Frustrating game to watch...

[mroby85]

i just wanted to say last night was by far the most frustrating game of the season. It was really annoying, because i felt like they were in control the entire game, and all of the sudden the dbacks were on top in the 9th. arroyo pitched excellent again, and once again got no run support because of missed opportunities. they left so many guys on base last night it was ridiculous. hopefully we can take the next two, but you hate to lose when arroyo's on the hill.

[He got it!]

Arroyo has to feel like Roger Clemens from 2 years ago with the kind of run support the Reds are giving him on his starts.

[Kc61]

Reds are going to have periods -- particularly against certain pitchers -- where they don't score very much. Offense of team has been diluted to put emphasis on other areas. Reds really could use another big right hand bat to help against lefties. Reds also don't have a true number 3 hitter, a top-tier hitter who comes through time and again.

I think the Reds will cure these deficiencies over the next couple of years and are on the right track. But expect some games like last night, as frustrating as they are.

[Sea Ray]

Originally Posted by Kc61

Reds are going to have periods -- particularly against certain pitchers -- where they don't score very much. Offense of team has been diluted to put emphasis on other areas. Reds really could use another big right hand bat to help against lefties. Reds also don't have a true number 3 hitter, a top-tier hitter who comes through time and again.

I think the Reds will cure these deficiencies over the next couple of years and are on the right track. But expect some games like last night, as frustrating as they are.

I don't know that we can blame a diluted offense for these low scoring games. It seems to me the only areas where recent change has taken place is:

1B- from Casey to Hatteberg/Conine

C- LaRue to Ross

SS-Lopez to Gonzalez

OF-Kearns to Freel

Where have we experienced a dropoff? 1B is a wash as is C. Freel and Kearns are different kinds of players but this team needs Freel's skills more than Kearns so I think that helps the lineup more than hurts it. Over the course of a season Lopez will likely put up better offensive numbers than Gonzalez but he is hitting .350 so far and you can't gripe about that.

I wish this offense was more potent and intimidating but it actually wasn't that good after May last year.

[bellhead]

The biggest problem last night was the lack of offensive patience at the plate. At one time the starter Davis had just walked Brandon Philips on 4 straight balls. Dunn comes up and the first two pitches were balls. Now with nobody out the pitcher is not throwing strikes and Dunn yanks the first pitch in the strike zone into a double play. It happened all night the hitters were swinging at bad balls putting themselves into a bad position later in the count. Also the ump missed a few calls last night Davis was getting Greg Maddux type calls.

[Degenerate39]

It was a frustrating game to watch but you have to remember this isn't the same team that has played in the past. We don't have as many good bats but we have better fielders. Our pitching has improved overall. We just don't have a surplus of hitters anymore. No more Kearns, Pena, Lopez, Casey, etc. But overall were a better team than what we were.

[Az Red]

Where was the bunt by Haterberg in the 9th? The single by Valentine would have scored Hamilton!!! Tie game!!!

Very frustrating...

[RedsFanWC]

I think the reds offense is going to depend a lot on EE this year. In the Reds 4 wins he is 6 for 14, in the 3 losses he is 1 for 10.

[Kc61]

Originally Posted by Sea Ray

I don't know that we can blame a diluted offense for these low scoring games. It seems to me the only areas where recent change has taken place is:

1B- from Casey to Hatteberg/Conine

C- LaRue to Ross

SS-Lopez to Gonzalez

OF-Kearns to Freel

Where have we experienced a dropoff? 1B is a wash as is C. Freel and Kearns are different kinds of players but this team needs Freel's skills more than Kearns so I think that helps the lineup more than hurts it. Over the course of a season Lopez will likely put up better offensive numbers than Gonzalez but he is hitting .350 so far and you can't gripe about that.

I wish this offense was more potent and intimidating but it actually wasn't that good after May last year.

I think with Kearns in the middle of the lineup it gave the Reds a more potent attack. I also think that Lopez at number two, after Freel, gave the Reds a somewhat better table setter situation. So I think the offense is diluted. The offense is also diluted by Griffey's performance. He hasn't been the same hitter for almost two years now.

So I think the Reds are a weaker hitting team. I also think they are a better rounded team and, with a couple of moves, can be very good.

Notice they lost three game this year -- all of which were started by lefties against them. The Reds are not nearly as potent against lefties as they are against righties. The only really good righty hitter they have is EE, who has cooled down since his initial flurry last year.

Ultimately, the Reds will need to add offense. There will be one or two new outfielders and a new first baseman. But Rome wasn't built in a day.

[PuffyPig]

Originally Posted by Az Red

Where was the bunt by Haterberg in the 9th? The single by Valentine would have scored Hamilton!!! Tie game!!!

Very frustrating...

Bunting for 1 run (when down by one) in the top of the 9th is a losers play.

You won't see many teams do it. And you won't certainly see many winning teams do it.

[flyer85]

Originally Posted by mroby85

i just wanted to say last night was by far the most frustrating game of the season.

... better get used to it. This team lacks offense and to have success is going to have to play a lot of tight games.

[berryluther]

Originally Posted by Az Red

Where was the bunt by Haterberg in the 9th? The single by Valentine would have scored Hamilton!!! Tie game!!!

Very frustrating...

Actually if you listened to the announcer comments they said you could run all day on the DB's Closer. Why dont you steal 2nd with hamilton. Speed guy on 2nd with no outs they at least tie the game.

[REDblooded]

i just couldn't believe how many times they let Doug Davis off of the hook last night. Outside of Phillips last night, did any other hitter show any level of patience?

[roby]

The saddest thing to me was how good Saarloos looked...his stuff was unreal. then to give up the game winning homerun on what looked like a very good pitch.

[RichRed]

Originally Posted by PuffyPig

Bunting for 1 run (when down by one) in the top of the 9th is a losers play.

You won't see many teams do it. And you won't certainly see many winning teams do it.

Plus, you can't assume Valentin would've still hit a single with a man on 2nd. In that situation, he probably gets different pitches to hit than with a man on first.