Kentucky sports and beyond.
Here’s the chart of how the Reds hit during last week’s 2-5 road trip at first St. Louis and then Milwaukee. Now here’s the question: With Ramon Hernandez hitting .471 on the trip, why did Dusty Baker continue to bat the red-hot catcher eighth in the order?
Monday morning notes and links:
- Technically, I’m on vacation this week, but will be updating the blog periodically. Did the same last week. Instead of going to Sparta on Saturday, the wife and I went to see Midnight in Paris at the Kentucky for our 28th anniversary. No traffic. No lines. No left turns. Ate at Alfalfa’s afterward. Enjoyable evening.
- By missing the race I did miss the video above.
- Kentucky not the only elite school courting T.J. Warren, reports Jody Demling of the Courier-Journal. “Warren rejoined his team with new scholarship offers from Kentucky and North Carolina. He previously said he had narrowed his choice to the Tar Heels and the six other schools that had offered him a scholarship: Louisville, Georgetown, Florida, N.C. State, Kansas and Texas. But now, Warren said he’s open.” Orlando Antigua was in Louisville keeping a close eye on Warren.
- John Calipari and Kenny Payne were in Atlanta on Sunday, probably tracking adidas Invitational MVP Kasey Hill, a top 2013 prospect.
- Calipari called Brandon Ashley last week and told him UK remains very interested, reports Zagsblog.
Continue reading ‘Hillybilly Hot Tub, perfect cross and more Monday notes’
(AP photo)
The Reds dropped the first game of their critical current road trip, falling 1-0 to St. Louis last night. Cardinals’ starter Cris Carpenter was outstanding, allowing just six singles over eight innings. Three of those singles belonged to Joey Votto. Carpenter walked just one. No Red made it as far as third base.
Despite the blanking, the Reds still lead the National League in runs scored with 405. But it says here that is a deceiving stat. The Cincinnati offense is overrated. There have been too many games like last night’s game in which the Reds manage just two runs or fewer. Dusty Baker’s club has been shut out just four times, but has scored one run in six games and two runs in 15 games. Reds’ record when scoring two runs or fewer: 3-22.
Compare that to St. Louis, which has scored two-or-fewer runs in just 15 games. The Cardinals have been shut out six times, but they have scored one or two runs in only nine games – including last night against Jonny Cueto — compared to 21 for the Reds. Both teams have played 86 games. But there’s a reason why the Cardinals are 46-40 and the Reds are 43-43.
What has skewed Cincinnati’s run-total statistic? The Reds have had 15 games in which they have scored eight-or-more runs. They’ve had seven games in which they’ve scored 10-or-more. St. Louis has had 13 games in which the Cards have scored eight-or-more. So Tony LaRussa’s club has not produced quite as many offensive highs as the Cincinnati offense, but not nearly as many lows.
Game two of the Reds-Cardinals series is tonight at 7 on ESPN and Fox Sports Ohio.
(AP photo)
It’s the week before the All-Star break and for the Reds it could easily be the most important week of the entire 162-game schedule. Cincinnati hits the road for three games at St. Louis, starting with tonight’s 6:15 matchup, then four in Milwaukee. The Cardinals and Brewers just happen to be tied atop the NL Central. St. Louis is 45-40. Milwaukee is 45-40. Pittsburgh is in third at 43-41, followed by the Reds at 43-42.
The Reds are actually 8-4 against the Cardinals and Brewers so far this year. After losing two of three in St. Louis, they swept the Cards at Great American Ballpark back on May 13-14-15. They opened the season by taking two-of-three from Milwaukee at GABP, then took two of three from the Brewers at the end of May, first of June.
St. Louis had won four straight before dropping games at Tampa Bay on Saturday and Sunday. The Cards are still without Albert Pujols (broken wrist). Milwaukee has lost five of its last six overall, its lone win in that stretch coming Saturday when the Brewers rallied from a 7-0 deficit to beat Minnesota 8-7.
The trip kicks off with a terrific pitching matchup tonight. Johnny Cueto, who has been superb thus far, goes against the team in which he was involved with in last year’s brawl. (Cueto was suspended for kicking Cardinals.) Chris Carpenter, who always seems to bad-mouth the Reds, pitches for St. Louis.
(AP photo)
Cleveland pounded the so-so Reds 8-2 last night at Great American Ball Park. Bronson Arroyo allowed eight runs in just 4 2/3 innings. He gave up three home runs, including back-to-back shots to Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana in the third inning, after Grady Sizemore homered in the second inning.
