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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2009 > May > 17 > Entry
Just another long, long day in San Diego
I can’t believe I’m actually still here, sitting in the Petco Park pressbox at 4 a.m. Eastern time. Just over the left field wall is my Marriott hotel and it’s bed beckons. Please excuse any and all typos, errors of fact, errors of omission. I just watched a long, long, long, long baseball game that left me bleary-eyed and bewildered.
But, no, here I am rehashing 5 hours and 14 minutes worth of baseball, 16 long, tedious innings - tedious because the Cincinnati Reds lost to the San Diego Padres, 6-5, Saturday-Sunday after losing to them Friday, 5-3.
“Damn, they play us tougher than anybody,” said manager Dusty Baker. “And we had the same kind of game with them last year, similar circumstances, and lost that one, too.
That one went 18 innings and end on a three-run home run by San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
This one fizzled in the morning hours when San Diego catcher Nick Hundler homered off Micah Owings, the Reds’ seventh pitcher. He was working in his sixth inning and Hundley blasted his 81st pitch. It was obvious Owings was, as the song goes, “Runnin’ on Empty.”
Said Baker, “We had no choice. We had nobody left but Coco Cordero and he was coming in to pitch if it went to the 17th.”
Baker’s moves were further strapped because long/middle relief pitcher Nick Masset has a sore side and was unavailable and won’t be available Sunday. He’ll probably go on the DL, but there isn’t time to get help from Class AAA Louisville by game time Sunday (1:05 on the coast).
In addition, Owings was supposed to pitch Wednesday against the Phillies, but that can’t happen now. What the Reds most likely will do is call up a starter to take that start - lefthander Matt Maloney or righthander Homer Bailey.
The loss to San Diego dropped the Reds deeper into fourth place, two games behind division-leading Milwaukee.
Oh, the other big news. Starter Edinson Volquez, experiencing on-and-off back problems, left in the sixth inning with what was termed, “Mild back spasms.” We’ll see how mild and see if he can make his next start.
And once again first baseman Joey Votto left a game with dizziness. He returned to Cincinnati to be checked out by an internist. He left a game Tuesday in Arizona with dizziness and was unable to play Wednesday.
“That’s a big blow, losing Joey,” said Baker. “We have to get him checked out to see what is causing this dizziness.” At first it was thought it was due to the flu he had little more than a week ago that caused him to miss four starts.
SOME TIDBITS FROM SATURDAY:
Cincinnati’s 1-2 spot in the lineup, Willy Taveras and Jerry Hairston Jr., combined to go 1 for 14. They were 0 for 8 in Friday’s loss. Taveras is 0 for 14.
San Diego’s winning pitcher (and last available pitcher) was Luis Perdomo, a Rule 5 pick from the San Francisco Giants. “We were told he couldn’t find home plate,” said Baker. Perdomo pitched three innings and gave up no runs and no hits, walking one. Go figure.
The Reds managed to not only walk San Diego third baseman Kevin Kousmanoff, they managed to achieve the impossible and walk him twice in a row. The first walk was his first since May 1 and he had only six walks all season.
From the seventh inning to the 16th inning, the Reds had only three hits, which is why they stranded only nine. The Padres left the bases loaded three times from the ninth to the end and they stranded 17.
The Reds blew a 5-2 lead in the eighth, their first blown save of the year and the last team in the majors to blow a save.
With the bases loaded and the Reds leading, 5-4, David Weathers faced pinch-hitter Chase Headley. He appeared to throw a 2-and-2 strike that would have ended the inning. Umpire Jim Joyce called it ball three. Then Weathers threw ball four to force home the tying run, 5-5 - which is the way it stood until the 16th.
Weathers was taken out at that point and yapped at Joyce about the ball three call as he walked to the dugout and Joyce yelled at him, “Bull——.” Weathers continued to yell at him from the dugout.
Oh, yeah, just one of those nights. Now it is 4:30 a.m. eastern and with the day game coming up it’s time to head for the barn. Hope I can wake up.
Only one time in my career did I miss the start of a game and it was in St. Louis. I’ve told this story before but it is apropos now. We stayed in a hotel right across the street from Busch Stadium. I was out late Saturday night and there was a Sunday day game.
