3/11---Blue Jays at Reds

[membengal]

Don't see a thread, so here is one.

Marc is taking the day off, so I don't have the line-ups to post yet either.

Game starts in 15.

[membengal]

Brandon Claussen gets the start.

[membengal]

Reds line-up:

Freel LF
Womack 2b
Encarnacion 3b
Dunn 1b
Aurilia SS
Kearns RF
LaRue C
McCracken CK
Claussen P

[membengal]

Nuxhall on the mic w/ Marty. Talking up Claussen at the moment, based on how he has looked this spring.

[Matt700wlw]

Don't see a thread, so here is one.

Marc is taking the day off, so I don't have the line-ups to post yet either.

Game starts in 15.

If I don't get a day off....Marc doesn't either!!! :D

[Retneprac]

oh well...lead off double down the first base line

[membengal]

Opening double for Adams past Dunn and down the RF line. No chance for Dunn to get to it.

Aaron Hill up for Toronto.

[membengal]

Fly ball for first out, runner still one 2nd.

They are hoping Claussen can go for around 65 pitches or four innings today. Jimmy Journell expected to pitch later in the game.

[Retneprac]

top of the first

Adams - lead off double down first base line
Hill - fly out to Kearns (does not advance Adams)
Hillebrand - diving grab by Kearns...throws Adams out at second base too!

Heck of a play by Kearns

[membengal]

Freel fly out, Womack ground out, EE an infield hit to 2b side of second which will make the insane person on Marc's blog comments section happy, then an infield hit-ruled error gets Dunn on. Two on, two out, Aurilia up.

[TeamBoone]

Freel - lineout to CF
Womack - grounds to SS
Encarnacion - infield base hit
Dunn - on by error at 2B (Marty thought it was a hit)

Two men on, two out for:
Aurilia - flies out to right.


0-0 end of one.

[Retneprac]

bottom of the 1st

Freel - flyout to CF
Womack - missed it...but he got out
Encarnacion - infield base hit to 2B
Dunn - reaches on an error by the 2B
Aurilia - flies out

end of 1: 0-0

[membengal]

Aurilia flies out. I will refrain from a passive aggressive comment about the scrappiness of his flyout.

Sorta.

0-0 at the end of the first.

[membengal]

I will take a moment to note that, even for the spring, I don't understand why Aurilia would be batting in the 5th slot, and Kearns 6th, but, hey, it is what it is.

[flyer85]

Aurilia flies out. I will refrain from a passive aggressive comment about the scrappiness of his flyout.
it was to RF so he wasn't up there only playing for himself and trying to jerk a HR out to left.

[membengal]

Great point flyer.

leadoff BB for Toronto in the second.

[membengal]

After the BB, an out, then a single to CF.

Runners on 1st and 2nd, one out.

Edit: Flyout to CF. Two outs.

[membengal]

Third out recorded, 0-0 heading to Reds second.

Kearns leads off from the sixth spot in the order.

[membengal]

Ground out and soft line out in quick order, McCracken up with two outs and no one on.

[TeamBoone]

Double! Marty thinks McCracken should have made it to third.

[membengal]

Double for McCracken, the hard-hitting Claussen up with two outs (he doubled and drove in two in his first spring appearance...)

McCracken now 9 for 20 on the spring...making a real play for back-up OF at this point.

Edit: Claussen Ks.

0-0 heading to the third.

[flyer85]

McCracken now 9 for 20 on the spring...making a real play for back-up OF at this point.
as long as we realize his ability to hit is a mirage.

[KronoRed]

That's for the PBP membengal :)

[membengal]

Two outs, then a four pitch BB, man on first with two outs.

Will stay on the top of the PBP if it is worth it to people, thanks Krono...this is my prep-for-fantasy drafts day. Listening to the game and loving the 75 degree weather in Memphis.

[membengal]

Pop out. Blue Jays retired.

0-0 heading to the third.

A real men of genius commercial is on, which brings to mind that FANtastic parody some actual genius on this board dropped on us all early last summer. As good as it gets.

[membengal]

Freel ground out to second, Womack up.

Womack drags a bunt, but Joe says pitcher makes a great play on it and retires Womack.

EE up with two outs and none on.

[membengal]

EE triples off the CF wall, about one-third of the way up the wall just by the 400 foot marker.

[KronoRed]

Scrappy!

[membengal]

I am now thinking all sorts of good and pure thoughts about EE, who I may be falling in platonic manly love with.

