3/24 Game Thread: Reds vs Devil Rays

[BRM]

Lineups per Marc:


Ryan Freel 2B
Dewayne Wise CF
Rich Aurilia 1B
Javier Valentin DH
Austin Kearns RF
Jason LaRue C
Jacob Cruz LF
Frank Menechino 3B
Matt Kata SS
Aaron Harang P

[Chip R]

I think we need to put out an APB on Dunn.

[KronoRed]

Guess Dunn is another "too valuble to play" guy

[BRM]

What's the story with Griffey?

[KronoRed]

What's the story with Griffey?

"too valuble to play"

;)

[Dunner44]

yay scrub night! Why did the option Denorfia?!?!?!

[BRM]

Ahh. We need the late inning power off the bench. ;)

[Chip R]

I suppose the regulars aren't playing since this is a roadie.

[VI_RedsFan]

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you....your 2006 Reds Opening Day lineup!!!! :D

[Dunner44]

Did I say scrubs? I meant "scrappy".... :sigh:

[Newman4]

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you....your 2006 Reds Opening Day lineup!!!! :D

Freel 2B

Well, the first name and position SHOULD be correct, but probably won't be the case with Super 'Tard Narron around.

[DoogMinAmo]

yay scrub night! Why did the option Denorfia?!?!?!

Deno has options, the other scrubs who they have to sort through within the next week do not. This lineup is purely a "see what we have" before the final round of cuts.

[Doc. Scott]

The Mariners have released 2B Fernando Vina. You know, a little birdie told me he knows how to play the game.

[OnBaseMachine]

Dunn only has 35 atbats this Spring. He had 64 last year. What is Narron trying to do?

[Shaknb8k]

I would say next week you will see good lineups out there...I wouldnt read anything into this because its a road game and more players need to be sorted through.

[KronoRed]

Dunn only has 35 atbats this Spring. He had 64 last year. What is Narron trying to do?
Make sure he's rusty so he can bench him for Womack in left? :evil:

[Doc. Scott]

Okay, let's get this going, then. I'm only going to be around for a couple innings, but it's spring training. I'm sure five or six of you will follow me for an inning apiece.

[Doc. Scott]

Top of 1. Aaron Harang against Seth McClung. Rays are visitors.

Freel (.125). Takes a strike down Broadway. Foul, 0-2. AND HE HIT HIM! The Rudy puts Ryan on first... he's okay, folks.

McClung has a 1.29 ERA on five spring starts; very impressive. The Rays are starting most of their frontline players in the field.

Wise. High and away, ball one. High, ball two. Upstairs, ball three. Taken strike, but Freel swipes second! 3-1. (Now he'll bunt.) High, ball four.

Two on, one out for the Franchise. This is the same stadium once known as Al Lang Field, where the Reds once trained.

Aurilia. High and inside, ball one. Popped foul. Another one. Check-swing grounder to first; Travis Lee gloves it and gets the out, but the runners move up.

LLM. Bouncer INTO RIGHT FIELD, BASE HIT! One scores, DeWayne Wise ignores Mark Berry and scores without a throw! 2-0 Reds.

Kearns (.318, 0 HR, 7 RBI). Low, ball one. Breaking-ball strike. Swing and a miss. He almost falls down. Foul to right. Another foul. Foul again. Juuuust outside, count evens. Reds would be doing a good job wearing McClung down if he wasn't getting pulled after four innings anyway.

Grounder to third, BOBBLED BY AUBREY HUFF! All are safe. First and second.

LaRue. High, ball one. Rolled foul to first. HATCHER ON THE STAB! Fly ball to left, caught.

[KronoRed]

Doc in the house for this titanic struggle.

[Doc. Scott]

Menechino is batting, bases loaded, two out, two in. Kata on deck.

Someone's in the Rays bullpen. Already.

Full count on Frankie. Foul. Foul again. High chopper to third, and Huff fires it wildly off Lee's glove! Two runs score, second and third!

4-0 Reds. Infield single to Menechino, one RBI. Throwing error to Huff; that's a pair.

Kata. Ball's low. Ball's again low. Strike. Bouncer to Lee, and the inning finally ends.

Reds 4, Rays CTB.

[Doc. Scott]

Harang faces those dastardly Devil Rays. Most of their starters are playing- Lee, Cantu, Huff, Lugo, Gathright, Crawford. Damon Hollins and Josh Paul also in the house.

Three straight scoreless outings for Aaron.

Lugo, who also leads off for my OOTP team. Bouncer to third, as Menechino manages the 5-3 without incident. One out.