My hotel room was stuffy (probably from cigar smoke) so I left the window open. I awoke to this sound: “Now batting for the Cardinals, No. 23, Ted Simmons.” It was the bottom of the first inning. I made it by the bottom of the second - no shower, lots of cologne, no close companions in the pressbox.
Let’s hope I make it this time -showered, shaved and somewhat alert.
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By Steve
May 19, 2009 6:25 PM | Link to this
Ross, These Reds are definitely not the same caliber of team as those Mets and Orioles teams, yet. My point is that not everyone on the team has to hit .300 and 30 homers for them to win. A shortstop can win as many games for you with the leather as he can with the wood. Prior to the ‘roid era most SS’s did not hit. Ripken, A-Rod, and Nomar were the first of the “big” shortstops that hit the long ball. If you go back to the 70’s, Concepcion, Ozzie, Bowa, Russell, Campaneris, Burleson, Dent, and so on, none of those guys were known for their bats. They all played great defense that helped their teams win.
By Colgar
May 18, 2009 4:45 PM | Link to this
Why did the Cubs 86 Baker? Good question a team that hasn’t even been to a World Series since WWII makes a rash decision and fires the one manager that takes them to the playoffs. Great idea follow that franchises logic.
By ross
May 18, 2009 9:12 AM | Link to this
Steve..are you trying to say the Reds have the players the Orioles and Mets had..those were pretty good baseball teams…this team is a long way from competing 6 months
By Steve
May 18, 2009 6:50 AM | Link to this
Hey Hal, Didn’t the Orioles and Mets win with Belanger and Harrelson playing short?
By AP-FLORIDA
May 18, 2009 6:11 AM | Link to this
win or lose there is one constant theme in your post. Wondering what rusty baker is doing…anybody else see this????
By max
May 17, 2009 10:00 PM | Link to this
That’s a good point Ken about using Owings to PH instead of McDonald. Who has a better chance of hitting it out of the park and then you sitll have one guy on the bench. What was criminal was how he misused Rhoads. I would ride him until he gives up something. Friday Baker uses him basically to pitch around one guy. Then Saturday I think he faces on batter and then it’s on to Whethers with men on base. Also I guess the big disappointment was Rosalis not being able to get a bunt down and then hitting into a double play. That’s why you lose games. Also Owings was one out away from a “quality start”!
By Javier
May 17, 2009 8:36 PM | Link to this
Right hand hitting third baseman
By Javier
May 17, 2009 8:35 PM | Link to this
The Reds have overachieved thus far, but a winning season would be an accomplishment.How will the veteran relievers holdup when the summer months arrive? How much longer can this team score any runs without a right handed power bat? If everything works out with Mr. Votto, they may have to inquire about trading Mr. Alonso for a right handed third baseman.
By max
May 17, 2009 3:59 PM | Link to this
The one upside is that idiot umpire who missed not one but two called third strikes had to sit out there an extra 7 innings. I wish it had been 110 degrees. An inning later he calls the same ball position a strike on Hairston.
By Jack (Tennessee)
May 17, 2009 3:55 PM | Link to this
And the Reds fired manager Pete Mackanin (.513 winning percentage with less talented players) for Dusty Baker. Is it too late to get Pete back?
By Aaron B.
May 17, 2009 2:34 PM | Link to this
We’ve been asking for weeks now what is Walt Jocketty doing? besides nothing at all that is. I’ve never heard of a GM not putting injured players on the DL like this. Right now every Reds fan should be justifiably infuriated at the front office. Castellini promised winning baseball in Cincinnati. He fired Krivsky under questionable circumstances to bring in Walt who did nothing last year for 3 months other than to observe. They write a letter to the fans promising they are trying to field a winner, yet they haven’t had 25 healthy players on the roster for nearly a month. And no other manager would allow Darnell McDonald to take up a valuable roster slot. The players are working hard and playing well but this team is seriously handicapped by management. I recommend that all season ticket holders (past and present) write an angry letter stating that management’s lack of actions is unacceptable and you will never again purchase season tickets unless we see some serious improvement.
