Padres’ Bunts Foil Reds
By Hal McCoy Something had to give in a game involving two teams reaching for a dangling rope. The Cincinnati Reds carried the burden of eight losses in their last 10 games into Petco Park Monday night. The San Diego Padres, though were worse — 11 losses in their last 13 games. So it took […]
Just More Bullpen Blues
By Hal McCoy No matter what manipulations Cincinnati Reds manager Tito Francona tries with his bullpen, it is as if the baseball gods say, “That ain’t gonna work, either.” This time Francona put starting pitcher Chris Paddack in the bullpen a few days ago and waited for a time to utilize him. That time came […]
Reds’ Bullpen. . .A Broken Record
By Hal McCoy Eddie Cochran recorded a classic song in 1958 called “Summertime Blues.” It should be the theme song this season for the Cincinnati Reds bullpen as it blows game after game after game. They permitted another one to slip through their wide-spread fingers Saturday afternoon in Busch Stadium, 6-5 to the St. Louis […]
Oh What A Mess They Made
By Hal McCoy If you don’t want to read about one of the ugliest among many ugly games played by the Cincinnati Reds this season, click on over to the classifieds. And you might find an ad placed there by the Reds: “Wanted: Pitchers who can throw strikes.” The St. Louis Cardinals hung a 10-3 […]
Reds Waste A Burnsy Gem
By Hal McCoy Those were not the 2015 World Series champion Kansas City Royals on the Great American Ball Park playing field the last three days. The Cincinnati Reds just made them look like the 2015 World Series winners instead of a team 15 games under .500. The Reds wasted another top-shelf pitching performance from […]
Reds Get ‘Er Dunn in 10th
By Hal McCoy There was no possible way the Cincinnati Reds could win this game. No way possible. But there was a way, the most improbable of improbables. It ended dramatically, a walk-off single poked to right field by Blake Dunn, who lugged a 1 for 19 skid to the plate in the 10th-inning. His […]
No Elly, No Chase, No Win
By Hal McCoy The Cincinnati Reds lost big before the game and then lost even bigger during the game Monday night in Great American Ball Park. They lost their scheduled starting pitcher, Chase Burns, to an illness. They lost shortstop Elly De La Cruz to the 10-day injured list. And then, playing two eggs short […]
Reds Win, Elly Injured
By Hal McCoy Just when it looks as if the Cincinnati Reds will need resuscitation, they kick it away and show signs of life. Faced with the possibility of being swept three games by baseball’s best team against one of MLB’s best pitchers, the Reds stayed the course Sunday afternoon for a 6-4 win in […]
Acuna, Braves Bombard Reds
By Hal McCoy No matter what uniform they wear — white, gray black or red — nothing seems to change for the Cincinnati Reds. They wore gray Wednesday and lost in New York to the Mets. They wore black Friday night and lost to the Atlanta Braves. And they wore red Saturday night and lost […]