Tag Archives: Cincinnati Reds

Weekly Hit Ground Ball: Senior Circuit Superiority

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WhgbHlSq2010 may well be a banner year for the National League.

There’s no doubt that the American League, the so-called Junior Circuit, has been the stronger of the two in recent years.  It’s been fairly even in terms of World Series winners over the last ten years, with the AL shading it 6-4, but if we stretch that out to 1991 then the National League falls back to 6-12 (no World Series was played in 1994). 

Additionally, the AL has been seen as the stronger competition overall, not least in the shape of a team like the Toronto Blue Jays of 2006-07 who were probably good enough to win a National League division in both years, but didn’t even make the postseason due to the AL competition they were up against.

And then there was the All-Star Game.  Prior to this year’s Mid-Summer Classic, the National League hadn’t won the annual get-together since 1996.  A single exhibition game each year doesn’t really tell you anything about the respective strengths of the two leagues, but that didn’t make the run any less annoying to National League fans.

So when the Atlanta Braves’ Brian McCann doubled home three runs for the National League All-Star team on 13 July and led his team to a 3-1 victory, one part of the AL’s dominance was pushed to one side.  Continue reading →

Weekly Hit Ground Ball: One pitching phenom replaces another

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WhgbHlSqThe King is dead; long live the King.

It’s the nature of sport, in fact the nature of life itself, that the seemingly irreplaceable is always replaced.  They won’t be replaced in a like-for-like manner because anyone truly memorable attains that status due to possessing unique qualities.  But when a void is left by a player departing for one reason or another, someone always comes along and fills it.

Everyone who loves the game of baseball was left reeling by the news that the Washington Nationals’ pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss all of the 2011 season.  Having been mesmerized by his stunning opening salvos in the Big Leagues, and entranced by the hope and joy that they produced among Nationals fans desperate for any hope and joy to cling to, it was a heavy blow to have it all taken away from us so soon after it had begun. 

And you could multiply that feeling by ten when it comes to how it must have hit Strasburg himself.

Yet no sooner had we been left lamenting the, hopefully temporary, absence of a ‘once in a generation’ talent than we we were introduced to another.  Continue reading →

Weekly Hit Ground Ball: Tension spills over in Cincinnati

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WhgbHlSqThere was little argument over which series was most eagerly anticipated last week.  The St. Louis Cardinals were heading to Cincinnati to take on the Reds in a three-game series with the two teams fighting it out at the top of the National League Central division.

Division battles always capture the imagination, even when the Wild Card can make finishing first or second an arbitrary distinction, but this Cardinals-Reds rivalry has a special quality to it.  While the Cards have been a contending team regularly over the last fifteen years, the Reds haven’t made it to the postseason since they were swept 4-0 by the Atlanta Braves in the 1995 NLCS.  Now Cincinnati is back in the playoff hunt, this new old rivalry has been reborn.

There was a real sense of excitement as the opener approached on Monday night, both from fans of the respective teams and neutrals looking on.  The series undoubtedly lived up to expectations.  Continue reading →

MLB on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra: Reds v Cubs

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Mlb5XtraHlToday’s MLB game on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra comes from Wrigley Field where the Chicago Cubs host the Cincinnati Reds.  Coverage is scheduled to begin at 19.00 with first pitch set for 19.20.  You can listen in either via DAB radio or digital TV.

The Reds go into the contest leading the National League Central by 1.5 games over the St. Louis Cardinals.  They’ve won the first two games of the series and will be aiming for the sweep this evening. 

Meanwhile the Cubs have long since waved goodbye to hopes of a postseason charge in manager Lou Piniella’s final season.  Regardless of their position in the standings, and their reluctance to help out their bitter rivals in St. Louis, the Cubs will still be going all out to avoid a third straight loss.  Continue reading →

Saturday’s early MLB games: Battles from the NL Central, AL East and AL West

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The football season has started yet again, but that’s no reason to divert attention from this enthralling MLB season.  There are four games starting before midnight UK time today.  All times are in BST.

