Baseball has entered another season!
The flowers are blooming (kinda). The birds are chirping (maybe). And the Cincinnati Reds are off to a sluggish, less than satisfactory start (as is tradition).
Game One
Starting off with Opening Day, we see Max Scherzer, three-time Cy Young award winner and five-time all-star face off against a rather young Reds offense. The Cincinnati Reds managed to get five hits off Scherzer but couldn’t seem to score a run. Scooter Gennett showcased his hitting ability going 4-4. Homer Bailey had a solid start, throwing six innings while only giving up one run on four hits, walking and striking out three.
The Reds bullpen finished the game well, throwing three innings and giving up only one run, but it wasn’t enough to push the Reds past the Nationals on Opening Day.
It was cold, and thousands of fans left with a bad taste in their mouth..
0-1
Game Two
The second game of the three game Reds-Nationals series, the Reds showed power on the offensive side but lacked a good pitching performance. It was in this game that we see what I like to call a complete and utter pitching meltdown.
On the Washington Nationals side we had Stephen Strasburg, the three-time all-star as he is, who threw for 6.1 innings and gave up three runs (1 earned run), a walk and a strikeout. The Nationals bullpen threw 2.2 innings and gave up four runs on four hits.
This is what I like to see. Reds hitters making contact and driving in runs. That’s what wins games, or so we would think.
But not considering how the Reds performed pitching wise against the Nationals. Luis Castillo was taken out of the game after five innings after a miserable pitching performance. Through five innings Castillo gave up six runs on six hits. Not a good start to the season for the young right hander. The pitching staff was hit harder, giving up seven more runs in the Reds’ 13-7 loss.
Here we go… 0-2
Game Three
We’re three games in and the Reds still can’t get their first win the season. This was a much more tolerable game, and in fact the Reds proved that they are sometimes have powerful offense. But still, the pitching is a major issue that needs to be addressed.
The Nationals ended up scoring six runs in their 6-5 victory, but let’s look at how the Reds distributed their seven hits. Within the seven hits and five runs, the Reds had seven different players make good contact with the ball. Three different players hit a double and we even had a home run hit.
Great! But the pitching lacks when we need it.
0-3
Don’t Panic Yet
I know, I know.
This is hard to watch as a Reds fan.
I’ve watched the Cincinnati Reds struggle and prosper over my many years of being a devout fan. Every team has that low point and the Reds are close to it; hoping for maybe an 80-win season.
But the Nationals are a very good team. This was a tough Opening Series.
We’re looking for that salvageable season that could find them a second, or even first place spot in their division.
Don’t lose hope yet. The Reds have young players that are still developing. This is a young team and I know they will have a successful team put together soon.
I hope.
