Showing posts with label Cincinnati Reds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cincinnati Reds. Show all posts

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds Game Preview

Milwaukee goes for the sweep, but can Matt Maloney and the Reds stop them?

Pitching for the Brewers today is Zack Grienke (14-6, 3.87 ERA). Grienke has given up more than two earned runs only once in his last thirteen starts. His strongest pitch is his slider which is almost 14 runs above average.

His opponent today is Matt Maloney (0-2, 6.88 ERA). Maloney has only started 1 game in his 7 games pitched this year, in that game he gave up 3 ER in 2 IP. Matt only has one plus pitch which is his changeup (1.6 runs above average) and he throws it a bunch (26% of the time).

Advantage: Brewers

Note: All stats vs. opposing pitchers in the last 5 yearsa

Brewers Lineup

1. RF Corey Hart (.281 Avg/.354 OBP/.502 SLG) vs. Maloney (.000/0 HR/0 RBI)
2. CF Carlos Gomez (.214/.262/.364) vs. Maloney (.000/0/0)
3. LF Ryan Braun (.333/.398/.595) vs. Maloney (.000/0/0)
4. 1B Prince Fielder (.297/.411/.547) vs. Maloney (.000/0/0)
5. 2B Rickie Weeks (.270/.350/.473) vs. Maloney (.000/0/0)
6. 3B Casey McGeehe (.230/.287/.351) vs. Maloney (1.000/0/0)
7. SS Yuniesky Betancourt (.251/.270/.378) vs. Maloney (.000/0/0)
8. C Jonathon Lucroy (.264/.308/.388) vs. Maloney (.000/0/0)
9. P Zack Grienke (.167/.222/.238)

Reds Lineup

1. 2B Brandon Phillips (.296/.347/.447) vs. Greinke (.167/0 HR/0 RBI)
2. SS Edgar Renteria (.260/.319/.363) vs. Grienke (.250/0/1)
3. 1B Joey Votto (.320/.429/.549) vs. Grienke (.500/3/3)
4. RF Jay Bruce (.259/.344/.483) vs. Grienke (.200/0/2)
5. LF Yonder Alonso (.364/.437/.610) vs. Greinke (.000/0/0)
6. 3B Juan Francisco (.238/.273/.429) vs. Greinke (.000/0/0)
7. CF Drew Stubbs (.247/.322/.369) vs. Greinke (.566/0/0)
8. C Devin Mesoraco (.174/.208/.391) vs. Grienke (.000/0/0)
9. P Matt Maloney (.000/.000/.000)

Position Comparaison

1B: Advantage: Cincinnati
2B: Cincinnati
SS: Cincinnati
3B: Milwaukee
LF: Milwaukee
CF: Cincinnati
RF: Milwaukee
C: Milwaukee

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Milwaukee Brewers 10 Cincinnati Reds 1 Rapid Response

The Milwaukee Brewers slaughtered the Cincinnati Reds 10-1. Here is the Rapid Response.

How dominant was Gallardo today, he now has 25 K's in his last 13 IP. I wish it was a playoff game so they would let Gallardo stay in for another inning or two instead of taking him out at 100 pitches. He is definatly making the case to be the #1 starter in the playoff rotation (More in Monday-Thursday's Blurb).

Prediction: Weeks plays 9 innings tomorrow. I think because they sat him out today, they are setting him up for a whole game tomorrow.

Nice two days for Braun. Yesterday he hits 2 homers, and joins 30-30 club. Today, 3-5 with another homer, and he's leads the N.L. in batting average.

Is anyone else as high on De La Cruz as I am? He only has given up one earned run in his last eight innings, also he's only given up four hits in that time. Now if only he could get some more work...

Yonder Alonso, my player to watch for the Reds this series, went 1-4 with a homer today. Nice pick if I do say so myself.

Game Prediction: Brewers 3 Reds 1
Result: Brewers 10 Reds 1
Record: 2-0

Please Comment, and Go Brewers!

Milwaukee Brewers 6 Cincinnati Reds 3 Full Recap

Here is the in-depth recap:

First Inning:

3-and out for the Brewers. Nothing special here.

Wolf gets off to a bit of a dicey start, but some nice defensive plays save him from a lot worse. Braun makes a nice running catch, and Weeks made a nice play to stop the bleeding. I still think though if Weeks was 100% he wouldn't have to dive there.

Second Inning:

That was a shot on that curveball for Fielder. Enjoy your Fielder bombs while you can, because we're running out of them. Rickie Weeks fly out. Then the two outs in the lineup follow suit.

Wolf starts to settle in.

Third Inning:

Wolf gets robbed by Dave Sappelt. Morgan Walks (Hell has frozen over)! Kotsay makes him pay for it with a two-run homer to deep center (Who would have guessed those two at-bats). Not to be outdone, on the very next pitch Braun goes the other way for a solo shot. Arroyo really does give up homeruns. Fielder walks, then Weeks pops up and Arroyo lazily makes Votto run all the way over from first to catch a pop-up that lands a foot in front of him.