Crawford. Up and in, ball one. High infield popup to short, two out.

Cantu. Drove in 117 runs in 2005, geesh. Strike called. Chopper in front of the plate, and LaRue POUNCES LIKE A CAT! Easy out.

Very quick first.

4-0 Reds after 1.

[Doc. Scott]

Top of 2. Someone else needs to be in the bullpen to take over in the third.

Freel. Lifts a fly to right, hauled in by Hollins. One pitch, one out.

Wise. Ball one. Strike called. Fouled back. LINED into center, base hit.

Aurilia. Vicious check-swing bunt his first time up. LONG DRIVE OFF THE HANGING BREAKING BALL BUT IT'S...

...foul. Wise is drawing pickoff throws. More throws. More throws. Pitchout after all that, not going. 1-1. And Wise running... he trips over the second base bag and takes a tumble. (Meanwhile, Aurilia pops out, and this becomes a double play.) is he okay? We'll find out.

Reds 4, Devil Rays 0 after 1.5.



Bronson Arroyo vs. Minnesota's Francisco Liriano tomorrow; Brandon Claussen vs. Indians RH Jason Davis Sunday.

[Doc. Scott]

Bottom of 2. After the first, I think the pitch count was McClung 83, Harang 6. It's like the Dragons vs. the Beavers pre-wolf.

Wise was helped off the field with what appeared to be an ankle injury. Andy Abad now at 1B, Menechino at 2B, Aurilia at 3B, and Freel to CF.

Strike one to Huff. Bouncer in the hole; Kata picks, but can't throw him out. Infield single.

Gomes. Foul. Swing and a miss. Foul. Looped into right, and it drops for a base hit. Two on, nobody out.

Lee. Ball one. Swing and a miss. Count runs to 3-1. Swing and a miss again. STRIKES HIM OUT WITH THE CHEESE! One out.

Fay talking about his diary-thingy. Not much to say.

Grounder to third becomes a 5-4-3 double play!

Reds 4, Rays 0 after 2.

That's the news... and I am outta here.

[LexingtonRedsFan]

I believe tomorrows game is on Fox Sports Ohio...we can get a look at Arroyo then.....

[traderumor]

Wise's sprained ankle is gonna give Denorfia a chance after all?

[Caveat Emperor]

Kata bunts back to the mound for an out.

Freel walks.

Something happens and an out occurs.

Freel is thrown out trying to steal 2nd on a pitch out.

Yes, I'm an awful PBP man. ;)

[cincyinco]

LOL..

something happens and an out occurs..

brilliant!

[Caveat Emperor]

Carl Crawford hits a smash deep over Ryan Freel's head. Freel falls down, Crawford decides "The hell with it, I'm taking a dinger the hard way"

Inside the Park HR.

4-1 Reds

Ryan Freel -- pride damaged on the basepath and in the outfield I'm sure.

[LexingtonRedsFan]

any word yet on wise?

[PTBNL]

I'm listening to the game - anyone watching? How did the Inside the Parker happen? I am listening to the Rays feed, so they don't have much insight, just a lot of yelling :(

[Caveat Emperor]

Cantu with a base hit. Harang angry that his scoreless inning streak is over.

Cantu, meanwhile, hellbent on making me pay for not drafting him in my fantasy league last night.

Aubrey Huff decides to end the hit brigade and K's on the whiff.

Three guys who aren't going to be on the squad next week turn the 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

4-1 good guys.

[Caveat Emperor]

Top of the 5th, Aurillia, Valentin and Kearns will be your batters.

Crappy, Scrappy, and Ears -- hit the bat rack.

1. Aurillia -- goes and strikes out, just to prove that just when you think you couldn't dislike him more, he takes that as a personal challenge.

2. Valentin -- Flies out to center.

3. Kearns -- Says "Anything you can do, Javier, I can do more weakly and with less flair" and then pops out to center.

There's a an advertisement for fans being excited about Devil Rays baseball. I hate commercials that lie.

[Caveat Emperor]

Bottom of the 5th -- the Harangtang still on the Hill. (Note to self: come up with better name for Aaron Harang than "Harangatang")

1.) Travis Lee is victimized by Harang's High Heat -- though what his playing of an old baseball video game has to do with this thread is debateable.

2.) David Hollands comes up swinging only to be robbed by what sounded quite like a web gem by Ryan Freel.

Rays announcers wonder why Freel isn't a starting 2nd baseman. RedsZone wonders along with them.

3.) Somebody pops out to center to end the inning.

