Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE
The Cincinnati Reds, coming off of a series sweep with the fast fading Pittsburgh Pirates, have reverted back to their recent ways of losing to teams that they just should be pounding. The past two nights, the Reds were defeated, handily, by the Miami Marlins, 4-0 and 6-4.
For only the third time this season, the Cincinnati Reds failed to score a run. And to be totally frank, they never really threatened to score. They were stymied, again, by a young pitcher, Jacob Turner, who went 7 innings and only allowed 2 hits. Bronson Arroyo pitched yet another good game (he was 5-0 in his last 6 starts), by going 6 innings and allowing 4 runs. That should have been enough for the Reds to win had they thought to have brought their bats.
The Cincinnati Reds were so inept in Miami, that even the few fans that were there watching the rare Marlins’ victories got bored. The first game, the Reds were only able to muster 3 hits (1 extra base hit) in that spacious ball park of Miami.
This is becoming habit forming for the Reds. In the last 10 games, they have scored 4 or more runs only 3 times. The other games they scored 2 three times, 3 once, and 1 once (plus the aforementioned 0 game).
This is from one of the best hitting and scoring teams in the league.
Luckily, they are getting solid pitching (both starting and relief); however, they will not be successful in the playoffs if they do not find their bats. That is what scares the Cincinnati Reds’ fans all over.
On a side bar, it was great to see the much-ballyhooed Tony Cingrani work an inning and two-thirds last night. He gave up one hit, one BB and struck out 3. That is the type of production that kept them from trading his services at the trade deadline.
Cincinnati Reds’ fans want to see more of him.
