Seeing Red

After an exciting 2012 baseball campaign in Cincinnati, the Reds found themselves as the leaders of the National League Central division by a decisive margin. They finished the year with the second best record in all of Major League Baseball, separated from first place held by the Washington Nationals by only one game. Cincinnati sports fans found themselves anxious for another rare Reds October and a successful post season run.

The last time the team made it to the NLDS was 2010. A Jay Bruce walk off home run allowed the Reds to clinch the division and sent them to the playoffs, only to be shut out by the Phillies. Cincinnati hung their head and looked on to another season. However, the 2011 campaign was dismal, at best, rubbing more salt in the previous years wound.

The 2012 season started slow, but the Reds took off and never looked back. They faced trials and tribulations but the guys seemed to scoff at them as they kept racking up wins. Cincinnati was excited. The air was thick with jubilation. The fans were going to get another Reds October and these guys seemed unstoppable.

They started the 2012 National League Division Series in San Francisco against the Giants. Per the new league playoff schedule, the team with home field advantage would start two away and then come home for three. Though Reds fans appeared nervous to play this dangerous Giants team at home, their fears were snuffed as they watched their team go up 2-0 and heading home. A close game three ended on an error by Scott Rolen that allowed the Giants to score the winning run in the 10th inning. It was a minor set back, but the Reds still only needed one win. One win that they never got.

The Reds dropped the ball again in October. The Giants came to Cincinnati and pulled out a three game win streak in Great American Ball Park to take the series. Once again the Reds World Series hopes were squashed in the first round, leaving a sour taste in the fans' mouths. Will this team have their day anytime in the near future? As a RedLegs fan, myself, I am not only disappointed. I am seeing red. I want the team to be able to finish what they started. If the pitchers fall behind, take them out earlier. Do you know who I wouldn't want to be on the SS Minnow with? Reds players...because they would leave me on the island. The team cannot strand 10 runners every game if they want to win.

The Reds need a successful off season so that they can set themselves up for another playoff run. If not, Cincinnati sports fans may start heading for the hills again. The city needs them and hopefully they will be able to answer the call in 2013.

Put Your Brooms Away...Thank You Rolen!

The Cincinnati Reds came home last night to Great American Ballpark to go for the sweep of their  NLDS foes, the San Francisco Giants. The Reds got a run in the 1st inning, but were unable to do anything offensively the rest of the game, as Reds fans put their brooms were forced to put their brooms back into their closets. The Giants scored 1 run in the 3rd and did not score again until the 10th inning off of a Scott Rolen error. However, it was a joint effort between him and Jonathon Broxton so Rolen cannot take all of the blame. Broxton allowed two batters to get on base to start the 10th inning and then a Ryan Hanigan botched catch, sent the runners to 2nd and 3rd. Eventually, allowing a late top of the inning single allowing the 3rd base runner to score. The Reds could never rebound in the bottom of the 10th, bringing the series record to 2-1.

The Reds match up with the Giants again tonight for game four of the NLDS. Mike Leake is taking the mound at 5:37pm EST for the RedLegs and will face the Giants' Barry Zito. Leake was originally left off of the postseason roster for the Reds, but with the injury to Cueto in game one and Mat Latos out with an illness, he had to be activated this afternoon. His return could actually hurt the Reds, as his record isn't the best and he is seemingly better on the road and not at home. His play, as of late, has been very lackluster and is a last option for the Reds tonight. The Giants, since August 7th have won all of their games that Zito has started and he is coming into this game 15-8, compared to Leake's 8-9 record.

That being said, the offense is going to have to pick it up tonight. The Reds are going to have to do better than one run and they cannot strand runners on bases, which has become their mantra this year. It will have to be an all over effort with the dangerous Giants trying to scratch their way back into contention.

*On a side note - It was just reported that the injured Johnny Cueto is being removed from the Reds postseason roster and will not be available until the World Series, should Cincinnati get to that point.

Reds NLDS Roster Released

Scheduled to take the field at 9:37pm EST tonight in San Francisco for the first series of NLDS play, Walt Jockety and Dusty Baker have finally released the team's post season roster today. This comes 24 hours after the San Francisco Giants organization finalized and made their roster public. Many people thought that the Reds waited, past their original date to release, because they wanted to see what the Giants were thinking. However, one look at this roster and you can tell that wasn't the case at all. It was predictable, as the RedLegs stuck with the work horses that got them to where they are right now.

Here is how the roster shapes up and who you can expect to see tonight under the lights:

Catchers - Ryan Hanigan, Dioner Navarro

Infielders - Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Scott Rolen, Zack Cozart, Todd Frazier, 
                  Miguel Cairo, Wilson Valdez

Outfielders - Ryan Ludwick, Drew Stubbs, Jay Bruce, Chris Heisey, Xavier Paul

Pitchers - Johnny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo, Mat Latos, Homer Bailey, Aroldis Chapman, 
               Sean Marshall, Jonathan Broxton, Sam LeCure, Jose Arredondo, J.J. Hoover,
               Alfredo Simon

 
The game 1 lineup is also official. The RedsLegs will bat in this order in San Francisco tonight:

Phillips 2B
Cozart SS
Votto 1B
Ludwick LF
Bruce RF
Rolen 3B
Hanigan C
Stubbs CF
Cueto RHP

This first series looks to be a good match-up between two great teams in baseball. Vegas, currently, has the odds set against the Reds. However, I have faith that Dusty's boys will get it done despite the Giants 48-33 record at AT&T Park this season. Even though that is a tough record to battle against on the road, the Reds are 47-34 away from home this season. So they are definitely set up to battle against it tonight.

