Boxscore

I remember in the off-season that Ben Sheets being available as a free agent coming off a year missed due to injury and there was some rumbling about the Cincinnati Reds being interested. I don’t think the money situation could have ever worked out, and boy is that looking like a good thing right now.

Sure, it’s only Spring Training, but it’s very difficult to put any kind of positive spin on allowing 10 runs and leaving the game without recording any outs, as Sheets did yesterday. Clearly, Sheets wasn’t putting anything, much less positive spin, on his pitches, and he hasn’t all spring. This outing pushed his ERA to 31.15.

Chris Dickerson was the hero, being a triple shy of the cycle by the end of the 3rd. He was 4 for 4 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. The whole lineup piled on the hits, accumulating 16 of them.

Mike Lincoln, whom I’m afraid is washed up, was pretty crappy with a 10 run lead. Actually, he was good for his first 2 innings of work, but clearly tired out in his 3rd, allowing 4 runs.

And I’m not sure how I missed this, but John Fay’s article about the game has a gem in there that does nothing but prove Dusty Baker’s mad man-love for all things veteran.

Mike Lincoln, who is competing for the fifth spot in Cincinnati’s rotation…

I read that and did a double-take. Lincoln is competing for a fifth spot? I had assumed he was just starting a couple times because of his massive lack of work the last few years. I mean, why on earth would a team think that a guy who broke down after 23 innings in 2009 could possibly be a starter?

Sheesh. Going with the not-quite-ready Aroldis Chapman would be a better move. Thankfully, two of the Reds young guns, Travis Wood and Mike Leake, pitched better than Lincoln. Between those two and Matt Maloney, I’m hoping the Reds will make the right decision. (Youth, in case you were wondering. Youth is the answer.)