The Bullpen Matters
By
Amanda
Posted at 10:18 pm
I'm real tired tonight after all the excitement of watching the Reds go up and down with the Braves to finally take home a win, but I wanted to post real quick to say how much I appreciate the effort that the Reds' bullpen has been putting in these last few games. Do you realize that the starter was only one to allow any runs tonight? And he was in less than five innings!
Jared Burton has bandaged the seeping wound that was the Reds' eighth inning, and Bill Bray can't touch the ball without getting the win. Add in David Weathers, and you're almost halfway to a bullpen.
In other reliever news:
Prior to tonight's game the Reds selected from Class AAA Louisville the contract of RHP Kirk Saarloos and optioned to Louisville LHP Phil Dumatrait.
Also, RHP Victor Santos, who was designated for assignment on Saturday, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Louisville.
Dumatrait went 0-2, 14.18 in his 4 starts for the Reds.
Santos went 1-4, 5.14 in 32 relief appearances for the Reds.
I'd like to see Jon “Cooter” Coutlangus come back up. I'm aware that the Reds think they need a “righty” for certain situations, but I think they might consider, instead, a “guy who can get batters out.”
It was a good job by the pen, though that last inning by Weathers was more exciting than it needed to be.
I’m sure Coutlangus will be back up soon. I like the guy, but I’m not sure he’s as good as his ERA might lead you to believe. His WHIP suggests that he’s been kind of lucky. (But he’s young and likely will improve.)
Relief pitchers are such a crapshoot. The Yankees have spent like crazy on their pen, and they have many of the same issues as the Reds. (As Bronx Banter pointed out the other day, it’s not a good sign when 1/3 of your pen has left the game openly weeping. Not to mention set their equipment on fire in front of the dugout.)
The pen did it again tonight…well, actually last night since it’s now 5 AM here, but Wednesday they bailed out Arroyo for 4+ innings.
It was an interesting game. Arroyo threw 30+ pitches in the first inning but managed not to give up any runs until the top of the fourth when McCann (who else?) led off the inning with a dinger.
Apparently that just made the Reds mad. Hamilton led off the bottom of the inning for the Reds. Boom, dinger to center, tie game. Next up was my man Keppinger, hitting .377 and on a 10-game hitting streak. Boom, dinger to left, Reds lead, 2-1, and make that 11 games.
Next inning, Javy singles, EE walks, Arroyo’s up. Pete puts the bunt on. Arroyo takes ball one, then bunts through the next pitch to even the count. Now the Braves have the infield in and they’re salivating waiting for the bunt, so Pete has Arroyo swing away. Bronson chops one into left for an RBI single. EE hustles first to third on the hit and scores when the Braves throw the ball into the Reds’ dugout on the play. Reds up, 4-1.
Top of the sixth, Arroyo’s final pitch of the game leaves the yard courtesy of Jones. The bullpen door opens. Stanton emerges, gives up an infield single to the first guy he faces. I use up my entire supply of words that only Geki would even think about posting here. But he gets a K and a FC and gets outta there. Pete leaves him in for the seventh. K, FC, Teixeira singles, McCann hits into a FC. Dozens of miles east of here, BubbaFan hears my sigh of relief (pun intended) and goes, “What the #$!% was that noise?”
Burton does the eighth. Fly out, K, single, K. I’m really beginning to like this kid. Inclement does the ninth: Fly out, walk, groundout, it’s up to Teixeira. Inclement deals – Swinging K, and this one belongs to the Reds, who go to 25-19 under Pete (after 44 games under Narron this year they were 17-27).
After the game, Weathers tells CTR, “Last year we let August and September get away from us and it cost us the playoffs. This year it was June and July that snowballed on us and we looked up and we’re 20 games under .500.”
Well, David, I think you forgot about April (11-13) and May (10-21), they kinda snowballed on ya too. But since Pete took over you guys have won eight series after winning just one in May and none in June, and six of those series wins have been against winning teams. Beat the Braves again tomorrow night, and it’ll be nine series wins with seven against winning teams…so GO REDS!
HMZ
And, oh yeah – Belisle was supposed to start the opening game of the Bats’ doubleheader against Columbus, but was scratched. Ramon Ramirez made the start instead.
I’m guessing Saturday, Belisle will be The Pitcher Formerly Known As TBA.