[TeamBoone]

Dunn up - Joe says charging 2B with an error on his previous time up was a tough scoring decision (should have been a hit).

Pitch count: 3-0 to Dunn; walks.

[membengal]

Dunn walks on four pitches, for the second time in three innings, Aurilia comes up with two on and two out.

[paintmered]

I am now thinking all sorts of good and pure thoughts about EE, who I may be falling in platonic manly love with.

Even Marty was gushing on him earlier today. :eek:

[TeamBoone]

What happened to "drive the pitches you can hit"?

Aurilia grounds out.

[membengal]

Aurilia smokes the ball, but right at the second baseman, threat over.

Still 0-0 after three innings.

[Matt700wlw]

Womack goofs again

:bang:

[membengal]

Yup, Womack drops a pop-up, runner on first.

Then a flyout to right. One out, one on.

Edit:

Also, one run in for Toronto, but I missed how. Sorry. Kids all over the house today, mine and several neighborhood children.

Edit II: Apparently, Hinske led off with a HR. 1-0 Toronto.

[traderumor]

Womack goofs again

:bang:I wish we didn't have guys on our team 1) that are so bad you hope they screw up so hands will be forced on making decisions 2) that our decision makers could be relied upon to make the decision before the damage is done

[membengal]

Double, runner scores (altho Joe says an accurate relay from Aurilia would have gotten him), runner goes to third on the play at the plate.

Still one out.

2-0 Jays.

[membengal]

Now, a pop-up, but because infield was in ball drops into shallow CF for a hit, run scores, 3-0 Jays.

[traderumor]

And Womack and Aurilia (now there's a DP combo for us) can't get to a pop up because of a drawn in infield. Please, make it stop.

[Falls City Beer]

Ladies and gents, the (current) Reds' ace (due to Harang injury): Brandon Claussen. Can we just skip to next year, when Krivsky apparently will return Paradise to Redsland?

[membengal]

Well, I am not souring on Claussen off of this. A K and a flyout end in the inning, and if Womack can field, I think it is only 1-0.

At any rate, 3-0 heading to the Reds half of the fourth.

[membengal]

Kearns grounds out to start 4th. Krivsky tries for a mid-game rule change that would allow EE and Dunn to do all the hitting, with everyone else doing the running.

LaRue Ks on three pithces.

Joe tries to change McCracken's first name to Louis or Luis, then makes him Quentin again.

[OnBaseMachine]

Ladies and gents, the (current) Reds' ace (due to Harang injury): Brandon Claussen. Can we just skip to next year, when Krivsky apparently will return Paradise to Redsland?

Well, if Claussen had a SS and 2B with more range than a tree stump then he would probably have a shutout or only one run given up. I fail to see how Womack's miscue was Claussen's fault.

[Falls City Beer]

Well, I am not souring on Claussen off of this. A K and a flyout end in the inning, and if Womack can field, I think it is only 1-0.

At any rate, 3-0 heading to the Reds half of the fourth.

I'm merely pointing out that Claussen's ceiling is as a #3 pitcher. He's never been anything but and will never be anything more. Yet here he is, the best starter on the Reds now that Harang's shelved. So right now the Reds' rotation is a #3 and 4 sub-#5 pitchers.

[membengal]

McCracken singles, his second hit. He has two, EE has two, Dunn a walk and reached on an error that should have been ruled a hit.

The rest of the line-up? Not so much help, them.

Rhodes pinch-hitting for Claussen with runner on first.

[membengal]

Rhodes' bid for a hit taken away by a diving play by the Jay 1b.

3-0 Toronto after four.

[membengal]

Journell in to start the 5th. Claussen was charged with two earned runs in his four innings.

Leadoff broken bat single for Toronto in the 5th.

[KronoRed]

Pitch count: 3-0 to Dunn; walks.
He outta be swinging on 3-0

;)

[membengal]

Reds get a strike-'em-out-throw-'em-out DP.

Two outs, Hinske up.

Hinske flies out.

3-0 Toronto. Nice inning for Journell. Reds half of fifth coming up.

[TeamBoone]

Nice job by LaRue.

[membengal]

Freel up to lead off the fifth. Marty notes Reds have left runners in every inning, and have stranded six so far through four innings.

[membengal]

Joe and Marty now noting that EE's start has made 3b's "competition" rather a closed issue, now talking about 2b competition. Joe threw McCracken into that mix, prompting Marty to mention McCracken has never played there.

Hundreds of Reds fans wonder idly if he would be any worse a fielder there than Womack has apparently been this spring...

