Reds can’t find their come-from-behind mojo
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds need to discover some come-from-behind magic and they need to find it pronto. Not only have the Reds not won a game yet after three tries, they have at no point this season even led one of those three games. The Washington Nationals completed a three-game sweep […]
Nats administer ‘learning lesson’ to Castillo
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — For the Washington Nationals, it was no Daniel Murphy, no Ryan Zimmerman and no problem against the Cincinnati Reds. Even with two of their superstars out of the lineup Saturday afternoon in Great American Ball Park, the Nationals were unimpressed with young Reds pitcher Luis Castillo or anybody else the […]
Bailey brilliant, but Scherzer shuts the door
By HAL McCOY CINCINNATI — Most Cincinnati Reds aficionados were concerned about the team’s starting pitching heading into the 2018 season and with a flip of the hand they thought, “We’re not worried about the hitting, the team is offensively armed and considered dangerous.” Maybe that thinking should be reversed — although the evidence is […]
Rangers maul Mahle in his final tuneup
By HAL McCOY Tyler Mahle’s last tuneup before the regular season begins was not one that he will clip and save in his scrapbook. The Cincinnati Reds 23-year-old righthanded rookie, No. 3 in the rotation, was a batting practice pitcher Monday night in Arlington, Tex., against the Texas Rangers. In four innings, Mahle gave up […]
Bailey gets the ball on Opening Day
By HAL McCOY Before he walked to the mound Friday afternoon, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey knew he would be the team’s Opening Day starter next Thursday against the Washington Nationals, Bailey’s first Opening Day assignment in his 11th year with the team. If you subtract one inning from the six innings Bailey pitched Friday […]
Mahle solidifying hold on spot in Reds rotation
By HAL McCOY Tyler Mahle continues to solidify his grasp on a spot in the Cincinnati Reds pitching rotation — and if things continue on the current path his effectiveness might be sorely needed. Before the Reds faced the San Diego Padres Tuesday night, it was announced that starting candidate Michael Lorenzen is down for […]
Another ‘messy’ start for Stephenson
By HAL McCOY If Robert Stephenson was trying to make a statement that he belongs in the Cincinnati Reds starting rotation, he graded out at about a D+ Monday night. As one of the contestants for one of probably two available spots, Stephenson was trying to match or better what two of his competitors accomplished […]
First-inning woes continue for Bailey
By HAL McCOY Maybe somebody with the Cincinnati Reds should tell Homer Bailey it is the second inning when he takes the mound to start a game. Throughout his career, the first inning has been the unkindest cut for the lanky Texan. Bailey’s career earned run average in the first inning hovers about 8.00. And […]
Reds lost two starters — DeSclafani, Finnegan
By HAL McCOY Stop reading right now if you’ve heard all this before and don’t want to hear about history repeating itself. All right, if you’re still with us, the Cincinnati Reds suffered a double punch to the solar plexus Sunday when they lost not one, but two starting pitchers to injuries in a short […]