18.05. Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs (Edinson Volquez – Randy Wells) * ESPN America

Bronson Arroyo pitched seven score-less innings yesterday as the Reds defeated the Cubs 3-0 and maintained their half-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central.  Arroyo walked just one batter in that performance, something Edinson Volquez is unlikely to match considering he has given up thirteen free passes over nine innings in his last three starts.  Volquez is coming back from Tommy John surgery and it’s difficult to predict what type of performance he will serve up today: a source of concern for the Reds but a source of intrigue for the rest of us.  Randy Wells struggled through May and June, pitched well in his five starts during July but came back down to earth with a bump last time out, being chased by the Brewers after giving up seven runs in four innings. The Wrigley faithful will be looking for a return to July form from him today.

18.07. Tampa Bay at Toronto (James Shields – Brad Mills)

Matt Garza and Brett Cecil put on a great display of pitching yesterday as the Blue Jays came out on top 2-1 and dropped the Rays to their third loss in a row.  It could be just as tough for the batters today. James Shields has been in dazzling form of late, most recently blanking the Yankees over 7.1 innings.  Meanwhile Mills made an impressive ‘spot start’ back on 28 July against the Orioles and he is in line to be called up again for today’s game.  This is an important series for the Rays as their closest AL East rivals are battling each other in New York, giving Tampa the chance to improve their position over at least one of those teams if they can win the remaining games in the series.

21.10. Boston at NY Yankees (John Lackey – CC Sabathia) * ESPN America

Yes, the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry is back in full swing yet again and yesterday’s series opener was full of incident as per usual.  Francisco Cervelli’s dropped catch proved costly for the Yankees and called to mind some of the dreadful fielding that Pakistan have committed so far in their Test Match against England this weekend.  There will be no sympathy from Boston as they aim to compound the frustration with another win today.  A Lackey-Sabathia pitching match-up sells itself, although Lackey hasn’t dominated in the way the Red Sox hoped he would following his signing over the offseason, while Sabathia has been a little out of sorts of late.  Today’s big game could be just what both pitchers need to get them back on track.

21.10. Texas at Oakland (Rich Harden – Gio Gonzalez)

Their East coast rivals will get most of the attention, but don’t overlook the other game taking place at ten past nine this evening.  The Rangers received a typically strong performance from Cliff Lee last night as they took the series opener 5-1 and increased their lead over the A’s in the West to 9.5 games.  The oft-injured Rich Harden returns to face his former team having pitched well in his first game back off the Disabled List against the Angels last Saturday.  Gio Gonzalez was even more impressive in his last outing live on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra against the White Sox, but a four-run fifth inning proved to be his downfall.

All the above games can be followed via various resources on MLB.com (Gameday, At Bat with Gameday Audio and MLB.tv).  There’s a feast of baseball on ESPN America with the two games noted above being followed by Mets-Phillies at midnight (or whenever the Red Sox and Yankees finish their game). A complete schedule of MLB games can be found on MLB.com

Saturday’s early MLB games: Non-waiver trade deadline day

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CovHlSqThere are four early MLB games today, all of which will be played in the shadow of the 21.00 BST non-waiver trade deadline. 

Cleveland-Toronto can be your pre-deadline game to accompany the frantic last-minute rumours, while the other three will no doubt offer plenty of reaction to what has, and hasn’t taken place. 

In fact, the three 21.10 starts will all be national FOX broadcasts and they typically struggle to concentrate on the game in front of them at the best of times.  We can perhaps forgive them for that tendency today.

All times are in BST

18.07. Cleveland at Toronto (Jake Westbrook – Brett Cecil)

Westbrook is scheduled to take the mound for the Indians, but his name has been linked with a few teams so he may be replaced at the last minute if a deal is in the offing.  The Blue Jays won yesterday’s game 8-1, with Jose Bautista continuing his incredible season by hitting a grand slam, his Major-League leading 31st of the season.  His stock has never been higher, so if he isn’t in the Blue Jays’ lineup, or if he is taken out of the game partway through, then take that as a strong sign that Toronto are selling high on the right-fielder.

