7/19/09 Reds vs Brewers

[WVRedsFan]

Very enjoyable game, but...

It's pure hell watching this team offensively and as far as pitching is concerned. After the last few games, it's been Taveras and Hairston making quick outs with Votto getting on and Phillips getting an out. Frustrating. Friday night EE came up strong and today it was Gomes. It's dysfunctional. Harang has a bad inning and loses. Cueto has one and nearly loses. Arroyo pitches a shutout. Maddening. And yet we hover around .500 and never get ahead. The first of the year it was pitching and no offense and now it's neither every other game. Little steps? Maybe. The loss of Volquez was huge, but the loss of Bruce not so much. Kids will drive you crazy and I think (to the chagrin of most eveyone here who hearts his potential), Bruce is headed toward Austin Kearns land. He's young, but how many years have we said that about Edwin? Surely they grow up.

Until the Reds learn that players like JHJ and Taveras are simply AAAA players who need to play a role and not start, this is what you get. The club needs a SS, a couple of outfielders, and maybe, just maybe a guy who can hit with hitters in scoring position (I laugh at all the criticism or Jeff Francour but he gets 100 RBI's a year). But I'm old and don't know anyhthing. And we still aren't dong anything about these problems. I'd kill for .500. Just for a change.

[redsmetz]

Very enjoyable game, but...

It's pure hell watching this team offensively and as far as pitching is concerned. After the last few games, it's been Taveras and Hairston making quick outs with Votto getting on and Phillips getting an out.

Actually the last few games, this has not been true about these two players. In their last three games, Taveras has gone 5/13 (.385) with one walk (.429 OPB). Hairston wasn't great, but he still got on base at a .308 (2 hits and 2 walks in 14 PA's). Out of ten times on base, they scored just three times.

I have come to agree that signing Taveras was a mistake, particularly given the needs of the club and it's difficulties in scoring runs. But I think Taveras would have been less of a drag had we been playing with the full complement of players and if he hadn't been slated for the top of the order. But over the last three games, these two haven't been automatic outs (.370 OBP together).