For Arroyo, it was his third non-quality start in his last four outings. This brings us to our stat of the day. Through 83 games, when the Reds starting pitcher delivers a quality start, the Reds tend to win. When the starting pitcher doesn’t deliver, the Reds tend not to win. Cincinnati is 35-13 when the starting pitcher goes at least six innings and gives up three runs or less. Without a quality start, the Reds are 7-28.
That’s a major reason why Dusty Baker’s club is tied for third place in the NL Central on the morning of July 2. Despite all its injuries, St. Louis is now atop the NL Central at 45-38. Milwaukee slipped to second at 44-39. Then comes Pittsburgh (41-40) and Cincinnati (42-41) tied for third.
Here’s a quality start chart. It shows that the Reds are 8-2 when Mike Leake gives a quality start. Leake has also benefited from good run support. The Reds are averaging 5.85 runs per Leake start. Edinson Volquez has really struggled, producing just five quality starts in 15 attempts. It’s also interesting that Johnny Cueto has nine quality starts in his 10 starts, but the Reds are just 6-3 when Cueto produces a QS.
The Reds and Indians play game two of their series today at 4:10 p.m. on Fox.
As Cincinnati (42-40) opens a three-game series with Cleveland tonight at Great American Ball Park, a few Reds’ notes:
Brandon Knight throws out first pitch at Tigers game last night. John Wall, take notes. (AP photo)
Saturday morning notes and links:
- Enes Kanter arrives in Utah with a chip on his shoulder. I predict that the Undertaker will disprove all this talk about this being a two-player NBA draft. Utah is a perfect spot for the Turkish terror. Solid organization. Decent surrounding talent.
- I was not the only one who noticed that Brandon Knight did not seem pleased on Thursday. True Hoop says Brandon Knight forgot to smile on Thursday. Wrote Henry Abbot: “He wants to ace every test, and generally does, but in the test of the draft, a guy who saw himself as a candidate for first pick, and who worked out for teams with the top seven picks, well he didn’t appear to be giddy about going eighth.”
- Knight did tweet on Friday: “”Tgbtg! Happy to be apart of the Detroit Piston family. Thanks to all the fans for their support!”
- Note: Tgbtg means to God be the glory.
- Were I ESPN, I’d ditch Jon Barry and put Chad Ford up on the studio set with Jeff Van Gundy, Jay Bilas and (if they must) Stuart Scott. If the NFL Draft coverage can have Mel Kiper, Jr. yacking with Jon Gruden, then the NBA Draft coverage can have Ford talking to Van Gundy.
- The NBA Draft did draw a 2.5 overnight rating, it’s highest since 2007.
- In recruiting news first: Ishmail Wainwright has decomitted from Missouri and now lists Kentucky among his possibilities. He’s a 6-foot-5 forward in the class of 2013.
Continue reading ‘Kanter, Knight arrive at new addresses, and more notes’
The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Dames on Games blog has picked its top 10 “hottest’ Reds.
And they don’t mean by batting average. To be honest, I was a bit surprised by the outcome. But I am not a female.
Continue reading ‘Cincinnati blog picks its 10 “hottest” Reds’
(AP photo)
Joey Votto cranked a three-run homer, and Chris Heisey left the ballpark as well, ending the Reds five-game homerless string, the team’s longest since 2006, as Cincinnati dropped Los Angeles in Dodger Stadium last night 6-4.
But don’t overlook the job being done by Bill Bray. The situational lefty is the only piece left from that controversial Austin Kearns deal with the Washington Nationals way back when. And after L.A. had cut the visitors’ lead to 6-4, Brayh came on in the eighth to strike out the Dodgers’ dangerous Andre Either for the third out.
Bray has ably replaced the departed Arthur Rhodes as the lefty in the Reds’ pen. He has a 1.59 ERA and an impressive WHIP of 0.79.
Johnny Cueto takes to the mound tonight at Dodger Stadium. Make sure and get a nap, as it’s a 10:10 start on Fox Sports Ohio.
Continue reading ‘From Kearns trade, Bill Bray has proved a keeper for Reds’
(AP photo)
The St. Louis Cardinals may be the Cincinnati Reds’ most-hated rival, but another team is now sitting atop of the National League Central. Milwaukee completed a three-game sweep of the Cards on Sunday, moving a half-game ahead of St. Louis in the standings.
Meanwhile, the Reds ended up splitting a four-game set with San Francisco on the west coast, leaving Dusty Baker’s team four games behind the Brewers. Cincinnati is 34-33. Since climbing to 25-17 on May 17, the Reds are 9-16.
Click on the continue line for some Reds’ notes.
Continue reading ‘Stuck close to .500, Reds now chasing Brewers’
