Reds-Rockies Game 3 Thoughts

[HumnHilghtFreel]

Reds 9/16/1
Rockies 10/17/2

Matt Belisle did an excellent job through the first 5 innings as far as control goes. He was keeping the ball down down down. When he was missing, it was low in the strikezone. It's too bad that he seemed to relax too much with the big lead, because he pitched much better than the box score will indicate tomorrow.

It was good to see a little bit of small-ball actually work out for us. The suicide squeeze by Moeller and the stolen base by Belisle that caught everyone off guard. Also good to see some breaks go our way with Holliday dropping Castro's liner.

Edwin continues his hot streak, he's been huge lately.

Hopper has been impressive. He looked really patient at the plate today and sprayed around a few more hits.

That BP homerun was a mammoth shot.

Even with all the runs scored, it seemed like they left a lot of runners stranded.

Willy Taveras is the fastest man... in the world.

The bullpen continues to be a rollercoaster ride... that falls completely off the tracks... Coutlangus and Majewski each took turns loading the bases and Weathers, I'll give him a little credit, he had to warm up in a hurry and he battled.

Juan Castro had a great day, providing a couple huge hits.

Santos displays why it's best to concentrate on the man at the plate rather than the man on first.

Just a horrible, horrible loss. Nothing more I can say.

[reds44]

You beat me too it.

Jerry Narron has no idea what he is doing. Majewski in the 7th. Majewski in the 8th. Santos in the 10th. WHY? These guys are not good pitchers. What is he doing??? Santos is a guy who has a career ERA over 5, and Majewski has been absolute trash for two years now. Marcus McBeth is going to get bed blisters from sitting in the pen. IS HE EVER GOING TO PITCH? Can we ever see Salmon or Burton is key situations? HELLO JERRY, these ugys have to learn sometimes.

Way to blow a good 4-2 start to the road trip. Now you're 3-3, and as bad as you were when you started it.

IT MAKES NO SENSE HOW HE HANDLES THIS BULLPEN. The pen alreayd is bad, and he just makes it worse.

I can not take this anymore. WHY DOES HE REFUSE TO PITCH YOUNG GUYS? And then, when he does pitch one and he does well, he throws him out their every game. Coutlangus has pitched 10 times in the lst 13 days. Can the guy ever get some rest? Salmon has pitched 10 times ALL SEASON.

Both Majewski and Stanton need to be gone when Homer and Guardado come up. They can take Narron with them too.

Marcus McBeth is never going to pitch.
Santos is awful too and he's shown it throughout his career. Awful pitcher you say? Perfect guy for Narron to use in a big spot.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

You beat me too it.


I actually kept a Word document open during the game. I'm noticing I enjoy it more when I kinda take notes on the game.

[Dracodave]

One word best sums up our bullpen.

Pathetic.

The rest of the game was fine, I am enjoying Hopper. He's doing a pretty good job right now.

[HBP]

What can you say about Edwin. A completely different player. He's got his confidence back.

Hopper is showing that he's got enough talent to play in the majors.

The bullpen is a never ending nightmare. McBeth or Burton should have gotten a chance today.

[reds44]

You know, if Wayne wants to sit here and say time after time after time that this isn't Jerry's fault, then whose fault is it Wayne?

The Players? Well Wayne who brought in the players? Oh yeah you did.

I honestly don't think Krivsky is an awful GM. I'm still not sold one way or the other. I think he got desperate last year and traded Kearns, Lopez, and Germano for Bray, Majewski, and Cormier. I think he has learned, and I think you can see it this year by not doing something drastic.

HOWEVER, if he's going to tell us it's not Narron's fault, then it is his fault. He brought this players in.

Me personally, I think it's Narron's fault. His lineups are horrible as is his pen management.

[boognish]

The Reds are 2-4 against Colorado and 3-6 against Houston. If you can't break even against those weak teams, that makes you...a bad team. Looking at Colorado starting Buchholz and Lopez, I thought it was a sure series win, but Narron and his 25 have managed to slowly stamp out any optimism I held onto in spite of myself. This season is an out and out mess.

[reds44]

So I'm thinking after Gary Majewski gets the flyout to end the seventh and keep it an 8-5 game: If Majewski can pitch a clean eighth, it would be a very good sign for the Reds.

You know what happened it next. Majewski gives up three straight hits. David Weathers comes in and gives up a 3-run triple. The Rockies take a 9-8 lead. The Reds tie it in the 9th and then lose it in 10th.

Just your run-of-the-mill major meltdown.

