Castillo, bullpen blow five-run lead, lose to Brewers, 11-9
By HAL McCOY As former major league pitcher Joaquin Andujar once said when asked a question about baseball, “I’ll say it in one word. Youneverknow.” It figured to be a pitcher’s batter, a low-scoring game when the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers took the Miller Park field Wednesday afternoon. After all, two of the best […]
Gray, Reds bullpen shut out Brewers, 3-0
By HAL McCOY Sonny Gray and the Cincinnati Reds bullpen accomplished something Tuesday night in Miller Park that no team has accomplished this season. The Reds shut out the hard-hitting, high-scoring Milwaukee Brewers, 3-0. And it wasn’t easy. During his six innings, everywhere Gray looked there were Brewers perched on the bases. They had two […]
Ryu puts the reins on the Reds as LA takes two of three
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds offense was as boring Sunday afternoon as the Plain Jane 1912 throwback uniforms they wore. The uniforms were blank on the front with nothing identifiable but a red wishbone ‘C’ on both sleeves. Perhaps the Reds preferred to go incognito on this day against the Los Angeles […]
No Catch-22 for Reds with Barnhart, Casali
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — The name Curt Casali is appearing more and more on the starting lineup card that Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell turns into the home plate umpire each day. Is it because the so-called regular catcher, Tucker Barnhart, is batting .163 with nine RBI in 104 at bats and the so-called […]
Dodgers play ‘King of the Hill’ to shut down Reds, 6-0.
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — It was a night that resembled Men against Boys. It was a night of a first place team puffing its chest against a last place team. It was the Los Angeles Dodgers pounding the Cincinnati Reds, 6-0, and it wasn’t that close on a warm night in Great American Ball […]
Senzel batting leadoff stabilizes Reds batting order
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — The Lineup Shuffle, a dance routine performed by Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell for the first six weeks of the season, apparently has come to a satisfactory conclusion. For the past couple of weeks the top of the Reds order has been as steady as Plymouth Rock. And it coincides […]
Castillo, Reds stuff Cubs second night in a row
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — Mother Nature interrupted and intervened with Luis Castillo’s night Thursday in Great American Ball Park, but half-a-game from Castillo and half-a-game from the Cincinnati Reds bullpen is usually more than enough. And it certainly was on this night as the Reds defeated the Chicago Cubs, 4-2, in a rain-divided game […]
Will Bell burn out the bullpen? Bullpen says, ‘No.’
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — At the first hint of stress or distress from a starting pitcher, as certain as Jack Armstrong ate his Wheaties and Mikey liked his Maypo, Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell will be on his way to the mound to take the baseball away. He is doing so much that his […]
Puig, Votto come off the mat to beat Cubs in 10 innings, 6-5
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds scratched, scraped, scrapped and scrambled all game long Wednesday night in Great American Ball Park against the Chicago Cubs. And there was a positive payoff, a huge reward. The night ended in spectacular fashion in the bottom of the 10th when Yasiel Puig lobbed a bases-loaded single […]