21.10. Detroit at Boston (Max Scherzer – Daisuke Matsuzaka)

Detroit traded for Indians infielder Jhonny Peralta on Tuesday and he went deep twice in his debut for the Tigers as they beat Boston 6-5 in the series opener on Friday.  It looked like the Tigers would cruise to the victory, but the Red Sox gave them a scare in the ninth thanks to a grand slam by David Ortiz.  Jose Valverde eventually struck out Mike Cameron looking at a fastball to close the door.  There could be plenty of walks in today’s game with Scherzer and Matsuzaka on the mound.

21.10. Atlanta at Cincinnati (Jair Jurrjens – Bronson Arroyo)

Two of the playoff-chasing teams from the National League meet in this game and you would guess that the two General Managers will be working frantically in the lead-up to see if they can add an extra piece or two to their puzzle.  Netherlands national team pitcher Jurrjens is starting to find his groove five starts in from a two-month stint on the disabled list, while Bronson Arroyo took a loss despite pitching a complete game last time out.  The Braves won 6-4 in ten innings yesterday.

21.10. LA Dodgers at San Francisco (Chad Billingsley – Barry Zito)

As with the Braves-Reds game, this one will bring together two teams who are likely to be active on the trade market today.  Tim Lincecum struck out nine over seven innings for the Giants yesterday as they earned a 6-5 victory.  That win, coupled with the Padres’ 4-2 loss to the Marlins, pushed them to within 2.5 games of the NL West leaders.  The Dodgers are 7.5 out in the West and 4.5 games out in the Wild Card, currently led by the Giants, so this series is a good opportunity for them to claw back some of the gap on both fronts.  Billingsley pitched well in his last start against the Padres (six shutout innings), while Zito has had a very good season for the Giants so far.

All the above games can be followed via various resources on MLB.com (Gameday, At Bat with Gameday Audio and MLB.tv).  ESPN America is showing the X Games instead of any baseball this evening. A complete schedule of MLB games can be found on MLB.com

MLB on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra: Reds at Astros

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Mlb5XtraHlWe’re off to Minute Maid Park this evening as the Houston Astros host the Cincinnati Reds on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra. 

The MLB on 5 Live show is scheduled to begin at 19.00, with first pitch set for five minutes later.  Jonny Gould should be back in the presenting chair after missing last week’s show (UPDATE: in fact, former NFL on 5 presenter Nat Coombs will be in the hot seat), Mike Carlson proving an able deputy, but Josh Chetwynd is taking a break for the delightful reason that his wife is expecting their second child any time soon.  You can listen to the game via DAB radio or Digital TV.

After a fairly uninspiring start, last week’s 5 Live game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals turned into an enthralling contest and this week’s game from the Senior circuit promises to be just as good.  Continue reading →

Saturday’s early MLB games: Dickey versus Strasburg

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It promises to be an exciting weekend of baseball, with the British Baseball NBL Independence Day event and the Welsh Baseball annual international taking place today on home soil, before the first MLB show on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra tomorrow evening from 19.00 (with accompanying live blog here). 

Today’s early MLB games will be another part of this baseball feast.  The match-up of the day has to be the game between the Mets and Nationals which pits resurgent knuckleballer R.A. Dickey against the phenom Stephen Strasburg in a fascinating clash of very different pitching styles. 

The Blue Jays and Braves both came from behind to win extra-inning games yesterday, making the Yankees and Marlins all the more keen to fight back with a victory today.  The Reds pummelled the Cubs 12-0 at Wrigley so there’s a lot of room for improvement from the home team today, while the Brewers were shut out 5-0 yesterday in their game against the Cardinals.

Scott Baker and the Twins narrowly prevailed over David Price and the Rays 2-1 to level the 5 Live weekend series at 1-1.  Davis and Liriano take the mound today to try and give their team the series advantage before the final game tomorrow evening live on BBC radio.  All times are in BST.

