Cubs dole out big payback to Reds, 9-0
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — Maybe the Chicago Cubs became lackadaisical against the Cincinnati Reds, too confident, even cocky. After beating and bruising and breaking bones while winning the first five games against the Reds this season, the Cubs took a 13-5 beating Saturday night. That, apparently, snapped the Cubs back to attention against the […]
Reds take 13 pounds of flesh from Cubs
By Hal McCoy The Cincinnati Reds showed some True Grit, displayed some gut-checking character Saturday night in jam-packed Great American Ball Park. It was almost as if they said, “We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it any more.” NOT ONLY DID they finally beat the Chicago Cubs, they ripped them asunder, […]
Cubs: Playing the game the right way
By Hal McCoy CINCINNATI — A scout sitting in the Great American Ball Park press box watched the Chicago Cubs perfectly execute the squeeze play back-to-back Friday night against the Cincinnati Reds and said, “I’m not a big fan of Joe Maddon, but that’s the way you play the game, that’s the way the game […]
The aftermath of a no-hitter on the losing side
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — What do you say if you are a major league player and your team not only got waxed, 16-0, but the opposing pitcher threw a no-hitter? After that happened to the Cincinnati Reds Thursday night, a no-hitter by Chicago’s Jake Arrieta, the clubhouse was as empty as a firehouse after […]
Naughty Arrieta throws no-hitter at the Reds
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — Jake Arrieta calls Cincinnati his least favorite city to visit, “Because there is not much to do there, just nothing going on.” So he made sure something was going on Thursday night in Great American Ball Park. He pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds as his Chicago Cubs pounded […]
Tucker Barnhart saves what bullpen can’t
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds pulled one out Wednesday afternoon, one they shouldn’t have had to pull out if only the bullpen wasn’t a pigpen. But that’s the way it is these days and it took a ninth-inning walk-off single by Tucker Barnhart to win it, 6-5, after the bullpen blew a […]
Drew Hayes: a long, tough fight to get here
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — The Kentucky State Police didn’t have to be concerned about Drew Hayes speeding up I-71 at 100 miles an hour Wednesday morning. “I drove real slow so I could take it all in,” said Hayes. There isn’t much to take in on I-71 between Louisville and Cincinnati other than green […]
Stephenson’s reward for winning? Back to AAA
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — Robert Stephenson is the Cincinnati Reds version of a First Responder, one who knows what to do in an emergency situation. For the second time this year Stephenson was called up from Class AAA Louisville to make an emergency start, this time because scheduled starter Alfredo Simon has inflammation in […]
Finding starters and finding defeats
By Hal McCoy CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds keep finding things while they are losing things. They find starting pitchers and they lose games. For the second straight day the Reds found a useable piece for their fluid starting rotation but lost the game. On Sunday in St. Louis it was Jon Moscot coming off […]