Its a Red October

I never thought I would say this in my lifetime, and I am still in my early 30's; It is good to be a Cincinnati sports fan! Normally, this time of year, we would all be hanging our heads in agony. The Bungles would be looking like a high school team every time they took the field, the Reds heartbreaking season would be over, and no matter how good UC played, they would never get any respect. We would shake our fists to the sky and collectively scream, "Why? What have I done to deserve this fate??"

Don't blink now, Cincinnati fans, but the clouds are opening in the Queen City! There may even be a sunny ray of light shining down us. It is good to be in Cincinnati right now. UC is playing great and people are taking notice, the Bengals are 3-1 and putting up points like a real professional football team, and the RedLegs are in the post season! I would pinch myself, but if this is a dream, I don't want to wake up.

The Reds didn't just make it to the postseason, they did it with a 97-65 record. That was the second best in all of baseball. They managed to play through big injuries, with rookies, and players having to play unfamiliar positions to keep the the machine moving. Sometimes it wasn't pretty, but they scratched and held on and fought there way to wins. But sometimes it was beautiful, like just a few nights ago when Homer Bailey threw the first no hitter in Reds history since Tom Browning did it in 1988. 

With home field advantage, the Reds are going to open their postseason play in San Francisco on Saturday night. Though, the official roster is not set, Dusty Baker intends on taking 28 men into the postseason with him. The unofficial line-up looks like it will remain close to the same as the line-up we saw at the end of the season with Phillips leading off, followed by Cozart, Votto, Ludwick, Bruce, Rolen, and then Hanigan. After a break out season with the Reds, Frazier will be making the trip, working from a bench position. Cueto has already been announced as the starting pitcher in Game 1 on Saturday. The official playoff roster will be released Friday.

The RedLegs are 4-3 this season against the Giants and 37-36 since 2002. Three of the seven games this season were decided by one run. This year the playoff format is a little different than past years. Each playoff series will be played in a 2-3 format. The team with home field advantage will play their first two games away and then come home to play the final three games. Home teams stand to really prosper with this new set up, especially those that get off to slow starts.

See ya at the ballpark, Cincinnati. This is a season to savor!

Get Your Brooms

Update on Dusty Baker: 
The Reds manager spent the night in Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. They were able to rule out pneumonia, but Baker still has an irregular heartbeat that is of concern to the doctors. As a precaution they held him overnight. Baker will miss Thursday nights game in Chicago, but is set to return for the teams home game against the LA Dodgers on Friday night.

Get your brooms Reds fans, there seems to be a little sweeping to be done in Chicago tonight! After taking it to 11 innings last night, the Cincinnati Reds pulled out another win in the Windy City 6-5. Chicago really lived up to it's Windy City nickname last night too. The wind was almost like an extra man in the outfield. The ball carried all over the place all night and actually aided in the Reds overtime win. Brandon Phillips hit a pop up to shallow right field. However, when David DeJesus tried to field, what seemed to be an easy out that would retire the side, the ball blew right, then left, then right over his head. His glove tipped it, but before he could catch up with the ball and get it to the infield, Phillips had reached second base. Drew Stubbs then hit an RBI single to score Phillips in the top of the 11th. Broxton's 11th inning pitching was no match for the Cubbies, as they were unable to come back in the bottom of the inning giving Cincinnati two games in the three game series.

It was nice to see Drew Stubbs getting back into the action. He has struggled behind the plate lately for the Reds, but had his first breakout game last night. Stubbs was 3-5, with three runs scored. He walked once and stole a base. He also hit the game winning RBI. "I knew it would come sooner or later. It feels good to have a multi-hit game and contribute to a win," Stubbs said.

Joey Votto was a big contributor last night, as well. He scored the first three runs early with his RBI double. Mike Leake pitched well, but ended up giving up a two run homer and 4 hits before being taken out of the game. Ludwick also came out of the game with groin tightness.

The St. Louis Cardinals also had a big win last night, leaving the Reds magic number at 3 before tonight's game. If the Cards lose tonight and the Reds win, the team will have the ability to clinch on Friday night at home against the Dodgers. If St. Louis wins combined with a Cincinnati win, the big night will be Saturday. The Reds have been playing the Cubs really tight, though, and if they aren't phenomenal tonight to get the win, they will be clinching in front of a packed Sunday night home crowd at GABP. It doesn't look like there is any reason the Cardinals will lose at all during their series with the Astros to help the RedLegs out. The Cardinals are already playing post season ball and Houston's play has been very dismal. So it is all on the Reds to take their destiny to the post season. How soon will it be? Who knows, but destiny is knocking and this is our year!


