Shuffling The Reds' Lineup Fails

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Shuffling the lineup did nothing for the Reds in the 10th game since the All-Star break with runs as scarce as trees in Arizona

Nick Ahmed's 15th inning single off J.J. Hoover scored Martin Prado, who walked. The Diamondbacks scored to take a 2-1 victory after 10 innings without a run.

Moving Jay Bruce was supposed to get him some good pitches to hit since he was behind Billy Hamilton.  The theory was predicated on Hamilton getting on base to distract Arizona's starter Chase Anderson.  Bruce was supposed to see more fastballs.

The Reds haven't tried everything but it has been close to everything.

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It was Diamondback's manager Kirk Gibson, who came up with the plan to thwart the Reds strategy.
When asked what to do about Billy Hamilton stealing bases against his club, Gibson replied.  "We pitched out with him on base in Phoenix and he beat the throw.  Number one we want to keep him off base.  Number two pay a lot of attention to him."

Hamilton was 0-for-3 and sitting in the dugout during Bruce's first three at-bats in which Bruce struck out twice and walked.

The only bad pitch that Anderson threw left the yard.  Devin Mesoraco hit his 17th home run, naturally with the bases were empty.  The Reds had three hits, all in the second, and two walks.
"I can't be critical of the effort but we're not producing," Price said. "We're wasting too much good pitching."

After Mesoraco's home run, Brayan Pena doubled with one out.  Kristopher Negron dumped a single into shallow center.  Pena was sent home and was out by roughly a first-down.  It was the 22 second non-force play out at home plate by the Reds this season.  The team with the next highest total has 18.

"The talking points when they get thrown out are not the same as the talking points when they score," Price said.  "I don't fault anyone on that play. We're just trying to make something happen.  We haven't been hitting with runners in scoring position."

Homer Bailey had one of his best games.  He allowed a run on five hits through eight innings.  He just couldn't close the fourth inning and it cost the Reds the lead.  Mark Trumbo doubled with two outs.  All-Star catcher Miguel Montero singled off the wall in right over Bruce's head.  Bruce wisely turned and played the carom to keep the potential lead run at first.

"This is a tough team (the Reds)," Bailey said.  "There is a lot of heart on this club.  We have to turn it around."

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Anderson walked Mesoraco to open the fourth.  He struck out Chris Heisey looking and got out of the inning when rightfielder David Peralta made a diving shoe-string catch off Pena's bid for a second hit.  Mesoraco reading it as a hit was way around secondbase and was easilty doubled off first.

Heisey was the first of 11 straight batters retired by Anderson, who left after the seventh inning.

Negron greeted Brad Zieglar with an inning opening single in the eighth.  Zack Cozart avoided setting his career-high hitless streak to 23 at-bats when he sacrificed Negron to second. But Skip Schumaker struck out for Bailey and Hamilton became 0-for-4 with a ground out to third.

Price sent Aroldis Chapman out to start the ninth.  He struck out Paul Goldschmidt to extend his streak of appearances with at least one strikeout to 44.  He also fanned Trumbo and Montero.  One of the pitches was clocked at 104. He has an astounding 66 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings. Chapman has struck out 55 percent of the batters he's faced.

Hoover was asked to pitch two innings again.  He walked Prado with one out.  Didi Gregorius hit a ball wide of first. It was just two far for Pena to get the lead runner.  He stepped ou first to retire Gregorius but it put Prado in position to score.

"It was just too far for Pena," Price said. "It is just unfortunate that we are wasting that kind of pitching."