Freel HBP. One on, no outs, Womack up.

[membengal]

Womack works a walk (!) and now two on, with no one out, EE up.

[membengal]

Two quick strikes on EE, 0-2 count.

[membengal]

Double steal just executed, 2-2 count on EE.

[membengal]

Line drive to SS, apparently smoked, ball gets away from SS...ruled a base hit.

Runner scores (Freel), men on first and third. They will pinch run for my new platonic man-love, EE.

Joe says if that ball was in the air, it's at least a 450 footer.

1st and 3rd, no outs.

Dunn up.

3-1 Jays.

EE's day, 3 for 3, two singles and a triple, a run driven in.

Marty says now they may have scored EE's ball an error...either way, no one is displeased.

[membengal]

Dunn pops up to short left-center, not far enough to sac fly, resulting in the predictable disappointment from Marty.

One out, men still on first and third.

Aurilia up for third time with two men on.

[TeamBoone]

Adam flies out to shallow LF.

Per Marty: "Sacrifice fly situation and once again Dunn fails to take advantage of it".

[KronoRed]

Is that this years first Marty bash on Dunn? ;)

[membengal]

Pinch runner Dwayne Wise steals 2b, Womack stays at 3b, 3-2 count on Aurilia. Still one out.

[membengal]

Aurilia delivers to right-center with a hit (good for him)...two runs score, 3-3 game.

[TeamBoone]

Pinch runner for EE? I missed it.

[traderumor]

Good job Rich. Good ballgame so far today

[membengal]

Pinch runner for Aurilia (Holbert) thrown out trying for third after a hit from Kearns---I think it was Kearns.

LaRue up with two outs now and runner on first.

[TeamBoone]

Kearns got a hit? Cool, I thought it was FC.

[TeamBoone]

Jason... BH to left.

McCracken up... pitching change.

[membengal]

LaRue singles, McCracken up with two on and two out.

[membengal]

Kearns got a hit? Cool, I thought it was FC.

I think it was a hit, but I sure could be wrong, was ruminating on what Scott Kazmir's year may hold as I work on my starting pitcher list.

jays are changing pitchers.

Edit: Now Joe has dubbed him "Curtis" McCracken. As long as it doesn't "hertz", we'll be ok..., or make him "Phil"...

[membengal]

McCracken flies out, 3-3 going into the 6th.

[TeamBoone]

Good Grief! They just pretty much changed the entire Reds lineup/team.

Holbert, Olmedo, Metechino, Sardina, Denorfia, Buchanin.... I'm not sure I got them all.

[membengal]

Brian Shackleford pitching in the sixth with, as TB notes, pretty much the back complex behind him.

Apparently a catchable ball hit to Olmedo that Olmedo didn't get...scored a hit.

[membengal]

Doubleplay hit into, two outs, now a pop out and Jays are out.

Reds coming up, still 3-3 in the sixth.

[TeamBoone]

They didn't score it an error. Joe: "If that wasn't an error, than surely Dunn's should have been a hit in the first". Marty: "Absolutely!"

I guess it matters which team is committing the error.

[Aronchis]

I'm merely pointing out that Claussen's ceiling is as a #3 pitcher. He's never been anything but and will never be anything more. Yet here he is, the best starter on the Reds now that Harang's shelved. So right now the Reds' rotation is a #3 and 4 sub-#5 pitchers.

Nothing personal, but your getting annoying. You consistantly whine over this stuff and over and over what we already know. Chill out.

[membengal]

Two up, two quick outs for Reds. One of those outs was Menechino. Not sure who is up now, maybe Denorfia.

[membengal]

Actually, it's the immortal Earl Snyder up, 3-2 count. He chases a bad ball and strikes out.

After 6, it is still 3-3.

[membengal]

jays three up and three down in the 7th, headed to bottom of 7th, 3-3.

That was two solid innings pitched for Shackleford, btw.

[Chip R]

Nothing personal, but your getting annoying. You consistantly whine over this stuff and over and over what we already know. Chill out.

You should know by now that if you have a problem with another poster, you take it private. Nobody gives a crap what you think about someone else.

[membengal]

I am starting to get rather fond of the DeWayne Wise guy, his homerun gives Reds a 4-3 lead.

Still no outs, bottom of the seventh.

[membengal]

Reds go out after that rather quickly, altho with some hard hit balls at people.

4-3 Cincy after 7.

[MartyFan]

You know, If Joe sounds as good as he does today in season...I won't mind hearing him...that is a good thing!