(New Nickname for Aaron Harang: too quick to keep up with in a game thread)

[dougdirt]

Note to Caveat Emperor, still come up with a better nickname for Aaron Harang lol.

[Caveat Emperor]

Top of the 6th -- Rudy Lugo on to pitch for the Los Rays del Diabols. Fans confused as to which name to chant (RUUUU-DEEE deemed to be too cliched).

1.) Jason LaRue comes up and does what Jason does best - gets down 0-2 quickly. Then, follows that up by doing the other thing he does best: taking one for the team.

La Rue - HBP.

2.) Jacob Cruz taps weakly to first, advancing the runner as Lugo covers 1st (Never understate Pitchers Fielding Practice). LaRue moves to 2nd. Somewhere, BadFundamentals smiles.

3.) Mena-Mena-Not gonna be here next week hits a routine fly ball out to center. LaRue tags and goes to 3rd. Scrappiness factor: 6.

4.) Matt Kata rolls the ball to first. You'd think a guy named Matt would have more natural talent, like Matt Williams or Matthew Broderick...or me.

Good guys leading 4-1 as we head to the bottom of the frame.

[Caveat Emperor]

Bottom of the 6th. Rays announcers commenting on tons of excited fans around Tampa -- most of them wearing Chris Simms jerseys.

Aaron Harang still dealing.

1.) Joey Gathright taps the ball to Kata, who then K.O.'s him at first for an out.

2.) Julio Lugo flies out to right.

3.) Carl Crawford comes up, looking for the ever-elusive "Back to Back Inside Jacks." Instead, he grounds to 2nd -- he'd better hurry the hell up if he wants to beat this one around the bases. Oh well, good hustle.

End of the 6th, 4-1 Redlegs.

Good outing for Harang -- lots of pitchers counts and lots of weak contact. That's what I like to see.

[Caveat Emperor]

Onward to the 7th, Rudy Lugo still hurling (Must've been bad Mexican food)

1.) Ryan Freel hits the ball deep, far, and over someone's head. The amount of time the announcers had to describe the height and distance leads me to believe this ball should've been caught. DNA testing reveals the fielder to be Wily Mo Pena in disguise.

Double for Ryan Freel.

Rudy Lugo attempts the pick off by throwing to Julio Lugo. Mild chuckling ensues.

2.) The previously mentioned "Guy who made the out a few posts back" makes another out by lining softly to the 2nd baseman. Yes, I missed his name again. Probably nobody important.

3.) With Rich Aurillia batting, Ryan Freel steals 3rd. Scrappiness factor: 5. Rich Aurillia smashes back to Julio Lugo, who throws to the plate and catches Freel in a rundown. The play goes some number to some number to some number to some number to Aurillia is awful and deserves to be DFA'd. Freel out. Aurillia ends up at 2nd. Idiot factor: 6.

4.) Javier Valentin strikes out to end the inning, presumbly eager to just end the game and start hammering a few at the local watering hole.

4-1 Reds at the stretch mark.

[dougdirt]

Caveat Emperor, thanks for the updates!

[Matt700wlw]

Harang has looked outstanding this spring.

[Caveat Emperor]

Mike Burns heads to the mount, taking over for Harang. Dave Ross goes behind the dish, taking over for Valentin. Bannon moves out to shortstop, Kata moves to 2nd base.

1.) Jorge Cantu up first and pops up to Austin Kearns. Jorge returns to the dugout to be teased mercilessly by teammates, who claim "Can NOT!"

2.) Aubrey Huffs and Puffs and blows a single through the infield.

Alright, even I admit that was bad.

3.) Gomes grounds into the countdown double play, 5-4-3. Menachino, to Kata, to Abad. Odds of any of these people being on the squad next week 54:3.

End of 7th, Reds up 4-1

[Joseph]

Thanks for keeping us updated CE.

[Caveat Emperor]

Heading to the 8th...Tampa Bay announcers talking about the "Match Game" game show.

"The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are AWFUL. (How awful are they!?) The Tampa Bay Devils Rays are so awful, the manager gave up baseball and took up BLANK"

1.) Austin Kearns does his whole OPS thing and takes a walk. After walking to 1st, Norris Hopper says "I got it from here" and takes over pinch running.

2.) Dave Ross up and options a fastball down the line for a double. Hopper scampers home to add to the lead. 5-1 Cincinnati. I think they cover the spread with that run.

3.) Jacob Cruz smashes a ball back to Wigginton ("He's got a family to think about") which allows Dave Ross to advance to 3rd and all hands safe. 1st and 3rd no outs.