18.05. Toronto at NY Yankees (Ricky Romero – Andy Pettitte)
18.05. Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs (Johnny Cueto – Randy Wells) * ESPN America
21.10. Tampa Bay at Minnesota (Wade Davis – Francisco Liriano)
21.10. Florida at Atlanta (Anibal Sanchez – Tommy Hanson) * ESPN America
21.10. NY Mets at Washington (R.A. Dickey – Stephen Strasburg)
23.35. Milwaukee at St. Louis (Manny Parra – Chris Carpenter)

All the above games can be followed via various resources on MLB.com (Gameday, At Bat with Gameday Audio and MLB.tv).  ESPN America is showing two live games back-to-back this evening, as noted above. A complete schedule of MLB games can be found on MLB.com

Weekly Hit Ground Ball: Going on a run

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WhgbHlSqThe confounding nature of the MLB season has yet again been preoccupying my mind.

It’s the schedule that does it.  There’s something endlessly captivating about the way teams play virtually every day.  Previously I’ve focused on the optimistic effect that this can have: allowing teams to write off a bad loss with the knowledge that they can turn things around the following day.  However, the MLB season doesn’t only allow a team to change its fortunes on any given day.  It also allows teams to carry forward their momentum in a way that no other sport can match.

Whether that is a positive or a negative depends on which way your momentum is heading.  Continue reading →

Saturday’s early MLB games: After the madness

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It’s a daily ritual of mine, and many other UK baseball fans as well I’m sure, to get my breakfast ready and then log on to MLB.com to catch up on all that happened while I was asleep the night before.

This morning I logged on to a headline story of ‘Freaky Friday: Wild night in The Show has it all’, summing up the night’s play as including “A four-base error. A birthday walk-off. A nasty collision at home plate. An inside-the-park homer that wasn’t. Infield fly confusion. Friday had everything but the kitchen sink”.

Knowing MLB, we’ll probably get the kitchen sink today.  Maybe it will appear in one of the eight early games that begin before midnight UK time?  Details of those games are provided below, with start times in BST, alongside how you can follow the action. Any iPhone/iPod Touch owners who have purchased the MLB At Bat app can watch all of the games this weekend for free on their device.

18.05. LA Dodgers at Washington (Clayton Kershaw – Craig Stammen)
18.10. San Diego at Cincinnati (Wade LeBlanc – Johnny Cueto)
18.10. Atlanta at NY Mets (Jair Jurrjens – Jonathon Niese)
21.05. Cleveland at Oakland (Fausto Carmona – Brett Anderson)
21.10. NY Yankees at LA Angels (Andy Pettitte – Joel Pineiro)
21.10. Seattle at Chicago White Sox (Doug Fister – Freddy Garcia)
22.10. Florida at Colorado (Nate Robertson – Aaron Cook)
23.10. Toronto at Tampa Bay (Ricky Romero – Jeff Niemann) 

A Clayton Kershaw start is always worth watching and the Dodgers need a big performance from him today after being dealt several blows yesterday, with Manny Ramirez heading to the 15-day DL (a blow to my spluttering, to put it politely, fantasy team as well) and Adam Dunn smacking two homers against them in a 1-5 loss to the Nationals.  Meanwhile the Dodgers’ NL West rivals the San Diego Padres are the form team in the Majors having won seven in a row. Can they make it eight straight today?

Series between the Braves and Mets normally produce plenty of drama and last night’s opener suggests this series will be no exception.  Rookie Ike Davis hit his first Big League bomb for New York and Chipper Jones made an odd error to let another run across as the Mets won 5-2.  Netherlands pitcher Jair Jurrjens starts for the Braves today.

Lastly, I’ll be watching my A’s at 21.05 as they aim to improve to 12-7. Brett Anderson takes the mound at the Coliseum today against Fausto Carmona after the A’s beat the Tribe 10-0 yesterday.

All the above games can be followed via various resources on MLB.com (Gameday, At Bat with Gameday Audio and MLB.tv), while ESPN America is broadcasting the Yankees-Angels game. A complete schedule of MLB games can be found on MLB.com.