Game 33: Reds vs. Nats 5/9/2006

[CincyRedsFan30]

Yeah, as I pointed out in another thread myself, but that same team lost 3-0 to the Pirates tonight.

Our starting pitching is still a major hurdle for the team. I don't even think the bullpen is a major problem. I think we could use one or two more quality/power arms, but we need at least one top(or near top) starter if not one of those and one more decent one.

Claussen/Ramirez/Williams are too much to overcome. Ramirez might be OK or Claussen could eventually improve somewhat(although not so sure on that right now), but we can't continue to run all three of them out there. Williams needs to go immediately and it would really help if we could replace one of the other two as well.

[Wally Mo Pena]

the reds have had one losing streak all year... and it was two games. That's right. They've lost two games in a row ONE time this year. People here who are talking about how this team sucks just like being miserable, plain and simple. If a 2-4 stretch that leaves your team 9 games over .500 in mid may convinces you that the season is over, then this is a fact: you are a cynic who likes being miserable. The rest of us just have to understand that, and try not to let the cynics bring us down to there level.

changes will be made if they need to be. Claussen hasn't pitched well thus far, but he had a rough start last year as well, and i think he can bounce back. Also, the reds have scored 1 run in his last two starts, which isn't a good way to pitch. When your team gets you a lead, or at least puts some runs on the board, pitchers go after hitters more, rather than trying to make the perfect pitch all the time.

Williams is the biggest problem right now, and i imagine he's on a pretty short leash. we lost first game of the season at home and everyone thought it was the end of the world. We have some good pitchers coming up, and if we finish this homestand 4-2 or 5-1, all this talk is just going to seem ridiculous. Like it did the last time, and the time before that, and the time before that...

[Geki Ace]

We've had a pair of two-game losing streaks this year. And it's not so much the fact that we're losing, but the fact that so many players were and/or are obviously overachieving that makes me realize we're going to go on a serious skid.

I also fail to see the "good pitchers we have coming up". We don't have anyone good in our minors who is likely to contribute anytime this year, other than Germano, and he's still just a back-of-the-rotation starter.

[Wally Mo Pena]

i meant we have harang and arroyo due to pitch.

and i don't know who all these over-achievers were. phillips yes, but freel is way better than he's playing right now, so is larue, felipe was seriously slumping for a while and is coming out of it, and kearns, dunn, ede, hatteberg have been really steady at pretty expected levels, if not a little above. so that's one guy over-achieving, several under-achieving, and a lot of steady as she goes.

as for pitchers arroyo has been over his head a little, but claussen and williams are belwo where they're expected to be with harang and milton right where they were last year. Again, one up, two down. Same for relievers, coffee up, white down, hammond down, burns down, the rest right where we left them.

[Geki Ace]

Overachievers: Phillips, Arroyo, Aurilia, Hatteberg, Ross, albeit in limited ABs, Coffey, Lizard, and probably Encarnacion

Many of them are returning to earth, hence, the team is not doing so well.

[homerun21]

Geki's always pissed off about something. The team is fine, we got Harang going tonight should be a win.

[Geki Ace]

It won't be a win if we score 1 run again. Livan's a pitcher we should destroy, though, so I've got high hopes for tonight.

[Wally Mo Pena]

do we think they're going to play tonight? I'm in new england so all i have to go on is the internet weather sites and while nothing's conclusive, nothing looks very positive.

[CincyRedsFan30]

We still have three questionable starters. That's always concerning to me. We need at least two more who are good or one ACE and one average one.

As for tonight's game, it's a tough forecast. NWS has very high precip. probabilities, but I think the worst will be overnight.

I'd say there's about a 60 percent chance of the game getting played tonight, although I wouldn't count out delays even at that.

[Wally Mo Pena]

wlw says scattered showers, which sounds like delays, but a game.

[Wally Mo Pena]

also, just to be consistent, since we've already given some suspicious MVP votes on days that we've lost, i'm giving it to hatteberg for the sac fly. I know, it's not great, but i think we should have one every game.

also, to keep the sig to a reasonable size, at some point in the season i might remove the guys at the bottom and keep them separate, but we'll see.