny, I admittedly was not happy. He did the job, however, as well as the rest of the bullpen. Cordero did try to make it interesting, but he got it done. It will be of utmost importance for the bullpen to be solid. Our young starters throw a lot of pitches and, even if they are "on", don't get late into games. It's going to be critical for Masset, Weathers and co. to get it to Burton and Cordero.

It was the struggling Astros, but I find it very encouraging that our bullpen outperformed theirs.

[DTCromer]

We've seen this song and dance before. Early season come-from-behinds that give some of us fans more hope. I'm not falling for it.

However, we're doing it with younger players and against division opponents. That does make it a little better.

[ChatterRed]

Originally Posted by DTCromer

We've seen this song and dance before. Early season come-from-behinds that give some of us fans more hope. I'm not falling for it.

However, we're doing it with younger players and against division opponents. That does make it a little better.

What season are you talking about?

First off.........I'm not expecting or predicting big things for the team this year. I really think management is using this season to see how much the young guys progress, allow some other prospects to mature in the farm system to fill spots next year, and then add the missing pieces in the offseason and make a run next year. BUT........if this team would surprise......management might possibly make a trade or two at the deadline to bolster it.

.....AND........I still see things so far that are much different than last year. This team has a few weapons that last year's team didn't.........starting with speed from Tavares and Dickerson. I could see the bullpen coming together the past 2 seasons and actually expected it to be one of the better ones in baseball. I think Harang and Arroyo are going to pitch better this year because there is more reason to believe with all the new blood. These young guys have more to prove.........and I think that matters. Tavares is looking to show last season was not the real Tavares. And all the young guys are still proving themselves.

This will be an interesting season. Just keep your expectations in check and enjoy. Because this season builds for next season, and I really believe in the coming seasons, this group of guys plus some added weapons are going to put this organization back in contention.

Sorry for the rant.

[bgwilly31]

Building year^^^ And i get called a pessimist.

[ChatterRed]

Originally Posted by bgwilly31

Building year^^^ And i get called a pessimist.

There's plenty to be optimistic about. I don't get all the naysayers.