Cincinnati Sports Fan? Check out my Bengals Blogs:
http://bengalsarmchairnation.blogspot.com 
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Breaking News

Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker was taken to the hospital for chest x-rays. They are trying to rule out pneumonia. The Reds have a game tonight at 8:05 pm in Chicago. Hopefully all will turn out well for Dusty and the team, while they are chasing a lower magic number tonight.

Cincinnati Sports Fan? Check out my Bengals Blogs:
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Reds vs Cubs, Part 2 of 3

Last night, the Reds somehow managed to pull off the win by a mere 3-1 against the Chicago Cubs. A win is a win, but the RedLegs still struggled behind the plate. Cincinnati ended the game with just 4 hits. That was all they needed though, after the Catcher Ryan Hanigan cleared the bases on a 6th inning double. Homer Bailey also did his part to win the game, pitching 7 1/3 innings, allowing 0 runs. Once again the team is coming together to pull out a tough win, but this game could have easily gone the other way. Cincinnati was 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded six guys for the night. This has been an issue for the Reds all season. They did get a little help from the Cubs starting Pitcher, Justin Germano. He walked all three batters, Votto, Ludwick, and Bruce in the 6th inning that eventually led to Hanigan's double that inning and the win.

There is no slowing down now, with the magic number shrinking every game. The new magic number after last night's win is 4. The Reds are also just one game behind the Washington Nationals for first place in the National League, whose game was postponed last night due to weather against the Dodgers. If they were to catch up and beat the Nationals in the standings, they would be the number one seed in the playoffs and receive home field advantage throughout.

In other Reds news, Dusty Baker managed his 3,000th career game last night. The record night for Baker came and went mostly unnoticed but the team "got just enough offense to win," according to to the Reds manager. So it is still a happy ending for him. Zack Cozart sat for the 12th straight game last night due to a strained left oblique muscle. The team believes though, that it won't be much longer before his return to the line-up. He has felt great in batting practice and he believes he can be back for this weekend's series against the Dodgers.

Tonight the Reds square off against the Cubs again at 8:05 pm EST in Chicago. Mike Leake will take the mound against rookie Chris Rusin. Leake is currently sitting on a record of 8-9 with a 4.69 ERA. Rusin brings a 1-2 record with a 5.06 ERA.

Cincinnati Sports Fan? Check out my Bengals Blogs:
http://bengalsarmchairnation.blogspot.com 
http://fansofthegrowl.blogspot.com 

Reds vs Cubs Preview

The Reds are off tonight after a tough series in Miami, where the RedLegs came away with only one win. St. Louis and Pittsburgh helped them out, though, by not doing well in their respective series either. So as they lost, their magic number shrunk. Today the team was back off to Chicago for a series with the Cubs in Wrigley Field. With the Cubs good play against the Reds at home and the Reds less than desirable play as of late, this series has the ability to shorten the magic number greatly or extend it.

The key to success in Chicago, is going to have to come from the bats of the Reds. Defensively, they have excelled, but they are still stranding guys on base during key innings. They are getting hits, but not enough, and not when they need them. Hopefully, the day off will allow them to come in to Tuesday rested, strong, and ready to hit. In their last 10 games, the Reds are 5-5. The games that they lost, the team only scored a total of 10 runs. With the National League title and home field advantage also in reach, this series and the hits could be pivotal for Cincinnati.

Homer Bailey is going to kick off the 3 game series tomorrow night and will face Cubs starter Justin Germano. The pitching has been stellar for the team this season and Bailey is no different. In his last start, he allowed just one run in 7 innings. In his last three starts, he has only given up two or fewer runs. Tomorrow, should be a good show down, hopefully with Bailey putting the team on top.

The Reds and the Cubs square off at 8:05pm EST time tomorrow night. We're all Better Off Red!


Cincinnati Sports Fan? Check out my Bengals Blogs:
http://bengalsarmchairnation.blogspot.com 
http://fansofthegrowl.blogspot.com 

Magic #5

Is this going to be our year RedLegs? Cincinnati has been painting the town Red all year long! Even the non baseball fans seem to be catching the fever. After such a long drought since the Big Red Machine, 2010 brought us so much hope and wonder. I was at that game. Bruce with the walk off. People that didn't even know one another embracing with excitement. Our city was finally back on the map and our boys were our heroes. Then after the dismal, short lived play-off appearance, the 2011 season left us scratching our heads. Now here we are again on the eve of another clinching performance. A new year and new magic number: Magic Number 5!

Not only is the number magic, but this team seems to be magical. In the toughest games, they find a way to dig out and get a win. They even get wins with rookies and when the odds are against them with arguably their best players benched here and there and sometimes for long periods of time, in the case of Joey Votto. They are a team built of Ludwick's and Frazier's, Heisey's and Phillips', Cuban Missiles and Cy Young hopefuls. Everyone has stepped up and everyone has scratched and clawed to get to the top and stay at the top. This team is passionate, they are go-getters, they are one, and they are willing to do what it takes to bring a victory to Cincinnati. This team is different. They are hungry. And their magic night is just 5 games away.