Reds Minor League Game Thread for Thursday, July 8, 2021

[texasdave]

Louisville 7:00 PM EDT - 23-32 - The Bats have ended up on the smiling side of the scoreboard in 7 of their last 10 contests. Louisville is less than 10 games under for the first time since way back on May 11th, when they were 12-21. Riley O'Brien (4.99) will toe the rubber for the Bats tonight. After a rough stretch in June, Riley bounced back in his last start and gave up just one earned run in 5.2 innings. One more of those please. In night games, O'Brien has a respectable ERA of 3.80. However, in his lone day game, he was ransacked for 7 runs in 1 and a third innings. Good thing he doesn't pitch for Norway - Land of the Midnight Sun. Like a lot of hurlers, Riley is excellent when ahead in the count (1.72 ERA), and horrible when behind in it (6.06 ERA). Throw strikes. Louisville has released Braden Shipley. He had actually been pitching better lately (1 ER in 7 IP). In the 20-team league, there are all of 10 players hitting .300 - one for every two teams. That's how you spell exciting baseball these days.

[texasdave]

Chattanooga - 7:15 PM EDT - 32-23 - Best record in the system at 9 games over. TJ Hopkins is batting .914 - OPS against lefties. He has been on fire lately, and has been averaging an extra-base hit every 11 plate appearances. If these numbers are correct, this is a turnaround of momentous proportions. It states here that his GO/AO was 0.14 in 2019. This year, it reads as 1.47. In their history, the Lookouts have been the farm team of 8 MLB clubs. Reds, Twins, Dodgers, Mariners, Indians, Athletics, Phillies and the Washington Senators. Chattanooga leads the league in a number of offensive categories: runs scored, hits, triples, rbis, batting average and on base percentage. There is no Three True Outcome baseball being played in Chattanooga. They are last in the league in walks and strikeouts, and next to last in home runs. Conner Curlis (4.47) will start. He posted six innings of shutout ball last time out.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Love to see Lyon Richardson and Riley O'Brien pitch well tonight-- and moving forward in Red uniforms. Richardson's season has been Jekyll and Hyde. In three remarkably poor starts, he's given up 17 earned runs in 6.2 IP. In seven very good starts, he's given up five earnies in 31.1. O'Brien struggles with his command-- almost half his pitches are balls. That's too many for the type of pitcher he is.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Victor Ruiz's last month has been a good one: .326/ .340/ .512/ .852. (It's only been 12 games and 47 PAs, though.)

It'll be even better after today. He's 2-2 with a single and his 10th double of the season.

[texasdave]

Louisville Postponed

- - - Updated - - -

Daytona Postponed

[texasdave]

Dayton - The Dragons jumped on West Michigan with both feet in the first inning, leading 6-0. My how things have changed. It's now 7 apiece through six innings.

Lyon Richardson may have started strong, but he didn't end that way. 4.1 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 k.
The defense let Pedro Garcia down, as he gets charged for 2 unearned runs.

Francisco Urbaez says "What about me in the Top 10 list?" He has 3 hits tonight, which raises his OPS to .856. Not bad at all for a first-year minor leaguer.

[texasdave]

Chattanooga Recap - The Lookouts did a mini-stomp in the first, scoring twice. After that it was all Smokies all the time. Tennessee wins 5-2.

Connor Curlis went the first six innings, but gave up all 5 runs.
Matt Pidich, Eddy Demurias and Nick Howard each posted a scoreless inning.

Wilson Garcia - 2 SGL, HBP, RS.
TJ Hopkins - SGL, DBL, 2 RBI. (He came out of the game in the bottom of the 5th)
Jay Schuyler - 2 BB.

[JaxRed]

Chattanooga Recap
TJ Hopkins - SGL, DBL, 2 RBI. (He came out of the game in the bottom of the 5th)

C'mon !!! I need some speculation here ! Was he traded? Called up to AAA?

[JaxRed]

I checked out portions of the Lookouts game. The Lookouts announcer did not know why they took out Hopkins. He did not think it was injury related. He had two hits. One was solid double in the gap, the other was a topped roller that SS tried to grab with bare hand and couldn't.

Checked out the shutout innings of Demurias and Howard. Was expecting to be impressed with Howard, but was underwhelmed. Nibbled and had trouble throwing strikes.

[texasdave]

I checked out portions of the Lookouts game. The Lookouts announcer did not know why they took out Hopkins. He did not think it was injury related. He had two hits. One was solid double in the gap, the other was a topped roller that SS tried to grab with bare hand and couldn't.

Checked out the shutout innings of Demurias and Howard. Was expecting to be impressed with Howard, but was underwhelmed. Nibbled and had trouble throwing strikes.

I've noticed this with Howard as well. That's why I have serious doubts about him making it to the majors. He might. You never know. Especially, with Cincinnati's bullpen. I thought it was telling that they bumped Moreta up to Louisville, but not Howard.

[texasdave]

Dayton Recap - The Dragons blew a 6-0 lead, falling behind 7-6 at one point in the contest. But, they Dragon up in the 8th, scoring 3 runs, and taking a 10-8 victory.

We should probably just dismiss the efforts of the first three Dragons to take the mound - Richardson, Garcia and Keys.
Braxton Roxby went 1.2 hitless innings, setting down 4 on strikes.
John Ghyzel notched his 3rd save with a scoreless 9th.

Francisco Urbaez collected four hits - 3 singles and a double. He scored 3 runs. He now is batting .331, and OPSing .871. That plays for a middle infielder fairly well.
Quin Cotton singled, walked, scored once and drove a runner home.
Victor Ruiz is swinging a magical stick the past few games. Single, double, two runs scored and two more driven home. He is 9 for 17 over his last four games, raising his OPS over 100 points in the process.
James Free singled, was hit by a pitch and scored a run. He exited the game late.
Michael Siani singled, walked twice and scored twice.
Miguel Hernandez singled twice and collected 3 RBIs.
Mariel Bautista singled, tripled and also collecte 3 RBIs.