4.) Mena-Mena-Not gonna be here next week comes up with the big E-5. Ross scores, Buchanon (playing the role of Jacob Cruz this evening) advances to second. Menachino goes to first. 6-1 Reds, and the laugher is on.

5.) Someone grounds into a Casey Play. Buchanan moves to 3rd.

6.) Ryan Freel walks. Scrappiness Factor: 3.

7.) Andy Abad (The "Unknown Out Maker" from earlier in the game thread is identified at last!) makes another out. I'm noticing a pattern here.

Good inning for the Reds. A real spring training special.

6-1 RedsZone Favs over Tampa's Terrible Team.

[Caveat Emperor]

Bottom of the 8th...Starbucks Boy on to pitch.

1.) Coffey throws one pitch and records one out on a flyout. I don't think it matters who it was, to be honest with you.

2.) Coffey strikes out Hollands? Maybe? I don't know. I love the late innings of minor league games, it reminds me of playing "Baseball Stars" back in grade school -- lots of players who I don't recognize.

3.) Josh Hall/Hole/Pole/Foal didn't catch the name, grounds weakly to the Short Stop.

Todd trots off the mound yelling "Coffey is for closers, baby"

Good inning. 6-1 the Men in Red.

[Caveat Emperor]

Top of the 9th, Justin Miller on the hill for the Rays.

1.) Jeff Bannon up to bat. He gets a base hit through the hole at short. Someday he'll tell his kids over and over again about that one time he made the show.

2.) Javier Valentin flies lazily out. Valentin goes back to the bench to set about the hard work that is being the DH.

3.) Norris Hopper at the dish -- with a name like Norris Hopper, he really deserves to be a weak-hitting utility infielder for someone -- we get the vital statistics from the announcer: 5'10, 195 lbs from parts unknown. Hopper fouls a bunch of pitches back and then takes a walk. Scrappiness Factor: 3. Bannon to 2nd.

4.) Dave Ross does his best to GICP, but Wigginton can't get the ball out of his glove, as Hopper disrupts the play. Scrappiness factor: 5. Bannon at 3rd, Ross at 1st. 2 out.

5. Buchanan K's. True story, my football team in high school played "Buchanan Field", named after Pat Buchanan's father. That's the sound of no one caring

Heading to the bottom of the 9th, Reds still leading 6-1.

[dougdirt]

CE thats a lie....I care. thanks for the story.

[Caveat Emperor]

Bottom of the 9th -- Belisle on to pitch. The Matt-Attack is on!

1.) "Abaz"? on to bat for the Devil Rays. Maybe I'd make a better effort to learn his name if he did something more entertaining than weakly ground back to Belisle. 1 out.

2.) Ty Wigginton hits a deep shot that's cut off by Norris Hopper, who almost cuts down Wigginton at 2nd. Double for Ty Wigginton.

Matt Belisle, apparently baffled as to what diety Ty Wiggintin must have angered to still be in a spring training game in the bottom of the 9th.

3.) Green hits a ground ball sharply up the middle for a single scoring Wigginton. Curses - 6-2 Devil Rays.

4.) Man-ez-skall-ko? Who knows -- Belisle puts him on with 4 balls. Both dugouts angered at the prospect of having to continue this on a Friday night.

5.) Rayburn? (No relation to Gene Rayburn, former host of the aforementioned Match Game -- see, you learn all sorts of fun facts when I helm one of these) pop fouls out for the 2nd out. Apparently a good play. You be the judge.

6.) Gomes at the dish. Devil Rays announcers make fun of the fact that Kent Mercker, at age 38, is not even the oldest member of the Reds bullpen. Gomes walks to load the bases for Kevin Cash. Let's hope he choses not to turn himself in.

7.) Kevin Kash, with the bases load...with the game on the line...with the fame and glory of a spring training victory in his grasp...flies routinely to Aaron Holbert.

ANNNNNDDDDD...this one belongs to the Reds.

Tonights attendance in the Game Thread: 18 members. RedsZone and RaysZone thank you for your support.

[Matt700wlw]

Belisle is stinking up the joint.

[Reds1]

Boy the starters are starting to show up. Arroyo on tv tomorrow will be fun. Let's keep it going.

[minus5]

3.) Norris Hopper

.


Can we keep him and call him "chuck" Norris "Dennis" Hopper?

[Doc. Scott]

Can we keep him and call him "chuck" Norris "Dennis" Hopper?

Then he would have to both crap lightning AND ramble eloquently about how he was going to kick someone's ass.

[Heath]

CE - looks like you might be in mid-season form - good work everyone.