For the Cincinnati Reds, recent series finales have not been an enjoyable experience.
For the season, the Reds are 11-11 in the final game of a series (even though their record in those series as a whole is 13-9). However, they have now lost 5 straight finales, and 7 of the last 9.
Of those 7 losses, 6 were in brutal fashion - they blew a lead of at least 2 runs in each, and lost in the final at-bat in 5 of those 6 (including 4 extra-inning defeats).
It's easy to blame the bullpen, because their recent ineptitude has certainly been a large part of the problem. With a June ERA of 6.69, they are more than partially responsible for the Reds' 0-4 record in series-finishing games this month.
The narrative in the six crushing finale defeats, all involving significant blown leads and occurring since mid-May, has been as follows:
5/19 at Philadelphia (lost 3-2): Chapman blew it in the 9th, giving up back-to-back homers.
5/26 vs. Chicago (lost 5-4 in 10 innings): Ondrusek melted down to blow the lead, and Hoover lost it in extras.
6/1 at Pittsburgh (lost 5-4 in 11 innings): Broxton had another Pittsburgh disaster to blow the lead, and then Simon couldn't hold on in extras.
6/5 vs. Colorado (lost 12-4): After Villarreal's poor start, the Reds still had a chance - that is, until Simon and Parra yielded 3 runs apiece to put it out of reach.
6/9 vs. St. Louis (lost 11-4 in 10 innings): LeCure blew the lead in the 7th, and Hoover imploded in the 10th.
6/13 at Chicago (lost 6-5 in 14 innings): LeCure blew the lead in the 8th, and Broxton lost it in the 14th.
If the narratives above are in line with your thinking, you would have some strong statistical backing. After all, the bullpen ERA in the six games listed above was a hideous 8.68 (27 total earned runs in 28 innings pitched).
However, I would submit that the offense deserves equal blame. To support my case, let me point out the fact that the Reds went scoreless from the time of their biggest lead until the end of the game in all six of the games in question.
Specifically, here is what the offense managed in each case after racing out to a lead:
5/19 at Philadelphia - 3 straight scoreless innings after leading 2-0
5/26 vs. Chicago - 6 straight scoreless innings after leading 4-0
6/1 at Pittsburgh - 10 straight scoreless innings after leading 4-0
6/5 vs. Colorado - 8 straight scoreless innings after leading 4-1
6/9 vs. St. Louis - 5 straight scoreless innings after leading 4-2
6/13 at Chicago - 8 straight scoreless innings after leading 5-3
If the offense goes into such a prolonged slumber (as if to say, "we've done our job, game over") it puts immense pressure on the pitching staff. 40 straight combined scoreless innings, in my opinion, are of equal consequence relative to the bullpen's failures.
You might notice that I'm leaving criticism of managerial decisions out of this equation. That is a deliberate decision on my part because it is impossible to know what would have happened in an alternative universe. I am of the opinion that Dusty deserves some blame for the way a few games have gone this season, but because there is no way to statistically judge his influence, I choose to keep this discussion simpler: is the hitting or the pitching to blame?
To summarize, I would assign blame as follows:
5/19 at Philadelphia - Chapman (just had a poor game, which is bound to happen now and then)
5/26 vs. Chicago - The offense. All they had to do was score 1 additional run against the Cubs pen to avoid extras.
6/1 at Pittsburgh - The offense. 10 straight scoreless innings.
6/5 vs. Colorado - The starting pitching. Forced into action because of Cueto's second injury of the year, Pedro Villarreal never stood much of a chance against the Rockies' powerful lineup.
6/9 vs. St. Louis - The offense and the bullpen are equally to blame for this one. I'll break my own rule and mention Dusty here too, because excessive (and poorly-executed) bunting played a big role in the Reds not securing this victory.
6/13 at Chicago - The offense. 8 straight scoreless innings. Even 1 run through those first 7 would've been enough to win it.
At the moment, this is a somewhat alarming trend. And if the Reds had gone 3-3 in these games - you're bound to lose a few painful ones during a 162-game season, but not THIS many - they would be only a half game behind St. Louis instead of 3.5.
Three of the losses (at Philadelphia, vs. Colorado, vs. St. Louis) were in deciding games and the other three prevented the Reds from completing a sweep.