Bob Castellini was among those in the stands. I don't know if that means anything or not. Seems to me that Jerry Narron and Wayne Krivsky aren't on the same page at times lately, i.e, Narron saying Homer Bailey is going to start and Krivsky saying that it hadn't been finalized.

Bottom line: After all the fretting over Josh Hamilton not being here, over a lineup with Dewayne Wise, Juan Castro and Chad Moeller in it, if the bullpen get seven outs with a 4-run lead, the Reds win the game.

Matt Belisle disputed Jerry Narron's claim that he was tired. But Belisle was having trouble putting batters away. My only quarrel with Narron: If Marcus McBeth is here, why not use him?

-Fay

[Chi-Town Red]

You know, if Wayne wants to sit here and say time after time after time that this isn't Jerry's fault, then whose fault is it Wayne?

The Players? Well Wayne who brought in the players? Oh yeah you did.

I honestly don't think Krivsky is an awful GM. I'm still not sold one way or the other. I think he got desperate last year and traded Kearns, Lopez, and Germano for Bray, Majewski, and Cormier. I think he has learned, and I think you can see it this year by not doing something drastic.

HOWEVER, if he's going to tell us it's not Narron's fault, then it is his fault. He brought this players in.

Me personally, I think it's Narron's fault. His lineups are horrible as is his pen management. it was Wagner not Germano

[reds44]

it was Wagner not Germano
No, he traded Germnao for Cormier. I just lumped the two trades into one.

[HokieRed]

The Germano for Cormier trade is starting to look a lot worse actually than the TRade everybody's been focused on. Personally I think both Narron and Krivsky should be immediately removed, but the quality of the talent in the bullpen is finally Krivsky's not Narron's responsibility. Here is a list of players Krivsky has thought would help the organization: Stanton, Cormier, Majewski, Bray, Clayton, Harris (sent off just as fast as he came in); C. Ross (ditto); Santos, Keppinger, Castro, Burton, Saarloos, Coutlangus, Wise etc.
Does this look like a GM who has a plan and is capable of executing it?

[redsupport]

dont foprget Michaluk, Jason Jophnson and Kim Soo

[jnwohio]

I would have preferred to see Narron stick with Belisle for a couple of more batters. That said, in a park as big as Coors, with the balls there now tempered so it is hard to hit the ball out of the park, and with a 4 run lead, 2 out and 1 on, what part of just throwing the ball in the strike zone with a little giddy up on it did Coutlangus not understand? The worst that could happened was a two run jack which would have given them a clean slate with still a 2 run lead.

My real criticism of Narron is that with the off day on Monday, why not just bring Stormy in to start the 8th and let him work 6 outs? With a 3 run lead and a clean slate, his track record says he would have gotten the 6 outs without allowing 3 runs. Maybe Narron's actins say they are already more interested in auditioning for an 8th inning set up man than in wininng a game.

[JLB5]

My real criticism of Narron is that with the off day on Monday, why not just bring Stormy in to start the 8th and let him work 6 outs? With a 3 run lead and a clean slate, his track record says he would have gotten the 6 outs without allowing 3 runs. Maybe Narron's actins say they are already more interested in auditioning for an 8th inning set up man than in wininng a game.

I didn't have a problem with him not starting Weathers in the 8th. The way Narron has been using him, his arm might fall off before the All-Star break. What I didn't like was that Narron didn't have guys "ready" in the pen. With the exception of Santos, the guys had to scramble to get ready. I actually thought he should have left Majewski in to face Matsui. He was throwing hard and throwing strikes. The first 2 singles were not on bad pitches and the bunt was just perfect, he was more unlucky than anything.

[RedsFanInMD]

Again I ask the question: Who is deciding what relievers should pitch in any given situation? Is that JN's call or Dick Pole's? I know Narron accepts the ultimate accountability, but I wonder if it is Pole that is heavily influencing who should pitch in any given situation...

[jnwohio]

I didn't have a problem with him not starting Weathers in the 8th. The way Narron has been using him, his arm might fall off before the All-Star break. What I didn't like was that Narron didn't have guys "ready" in the pen.....


My thinking is that if he was willing to use Weathers for 6 outs (which he ended up doing) then he should have just sent him out there to start the 8th to begin with. Coming in with the bases then having to opitch the 9th in a potential walk off situation probably stressed him and caused him to have throw more pitches than if he had just been brought in to start the 8th. With Weathers having not pitched on Saturday and MOnday being an off day I don't think his work level was an issue. The way Narron used Weathers he ended up pitching 6 outs and the very same 6 outs he would have pitched had he started the 8th only the Reds got nothing to show for it because of allowing the horse to be out of the barn before Weathers was in.