[membengal]

Jason Standridge in with lead, but promptly gives up game-tying homerun.

4-4 top of the 8th, no outs.

[membengal]

Then a strikeout, then another homerun allowed.

5-4 Toronto top of the 8th.

[membengal]

then another strikeout. Marty has done his titanic struggle line, two outs...

[membengal]

now a ground out.

But the two homeruns do indeed hurt (I certainly would have preferred they be the more manly opposite field singles preferred by that crazed prose14 guy from the comments section of Mark's blog)...5-4 Tornoto with the Reds yet to bet in the 8th.

[Doc. Scott]

Standridge is fixin' to get himself cut. And Milwaukee will claim him.

[membengal]

Hey, Ben Weber is on the mound for Toronto!

Reds have a chance!

[membengal]

Dane Sardhina up, then Abad to pinch hit, then Denofia.

[membengal]

Leadoff hit for Sardhina, one on, none out.

[membengal]

High chop from Abad, runner moves up as Abad is retired.

One out, Denorfia up with runner in scoring position.

[membengal]

Wild pitch moves Sardhina to third. 1-0 count on Denorfia. I seem to remember this from Weber...

[membengal]

On a 2-0 pitch, Denorfia grounds sharply to a drawn in SS, runner can't score, Denorfia retired.

Two outs. Menecchino up.

[membengal]

Menecchino grounds out, runner stranded.

5-4 Toronto heading to 9th.

[VI_RedsFan]

Nice PBP membengal! Thanks!

[TeamBoone]

then another strikeout. Marty has done his titanic struggle line, two outs...

Funny.... he does that every ball game, even if the Reds win by 5.

[membengal]

It's what Marty does, like the sun coming up in the east or Reds nation fretting about veterans clogging up the starting line-up ahead of youngsters.

First Jay gets on, then thrown out trying to steal. Then a K. An out in-between that I missed.

That was Belisle's inning.

5-4 heading to the bottom of the ninth.

[KronoRed]

We need rally mocking here

[membengal]

E-5 to start the bottom of the 9th gets Cincy the tying run on.

[membengal]

Long double after one out from ______ puts 'em on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Missed from who. Joe and Marty thought it was gone. Holbert up.

[TeamBoone]

Tie ballgame.

Extra innings.

[membengal]

Sorry, computer trauma, sac fly got tying run home.

5-5 in the 10th. They will only play one additonal inning.

Simpson on for Reds.

[Heath]

nothing like EI in ST.

Lotta heads shaking now.

Good work membengal.

[gm]

Ball Four memories

If a guy ties a ST game and sends it into EI, the vets will give him the cold shoulder.

"All the scrubeenies pray for extra inning games in the spring...or at least they should"

[Doc. Scott]

Bases juiced for Wise as the Reds go for the win.

[Doc. Scott]

Did I mention that the Jays scored? Two out as the Reds go for the tie. The Jays pitcher can't throw a strike.

Tie game at 6 as Wise's walk forces in a run.

[Retneprac]

Reds win 7-6 on a wild pitch!

[Doc. Scott]

Buchanan now bats for the win.

[Doc. Scott]

Crazy wild pitch... catcher throws to pitcher at home, pitcher drops the ball, Menechino scores and the Reds win!

[MartyFan]

WOW! What a game!

[KronoRed]

Good work team :D

[DoogMinAmo]

Depth = Our scrubs can beat up your scrubs

[captainmorgan07]

sounds like a good game glad to see ee's still killing the ball wise is looking good he's growing on me to sounds like claussen pitched well good sign 2

[traderumor]

I'm merely pointing out that Claussen's ceiling is as a #3 pitcher. He's never been anything but and will never be anything more. Yet here he is, the best starter on the Reds now that Harang's shelved. So right now the Reds' rotation is a #3 and 4 sub-#5 pitchers.Harang's not shelved, they skipped his start.

[Falls City Beer]

Harang's not shelved, they skipped his start.

Only a matter of time. Why would anyone on earth trust this franchise to be forthcoming with medical diagnoses?

[Ravenlord]

Only a matter of time. Why would anyone on earth trust this franchise to be forthcoming with medical diagnoses?
or even have it right the first time in regards to the player being a pitcher.

when a pitcher doesn't have bad mechanics (as a starter) and has just had real Major League success for the first time, i don't see why you'd want to even attempt changing his mechanics.

[flyer85]

Depth = Our scrubs can beat up your scrubsgotta love spring training, by far the toughest task is actually trying to figure out who is actually playing by the time they get to the 9th inning