Reds get a measure of revenge against struggling Giants

The Reds just completed a dominant four-game series in AT&T Park, and in so doing, completed an equally dominant season series against the defending world champion Giants.

In taking the series 3-1, the Reds scored 31 runs (11, 9, 3, 8).

This was a "first since..." in a number of ways:

1) The first time they've scored 8+ runs three times in a single series since August 2005 (a sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley).

2) Also the first time they've scored 31 runs in a series since 2005 (32 runs against Arizona, 34 runs against Tampa Bay)

3) The first time they've scored 31 runs in a road series since July 2000 at Colorado...and the last time they scored MORE in a road series was May 1999, also at Colorado...a series in which they scored 36 runs thanks mostly to a 24-run outburst fueled by Jeffrey Hammonds (3 HR) and Sean Casey (6 RBI).


The Reds also completed the season series vs. San Francisco with a 6-1 record, and a dominant 45-14 advantage in runs scored.  Plus the no-hitter by Bailey.  

I'd say it went pretty well.  Certainly not well enough to erase the painful memories of the 2012 NLDS (and apparently not well enough to make up ground in the standings either), but quite well indeed.

The best individual performers of the four-game set:

At the plate: Devin Mesoraco (8 for 16, 2 homers, 7 RBI).  Probably the best series of his young career.

Starting pitching: Bronson Arroyo (6 K, 7-hit complete-game shutout in Game 1).  A vintage Bronson performance, keeping the struggling opposing lineup guessing all night - until the final batter, at least...and we all know D-Rob took care of that for him with one of the coolest catches you'll ever see.

Relief: Sam LeCure (2 K in a spotless inning to escape a bases-loaded jam of Leake's making in Game 4).  He has inherited 12 runners this season, and none have scored - best in MLB.

Now, it's on to Los Angeles.  The Reds have actually won 6 of their last 9 in Dodger Stadium, but that immediately followed a 12-game losing streak there.  It's always been a tough place to win, but winning is exactly what they have to do with a 5-game deficit to make up in the division race.

Aroldis Chapman, Reds Bullpen Aiming for History

Aroldis Chapman is known for two things - record-breaking heat and record-breaking strikeouts.  The Reds' 2012 bullpen, with a lot of help from Chapman, is on track to post some eye-popping numbers.

1) Chapman currently sits at 16.74 strikeouts per 9 innings.  That would be the highest rate in MLB history for any pitcher appearing in at least 25 games.

Only one other pitcher - Kenley Jansen for the Dodgers in 2011 - has ever topped 16 per 9.  Incidentally, the Braves' Craig Kimbrel is on track for a ridiculous number this year as well.  He has struck out 15.7 per 9 so far.

The Reds' Rob Dibble (in 1992) is one of only 13 previous pitchers ever to strike out more than 14 per 9 innings for a season.

2) The bullpen as a whole has struck out 10.18 batters per 9 innings.  That would be the highest rate in MLB history by any bullpen.

Only the 2010 Braves bullpen (led by Billy Wagner) ever topped 10 strikeouts per 9 innings.  They had a mark of 10.06.  The next-highest totals were posted by the 2011 White Sox and 2001 Cubs - both 9.8 per 9.

Chapman isn't the only one racking up Ks.  The other two guys in the top 3 for innings pitched in the Reds 'pen also have great strikeout rates - Sean Marshall 10.7 and Jose Arredondo 9.8.

3) The bullpen as a whole has an ERA of 2.64.  That is the best in MLB this season (by a fair margin) and it would be the best mark by any team's bullpen since the 2003 Dodgers (led by Eric Gagne's Cy Young-winning effort) posted a 2.46 ERA.

The 1942 St. Louis Cardinals had the lowest bullpen ERA ever (1.75) but the aforementioned '03 Dodgers bullpen had the best mark in comparison to the average bullpen ERA for that specific year (a remarkable 1.7 runs lower than the 2003 average).

No streaking permitted

If you follow the Reds closely, it probably seems like a long time since their last lengthy streak of the winning OR losing variety.  That's because they are, in fact, one of the least streaky teams in baseball over the past three seasons.


Only two teams in MLB this year have no streaks of 4+ games: Cincinnati and Oakland


Only three teams in MLB have gone since May 2011 or longer without any streak of 6+ games: Cincinnati, Toronto and the New York Mets.


Only five teams in MLB have gone since August 2010 or longer without any streak of 7+ games: Cincinnati, Toronto, Tampa Bay, and both Los Angeles teams.

Red Non-Rivalries by decade

The teams the Reds beat up on the most each decade, including only the teams they played each year of that decade (for instance, Padres/Expos excluded in the '60s):

1900s - Boston Beaneaters/Doves
1910s - Brooklyn Dodgers
1920s through 1940s - Philadelphia Phillies
1950s - Pittsburgh Pirates
1960s - Philadelphia Phillies
1970s - Atlanta Braves
1980s - Pittsburgh Pirates
1990s - Philadelphia Phillies
2000s - Florida Marlins

So the Reds' all-time "play-toy" is the Philadelphia Phillies.

Now for the teams the Reds have played the worst against...

1900s - Chicago Cubs
1910s - New York Giants
1920s - New York Giants
1930s - St. Louis Cardinals
1940s - St. Louis Cardinals
1950s - Atlanta Braves
1960s - San Francisco Giants
1970s - Chicago Cubs
1980s - St. Louis Cardinals
1990s - Atlanta Braves
2000s - Los Angeles Dodgers

So the Reds' all-time worst enemy? A tie between the Cardinals and Giants.