CINCINNATI — 1. I still feel the same away about the Reds today as I did before the series against the Brewers started on Tuesday night.
2. The Milwaukee Brewers are a REALLY good team. The National League Central division title is not most likely going to them. It’s very likely going to them.
2a. In the two games the Brewers won this series, their situational hitting was extraordinary. In their four-run bottom of the seventh in game one, that switched a 4-1 deficit into a 5-4 lead for the Brewers, Milwaukee scored their four runs on a single, two sacrifice flies and a double. Their first three batters in the inning reached via singles with the third single driving in the first of four runs. A walk loaded the bases, and Christian Yelich and Avisail Garcia followed with back-to-back sacrifice flies to tie the game.
Now think about that. Yelich and Garcia are two hitters in the Brewers lineup with the potential to hit a home run every time they come to bat. But instead of swinging for the fences, they just simply did their jobs: make contact. Contact hard enough to drive in two runs and set the stage for Omar Narvaez’s go-ahead double.
The same was the case in game two. Yelich and Garcia, back-to-back, doubled in the fourth to break a scoreless pitchers’ duel. That duel continued into the bottom of the seventh, with Reds starter Luis Castillo still in the game. But that’s where the Brewers scratched across another, and crucial, run manufactured by hit by pitch, a single and a ground rule double. Then in the eighth, the Brewers delivered the knockout blow with two runs, manufactured by a walk, throwing error, wild pitch, intentional walk, single and a groundout.
Whereas the Reds scored a majority of their runs in the series via home runs, the Brewers only hit one home run in the three-game series- a two-run shot by Kolten Wong in the bottom of the eighth in game one. Remember how we used to always envy how good the Cardinals were, and still are, at situational hitting? Milwaukee showed how good they are at it in this series, and them riding that to winning the series likely sealed any chance the Reds have at chasing them down for the division title.
2b. It’s not just the Brewers being able to hit in key situations that make them a really good team. It’s also their pitching, both their starters and relievers. On Wednesday night, Milwaukee pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts of Reds hitters. That’s the fourth time they have reached that strikeout total this season, the first team to reach 16 strikeouts on four different occasions since 1900.
Brandon Woodruff was sensational Wednesday night, with 10 of the Brewers 16 strikeouts including twice striking out the side. And despite Corbin Burnes abnormally struggling on Tuesday night, allowing four runs for just the fifth time in 22 starts this season, he still threw what Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart called the nastiest pitch he had ever seen in a 100-mph sinker on the inside corner for a called third strike.
And the thing the Brewers have that the Reds don’t is a bullpen to pick up a starter having an off night. That’s what their bullpen did on Tuesday night, allowing just one walk and not yielding a hit over three combined innings of work in giving the lineup a chance to overcome the three-run deficit. It helps to have two of the best relievers in Devin Williams and Josh Hader at the back-end of the bullpen, two guys who can come in in the final two innings and close out the game.
2c. In summary, great teams don’t have to hit the most home runs or have everything go their way, like their ace having a stellar, near-flawless outing. Yes the Brewers rank sixth in the National League in total home runs hit this season, but they also showed this week they don’t have to solely rely on home runs to win games. They also showed they can overcome their ace pitcher having a subpar outing and losing their starting shortstop (Willy Adames) after just one inning on Tuesday night.
3. But as I led off with, I still feel the same way about the Reds now as I did before this series. I still think they’re a good team, the Brewers just played like a better team this series. And honestly, that’s been the case ever since the All Star Break. The Reds are 22-17 since the break, which is good. The only problem is the Brewers have gone 25-11 since the break. But the fact that the season series between the two team was as close it could get with an odd number of games in 19- the Brewers won the series 10-9- it shows that the Reds know how to compete against the best team in the division.
4. Mike Moustakas finally showed some signs of life in the series, with two hits on Tuesday including an RBI to tie the game in the fourth inning. He went 0-4 the next day and did not play Thursday, but if he can remain consistent at the plate he can give the Reds middle of the order some much-needed protection.
5. Jonathan India is as tough as they come in baseball, a warrior. The amount of beatings he has taken this season that have left fans holding their breath, fearing any one of them could have put him on the IL, have been innumerable. That certainly had to be the fear after the pitch he took right off the bottom of his left hand in the first inning Wednesday night.
And all he did was come back Thursday afternoon and go 2-4 with a home run- his NL rookie-leading 17th of the season- and be the difference at the plate in the Reds 5-1 win.
6. The Reds starting pitching in this series was really stellar, I thought. Luis Castillo validated what I wrote earlier this week that he is the ace of this staff, in my eyes and why I would start him in a one-game playoff, with a 6 1/3 inning, 6-strikeout performance Wednesday night. That’s now 13 times in his last 16 starts he has turned in a quality start and six or more strikeouts.
But what was more impressive to me were the performances by Tyler Mahle and Sonny Gray. Both overcame adversity early on in their respective starts to turn in stellar efforts. Gray turned in his second straight win and quality start Thursday with six innings allowing just three hits, and hopefully it’s a sign he finally may be settling into a consistent rhythm. Mahle struggled in the first inning on Tuesday night throwing 31 pitches, but then settled into an efficient groove by retiring 15 of the next 17 batters he faced before running into trouble in the bottom of the sixth. He ended his night pitching 5 2/3 innings throwing 104 pitches.
7. I won’t ignore it, the Reds bullpen struggled this series. And they’re likely the group to hold most accountable for the two losses in the series. Michael Lorenzen finally gave up a run this season, all four runs to be exact in the fateful bottom of the seventh Tuesday night. Mychal Givens was pitching when those runs were charged to Lorenzen, but it was Lorenzen who left Givens to come into a bases loaded, no outs situation. Needless to say, both struggled at a time when the Reds needed them most. Amir Garrett once again struggled with his control in allowing two runs in the knockout bottom of the eighth Wednesday night. And Tony Santillan, who has been reliable out of the bullpen this season, came in with a 5-0 lead Thursday afternoon and allowed a run and walked two, lasting just a third of an inning.
There were some bright spots with Jeff Hoffman’s 2/3 innings of hitless baseball Wednesday night, and the three relievers after Santillan Thursday afternoon not issuing any runs or walks in nailing down a 5-1 win.
On Deck: The Reds will be in Miami this weekend for a series against the Miami Marlins, a team the Reds swept last weekend in Cincinnati. Miami enters this weekend’s series 53-75 but winners of their last two, following an eight-game losing streak. They are 16 games out of first place in the National League East and 16 1/2 games out of the second National League Wild Card. Here’s a look at the pitching matchups for this weekend’s series, with game times in parentheses.
Friday (7:10 p.m.): CIN: Wade Miley (10-4, 2.88 ERA) vs. MIA: Zach Thompson (2-5, 2.97 ERA)
Saturday (6:10 p.m.): CIN: Vladimir Gutierrez (9-4, 3.68 ERA) vs. MIA: Sandy Alcantara (7-12, 3.35 ERA)
Sunday (1:10 p.m.): CIN: Tyler Mahle (10-4, 3.69 EA) vs. MIA: Jesus Luzardo (4-7, 7.91 ERA)
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 