Game 1: Cubs 16, Reds 7
By
Amanda
Posted at 6:56 pm
The Reds dropped a not-so-close one to the Cubs today at Great American Ball Park. The season opener saw the Reds score seven, which is good. But they also gave up 16, which is bad. Real bad.
Aaron Harang took the mound and worked five innings. He gave up nine runs (six earned) on nine hits. Chris Hammond added two more runs (all earned) on two more hits without getting a guy out. Mike Burns gave up another earned run on two hits. Matt Belisle and Todd Coffey managed to hold the Cubs scoreless through their respective innings of work, but Rick White gave up four runs (one earned) on three hits in the ninth.
But don't let the earned runs fool you. The crappy defense had just as much to do with the debacle as the pitching, if not more. Adam Dunn contributed one scored error and at least two more actual errors, Edwin Encarnación looked shaky, and it just seemed like no one was coming up with those tough plays. Or even the easy ones.
It's enough to make you ask Bob Castellini whether he's ready to sell his luxury box.
But it wasn't all bad. Dunn, the guy who could never hit a sac fly, hit one in his first at bat. Tony Womack, the guy who can't take a walk to save his life, took two. Scott Hatteberg, the first baseman who's blasted for his last of power, hit a three-run home run.
Too bad so much of the rest of the game felt just like last year.
The loss brings the Reds' record to 0-1. The Reds take tomorrow off to think about what they've done and try again with the Cubs on Wednesday at 12:35 p.m.
EdE and Dunn both did made a fine play each. EdE, in particular, looked brilliant on that bunt play off of Pierre in the 5th. And quite frankly, Hatteberg’s gotta come up with that bouncer in the 9th–wasn’t that bad of a throw. Dunn…well, he did make a nice catch on Jacque Jones’ fly in the 3rd… 🙂 -j
Dunn will hopefully see more time at 1B this year. It is ievitable they will have to transition him there eventually. All his miscues were the result of his poor range, which is a direct result of his mammoth size. He’s not going to get smaller so we need to move him to 1B — especially if the wind is blowing like today.
Dunn seems to have problem with both hitting sac flies and catching them.
Re: what JinAZ said, I think part of the reason for the terrible D on the back-to-back bunts in the 9th was a collective “Wait, why are they bunting up 5 in the 9th?” by the Reds IF. I realize that they’re professionals, they should be ready for anything, etc. etc. but isn’t it supposed to be really bad etiquette to bunt that late up that big? I know I was personally pretty pissed, and I’m surprised that I haven’t seen a lot of people talking about it. I know I lost a little bit of respect for Dusty when I saw that, as well as the umpteenth fastball at Kearns’s head earlier on.
The Reds D was pretty awful though, no argument there. Props to the crowd for the sarcastic standing O after Dunn’s running catch late in the game. I just hope that tomorrow the Reds take offense to those bunts as much as I did.
Funny thing about that last running catch by Dunn — it was an ice cream cone… I mean, the ball started to pop out of the glove and he BARELY got it. I mean BARELY. He better change gloves too and work the next one in better. Maybe have Griffey break it in for him.