By Ken
May 17, 2009 12:30 PM | Link to this
One item that confused me during this game… Why use McDonald in the top of 11 to PH when you are bringing in Owings? Shouldn’t you have 33 hit and then save McDonald for something else when the bench is getting that thin?
By Mike-Dayton
May 17, 2009 11:56 AM | Link to this
NotMike - Willie Taveras has an OB% of .353 - has made one error in CF - scored 26 runs in 34 games (putting him on a pace to score 123 runs) and has had only six games this year where he did not get on base with either a hit or walk. Willie is a bright spot in the lineup and is hardly streaky or terrible.
By Brar Hopper
May 17, 2009 11:48 AM | Link to this
I vividly remember that 18 inning game with the Padres last year. That’s when Baker trashed out Harang’s arm. Agree about Willie, just another Corey P but a bit better. The A-gone and Masset situations should cause heads to roll on this club. Should have been on DL. That’s so obvious to nearly everyone. Baker becomes a bigger idiot every day. And I don’t care about his 3 MOY awards. If that mattered, why’d the Cubs 86 him? Those awards don’t help the Reds one bit. He sucks.
By bowtie
May 17, 2009 11:42 AM | Link to this
Get use to 4th place, Redleg fans.
By Mr. Redlegs (Original)
May 17, 2009 11:26 AM | Link to this
I’m in complete agreement over the front office sitting on its hands while this team has played short. Remember, they had two games when they were down to 22 players! Not having the extra arm last night was huge. Not only did it force Owings out of his next start by having to pitch so long, but it forced them to keep Janish and Hanigan on the bench just in case the thing went longer than 18 innings (Janish to pitch?) or there was an injury (to Hernandez). They had an off-day Thursday and could have easily DLed Masset and had someone in from Louisville for this series. Baffling stuff.
By wizard
May 17, 2009 11:13 AM | Link to this
wizard May 17, 2009 2:03 AM Another stupid decision by Baker! Darnell .176; Janish .340 or whatever; Hanigan .300 plus all available to pinch hit—and guess who he picks? Lets see another game when Gonzalez goes 0 for 7—and has numerous chances to help win the game—and HE CONTINUES TO PLAY instead of Janish!!!!
By Not Mike
May 17, 2009 11:08 AM | Link to this
Agreed about Alex Gonzalez - his hitting is killing the Reds and we have two shortstops who can take his place in the field. Janish has been much better this year. All those people who fell in love with W. Tavares after his 5-5 game, well what do you think of him now? He’s a terrible leadoff hitter - streaky, bad bunter, swings at too many bad pitches, hits too many balls in the air for easy outs.
By Mark in Sun Valley
May 17, 2009 11:07 AM | Link to this
Votto has me really worried. I had dizzy spells from a viral infection that lasted off and on 4 months earlier this year. It just had to run it’s course. I certainly hope he does not have what I had. And remembering Nick Esasky’s career being cut short by vertigo, I just hope Votto’s problem is more easily treated.
By Mark in Sun Valley
May 17, 2009 11:03 AM | Link to this
A-Gon should have at least been bunting later in the game with the score tied and Nix on first. Baffling strategy again. I am really disappointed in management’s handling of personel. First, we play short for 11 days rather than DL Gonzalez. Now we hear Masset has been hurt for a week and we are short in the pen. Hard to win when you don’t have your gun fully loaded.
By Mike-Dayton
May 17, 2009 10:35 AM | Link to this
I like Alex G’s fielding but he simply can’t hit anymore … the year off last year hurt him a ton and the Reds can’t afford to let him find his swing … Baker will leave him at SS because that is the easy move but you can’t play a guy hitting .180 through May and expect to win.
By Mike-Cinci
May 17, 2009 7:45 AM | Link to this
Great report by Hal on a game that lasted seemingly forever. The top 5 spots in the batting order were 5 for 33. The Reds got 3 hits over the last 10 1/3 innings. In the wacky 6th thru 8th innings the Reds used 5 pitchers for 9 outs. If Votto/Volquez have health issues the Reds will have a problem. In the understatement of the year a win today is sorely needed.