Here's hoping the Reds can turn around their finale fortunes, starting this Sunday at GABP against Milwaukee.
Mr. Redlegs is watching you. Always.
Showing posts with label phillies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label phillies. Show all posts
Friday, June 14, 2013
Friday, May 24, 2013
The 10 most-played matchups in MLB history
(updated 4/7/15)
1) Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs (2439 games).
The Cubs have been around since 1876, and the Pirates since 1882.
Previous cities: Both have always been in the same city.
Previous nicknames: The Cubs were previously known as the White Stockings, the Colts, and the Orphans. The Pirates were previously known as the Alleghenys.
Pittsburgh leads this series 1249 to 1173.
2) Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals (2423 games).
Both have been around since 1882.
Previous nicknames: The Pirates were previously known as the Alleghenys. The Cardinals were previously known as the Brown Stockings, Browns, and Perfectos.
Pittsburgh leads this series 1229 to 1170.
3) San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2411 games).
The Giants have been around since 1883, and the Dodgers since 1884.
Previous cities: The Giants were based in New York, and the Dodgers in Brooklyn.
Previous nicknames: The Giants were once known as the Gothams, and the Dodgers had a ridiculous array of nicknames - Atlantics, Grays, Bridegrooms, Grooms, Superbas, and Robins.
San Francisco leads this series 1210 to 1184.
4) Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2375 games).
The Braves franchise has existed since 1876, and the Phillies since 1883.
Previous cities: The Braves were in Boston and Milwaukee before moving to Atlanta.
Previous nicknames: The Braves were previously called the Red Stockings, Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers, and Bees. The Phillies were originally known as the Quakers.
The Braves lead this series 1235 to 1125.
5) Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals (2345 games).
The Cubs have been around since 1876, and the Cardinals since 1882.
Previous cities: Both teams have always been in their respective cities.
Previous nicknames: The Cubs were known as the White Stockings, Colts and Orphans. The Cardinals were originally the Brown Stockings, then the Browns, and then the Perfectos.
The Cubs lead this series 1189 to 1137.
6) San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves (2334 games).
The Braves franchise has existed since 1876, and the Giants since 1883.
Previous cities: The Giants were in New York before moving to San Francisco. The Braves were in Boston and Milwaukee before moving to Atlanta.
Previous nicknames: The Giants were originally called the Gothams. The Braves were known as the Red Stockings, Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers and Bees.
The Giants lead this series 1231 to 1077.
7) St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds (2336 games).
The Reds and Cardinals have both existed since 1882.
Previous cities: Both teams have always been in their respective cities.
Previous nicknames: The Reds have also been the Red Stockings and Redlegs. The Cardinals have been the Brown Stockings, Browns and Perfectos.
The Cardinals lead this series 1206 to 1109.
8) Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2334 games).
The Cubs have existed since 1876, and the Phillies since 1883.
Previous cities: Both have always been in the same city.
Previous nicknames: The Cubs were previously known as the White Stockings, Colts and Orphans. The Phillies were originally the Quakers.
The Cubs lead this series 1217 to 1099.
9) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds (2324 games).
The Reds have existed since 1882, and the Dodgers since 1884.
Previous cities: The Reds have always been in Cincinnati, but the Dodgers were originally in Brooklyn.
Previous nicknames: The Reds have also been known as the Red Stockings and Redlegs. The Dodgers have been called the Atlantics, Grays, Bridegrooms, Grooms, Superbas, and Robins.
The Dodgers lead this series 1168 to 1142.
10) Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cincinnati Reds (2289 games).
The Reds and Pirates have both been around since 1882.
Previous cities: Both teams have always been in their respective cities.
Previous nicknames: The Reds have also been the Red Stockings and Redlegs. The Pirates were originally the Alleghenys.
The Pirates lead this series 1145 to 1125.
Because the earliest American League franchises weren't established until the start of the 20th century, none of them appear on this list. The most-played rivalries in the AL:
1) Tigers/Indians (2159 games) - Tigers lead 1097-1050
2) Red Sox/Orioles (2157 games) - Red Sox lead 1172-971
3) White Sox/Twins (2156 games) - White Sox lead 1114-1026
4) Yankees/Orioles (2127 games) - Yankees lead 1259-854
5) Red Sox/Yankees (2118) - Yankees lead 1150-954
Note: As usual, baseball-reference.com was the main source for this post. If you have any questions or corrections, don't hesitate to leave a comment.
1) Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs (2439 games).
The Cubs have been around since 1876, and the Pirates since 1882.
Previous cities: Both have always been in the same city.
Previous nicknames: The Cubs were previously known as the White Stockings, the Colts, and the Orphans. The Pirates were previously known as the Alleghenys.
Pittsburgh leads this series 1249 to 1173.
2) Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals (2423 games).
Both have been around since 1882.
Previous nicknames: The Pirates were previously known as the Alleghenys. The Cardinals were previously known as the Brown Stockings, Browns, and Perfectos.
Pittsburgh leads this series 1229 to 1170.
3) San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2411 games).
The Giants have been around since 1883, and the Dodgers since 1884.
Previous cities: The Giants were based in New York, and the Dodgers in Brooklyn.
Previous nicknames: The Giants were once known as the Gothams, and the Dodgers had a ridiculous array of nicknames - Atlantics, Grays, Bridegrooms, Grooms, Superbas, and Robins.
San Francisco leads this series 1210 to 1184.
4) Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2375 games).
The Braves franchise has existed since 1876, and the Phillies since 1883.
Previous cities: The Braves were in Boston and Milwaukee before moving to Atlanta.
Previous nicknames: The Braves were previously called the Red Stockings, Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers, and Bees. The Phillies were originally known as the Quakers.
The Braves lead this series 1235 to 1125.
5) Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals (2345 games).
The Cubs have been around since 1876, and the Cardinals since 1882.
Previous cities: Both teams have always been in their respective cities.
Previous nicknames: The Cubs were known as the White Stockings, Colts and Orphans. The Cardinals were originally the Brown Stockings, then the Browns, and then the Perfectos.
The Cubs lead this series 1189 to 1137.
6) San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves (2334 games).
The Braves franchise has existed since 1876, and the Giants since 1883.
Previous cities: The Giants were in New York before moving to San Francisco. The Braves were in Boston and Milwaukee before moving to Atlanta.
Previous nicknames: The Giants were originally called the Gothams. The Braves were known as the Red Stockings, Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers and Bees.
The Giants lead this series 1231 to 1077.
7) St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds (2336 games).
The Reds and Cardinals have both existed since 1882.
Previous cities: Both teams have always been in their respective cities.
Previous nicknames: The Reds have also been the Red Stockings and Redlegs. The Cardinals have been the Brown Stockings, Browns and Perfectos.
The Cardinals lead this series 1206 to 1109.
8) Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2334 games).
The Cubs have existed since 1876, and the Phillies since 1883.
Previous cities: Both have always been in the same city.
Previous nicknames: The Cubs were previously known as the White Stockings, Colts and Orphans. The Phillies were originally the Quakers.
The Cubs lead this series 1217 to 1099.
9) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds (2324 games).
The Reds have existed since 1882, and the Dodgers since 1884.
Previous cities: The Reds have always been in Cincinnati, but the Dodgers were originally in Brooklyn.
Previous nicknames: The Reds have also been known as the Red Stockings and Redlegs. The Dodgers have been called the Atlantics, Grays, Bridegrooms, Grooms, Superbas, and Robins.
The Dodgers lead this series 1168 to 1142.
10) Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cincinnati Reds (2289 games).
The Reds and Pirates have both been around since 1882.
Previous cities: Both teams have always been in their respective cities.
Previous nicknames: The Reds have also been the Red Stockings and Redlegs. The Pirates were originally the Alleghenys.
The Pirates lead this series 1145 to 1125.
Because the earliest American League franchises weren't established until the start of the 20th century, none of them appear on this list. The most-played rivalries in the AL:
1) Tigers/Indians (2159 games) - Tigers lead 1097-1050
2) Red Sox/Orioles (2157 games) - Red Sox lead 1172-971
3) White Sox/Twins (2156 games) - White Sox lead 1114-1026
4) Yankees/Orioles (2127 games) - Yankees lead 1259-854
5) Red Sox/Yankees (2118) - Yankees lead 1150-954
Note: As usual, baseball-reference.com was the main source for this post. If you have any questions or corrections, don't hesitate to leave a comment.
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