Green makes a nice effort, but can't get Brandon Phillips on an infield single. Wolf gets some payback on Dave Sappelt, with a buetiful curveball for strike three. Weeks starts a double play with two on to get out of the inning.

Fourth Inning:

The two outs do what they are supposed to do, then Kottaras mimicks them.

Wolf strikes out Heisey on an inside fastball. 1-2-3 inning #2 for Wolf.

Fifth Inning:

Kotsay doubles but Braun can't drive him in on a nice save by Votto on a bad throw by Janish.

Wolf strikes out Janish on a high fastball. Arroyo does the same.

Sixth Inning:

Fielder strikes out. Weeks walks and is lifted for Schafer. Schafer does a nice job to avoid a double play, but Betancourt strikes out to render that action useless.

Another 1-2-3 inning, another Wolf strikeout.

Seventh Inning:

Kottaras goes yard on a breaking ball. It will be nice to have some power off the bench in the playoffs. After getting Wolf, Arroyo is taken out.

1-2-3 Inning, 1 K. This getting repetative? I'm not complaing, Wolf has retired 13 in a row.

Eigth Inning:

Braun goes the other way again to join the 30-30 club. Fielder bloops a single, but then the three outs come up, but Betancourt isn't given an oppurtunity to get an out because Green gets two for him.

Hairston almost makes a great play, but it drops in for a single. There goes 13 retired in a row, nice job Wolf. Two more singles bases loaded. K-Rod comes in for Wolf. After getting Alonso, my player to watch of the series for the Reds, to fly out. Votto does his thing with a two-RBI single. Nice job by K-Rod remembering to back up Kottaras. Bruce grounds into another double play.

Ninth Inning:

Betancourt does his thing. Kottaras walks. Lucroy grounds into a double play ball, but Kottaras forces Phillips to jump so he can't complete the play. Morgan has two walks in a game, I've seen it all. But Gomez is Gomez and the inning is over.

Axford is in the building.

Once again Betancourt does his thing with an error. But he makes up for it by starting a double play. Fielder does a nice job of picking up the throw from the dirt. Single. Out. Game Over.

Axford gets his 40th consecutive save. Brewers beat the Reds. Magic Number down to 7. Brewers up one game on Arizona, now if only the Cardinals could have lost.

No game preview today, but there will be a late blurb sometime before the game where I will give the game prediction.

Please Comment and Go Brewers.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Milwaukee Brewers 6 Cincinnati Reds 3 Rapid Response

Every games recap here at the Blurb will be done in two phases:

1. The Rapid Response will usually be posted within one hour of the completion of the game (Player of the Game finalists will be named)
2. The Full Recap will be posted the next day. The point of this is to sleep on the game before I write a full recap, so as to better objectively cover the game (Player of the Game named)

Here is the Rapid Response.

Brilliant move by Ron Roenicke by starting Mark Kotsay today. Kotsay probably should have gone 3-4 today if it weren't for Brandon Phillips amazing catch.


The sixth spot contained two players with sizable hitless streaks Jerry Hairston Jr. (0 hits in his last 18 AB's), and Taylor Green (0 hits in his last 10 AB's).



I wish they would let Logan Schafer bat sometime, or at least let him play in the field (maybe they did and I missed it) instead of always only having him pinch-run. It would be refreshing to see him instead of Carlos Gomez in one of these garbage games.


Interesting decision to let Lucroy catch the 9th, either Roenicke has confidence in Lucroy's catching ability to let him catch in the 9th instead of Kottaras, or he just wants Lucroy to get some more practice. Maybe all of this speculation about Kottaras being a better catcher than Lucroy is wrong?


Congrats on entering the 30-30 club Ryan Braun. You are only the second player in Brewer history to accomplish this tremendous feat. The other player was Tommy Harper who did it in 1970.


Also congrats on 40 consecutive saves for John Axford only two more to get to half of Eric Gange's 84 consecutive saves.


Pre-Game Prediction: Brewers 5 Reds 4

Result: Brewers 6 Reds 3

Record: 1-0


Hey, at least I got the winner, and the runs scored correct


Finalists for Players of the Game


Ryan Braun, Randy Wolf, Mark Kotsay, John Axford


Sorry this is up so late, more coverage from tonight's game tomorrow, including the Player of the Game award.


Please Comment and Go Brewers.

Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds Preview Part 2: Lineup

All stats vs. pitchers in the last 5 years

Milwaukee Brewers

1. CF Nyjer Morgan (.308/.355/.435) vs. Arroyo (.250 0 HR 0 RBI)
2. RF Mark Kotsay (.260/.315/.342) vs. Arroyo (.143 0 HR 1 RBI)
3. LF Ryan Braun (.329/.395/.579) vs. Arroyo (.257 2 HR 6 RBI)
4. 1B Prince Fielder (.294/.402/.542) vs. Arroyo (.225 3 HR 7 RBI)
5. 2B Rickie Weeks (.271/.350/.475) vs. Arroyo (.182 2 HR 4 RBI)
6. 3B Taylor Green (.320/.320/.440) vs. Arroyo (.000 0 HR 0 RBI)
7. SS Yuniesky Betancourt (.251/.270/.374) vs. Arroyo (.333 1 HR 3 RBI)
8. C George Kottaras (.247/.295/.454) vs. Arroyo (.167 0 HR 0 RBI)
9. P Randy Wolf (.179/.179/.232)

Cincinnati Reds

1. 2B Brandon Phillips (.296/.348/.450) vs. Wolf (.273 4 HR 5 RBI)
2. LF Dave Sappelt (.247/.273/.318) vs. Wolf (.000 0 HR 0 RBI)
3. 1B Joey Votto (.319/.428/.550) vs. Wolf (.320 0 HR 3 RBI)
4. RF Jay Bruce (.262/.349/.489) vs. Wolf (.450 2 HR 2 RBI)
5. CF Chris Heisey (.257/.309/.506) vs. Wolf (.000 0 HR 0 RBI)
6. 3B Miguel Cairo (.267/.333/.407) vs. Wolf (.500 0 HR 0 RBI)
7. C Ramon Hernandez (.281/.337/.451) vs. Wolf (.429 0 HR 0 RBI)
8. SS Paul Janish (.204/.251/.252) vs. Wolf (.385 0 HR 1 RBI)
9. P Bronson Arroyo (.120/.120/.160)

Advantage:

1B: Cincinnati
2B: Cincinnati
SS: Milwaukee
3B: Cincinnati
LF: Milwaukee
CF: Milwaukee
RF: Cincinnati
C: Cincinnati
P (Hitting): Milwaukee

Please Comment and Go Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds Game Preview Part 3: Predicition

The Milwaukee Brewers are the better team on paper, but is it just me or do they always struggle against the Reds espically away from home. But Bronson Arroyo is just too bad of a pitcher, and I just fell that the Brewers are on the verge of a run.

Prediction: Milwaukee 5 Cinncinnati 4

Please Comment and Go Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds Preview Part 1: Pitching

Randy Wolf (12-9, 3.44 era) will pitch for the Brewers tonight. He is coming off a fantastic last two starts (8.0 IP, 1 ER vs. St. Louis) and (7.0 IP, 2ER vs. Philadelphia). As with all the other pitchers in this rotation, Wolf is fighting for positioning on the playoff rotation. He is establishing himself as a good postseason option, but he is often vulnerable to a bad outing (He has given up five or more earned runs in two out of his last five, and three out of his last eight starts).

Wolf throws a 88mph fastball around half of the time. He also throws a 84mph slider and a 68mph curveball about 20% percent of the time, and a 79mph change-up the rest of the time. His two plus pitches are his fastball (8.2 runs above average), and curveball (5 runs above average. His slider is 3 runs below average, and his change-up is 2.4 runs below average.

Bronson Arroyo (8-11, 5.28era) is pitching for the Reds. Arroyo has given up five or more runs in two of his last three starts. His last start he gave up 6ER in 1IP. Arroyo will give up a few homeruns (2.05 HR/9) which should play into the hands of the Brewers.

Bronson throws five pitches. He throws his 87mph fastball 47% of the time and it is more than 22 runs below average. He also has a slightly above average 85mph cutter, which he throws 3% of the time, and a below average 80mph change-up pitched around 18% of the time. His two best pitches are his slider (75mph, thrown 16%, 3 runs above average), and his curveball (72mph, thrown 12%, 3.4 runs above average).

Advantage: Brewers

Please Comment and Go Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds Series Preview

The Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds begin a three-game series today.

Players to watch:

Milwaukee Brewers: Rickie Weeks

How will Weeks continue to recover from his injury. He has played ok so far, but he still needs to show some improvement especially in his defence.

Cincinnati Reds: Yonder Alonso

In the Reds last 30 games Yonder Alonso his hit .347/.429/.571 with a 1.000 OPS. He has had 3 HR's despite limited playing time. This guy will be dangerous for a long time either for the Reds, or whoever else will end up having him.

Pitcher to watch:

Milwaukee Brewers: Fransisco Rodriguez

Although K-Rod is complaining, he is still performing well for the Brewers (2.31 era, 23.1 IP). Will he keep it up, or will he lose motivation, and start playing poorly? The plot thickens.

Cincinnati Reds: Edinson Volquez

Edinson Volquez just completed his first major league start since July (5IP, 2ER, 4H, 4BB, 3K). Can he have another decent start, or will he revert to his poor pitching of earlier this year?

Pitching Matchup's

Game 1: Randy Wolf (12-9, 3.44 era) vs. Bronson Arroyo (8-11, 5.28 era)
Game 2: Yovanni Gallardo (16-10, 3.66 era) vs. Edinson Volquez (5-5, 5.80 era)
Game 3: TBA vs. Dontrelle Willis (0-6, 5.04 era)

Prediction: Brewers sweep

I feel like Milwaukee is due for a sweep, even against the dreaded Reds. On paper this should be an easy series victory for the Brewers. But it is on the road, and the Brewers aren't always themselves against the Reds. Although what is their true self? September or August? Hopefully the August Brewers will show up now, throughout the rest of the season, and into the postseason.

Go Brewers