With four starting pitchers on the injured list, the Cincinnati Reds have had to be creative with their starting rotation all season.
They began the year with three rookies and a second-year pitcher in the rotation. When the Reds had another starter get hurt, they called up Connor Overton, a former reliever, from Triple-A. When rookie Reiver Sanmartin posted a 13.78 ERA, the Reds had another spot to fill.
The depth in the Reds starting rotation has been an issue all year, and it led to them using the “opener” strategy on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The strategy didn’t work, and the Pirates beat the Reds, 8-5, in front of a crowd of 21,448 at Great American Ball Park in the second game of a doubleheader.
More:Cincinnati Reds end nine-game losing streak with wacky 8th inning in win over Pirates
More:Nick Lodolo's next start for the Cincinnati Reds is pushed back due to injury
More:Paul Daugherty: The toughest job in sports is broadcasting Cincinnati Reds games
"It was a doubleheader, we were in a situation where it made a lot of sense to see how the first game went and see exactly who we had available," Reds manager David Bell said. "Once we had all the information after Game 1, we knew the guys that were going to pitch to hopefully get us to Art Warren in the 9th (for the save)."
Heading into the weekend, Nick Lodolo was expected to face the Pirates on Saturday. The last time that Lodolo took the mound at home, he made the best start that the Reds have had in 2022, picking up the win after he allowed just one run in 5 ⅔ innings.
Unfortunately for Lodolo and for the Reds, he had a setback with his back injury and didn’t come off the IL to face Pittsburgh. While Lodolo was injured, the Reds claimed right-handed starting pitcher Robert Dugger on waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Reds could have slid Dugger directly into Lodolo’s spot into the rotation, but Dugger entered the game with a career 7.22 ERA in limited time in the big leagues. Instead of starting Dugger, Bell used an opener on Saturday.
"I found out (how I'd be used) pretty late, close to the start of the game," Dugger said. "You’ve just got to go out there when your name is called and compete."
More:How the 2022 Cincinnati Reds compare to 1988 Orioles, other worst starts in MLB history
More:GM Nick Krall on the Cincinnati Reds' 3-19 start to season: 'No excuses'
Relievers Dauri Moreta and Phillip Diehl split the first inning against the Pirates. Bell planned for Dugger to make a multi-inning relief appearance in lower leverage innings during the middle of the game.
Moreta has been one of the better relievers in the Reds bullpen this season, so the Reds used him to face the top-third of the Pirates lineup in the first inning. Between the No. 4 and No. 9 spots in the Pirates, Pittsburgh had three left-handed hitters and two switch hitters. Bell saw that as a good chance to use Diehl, a left-hander, out of the bullpen.
Bell thought Moreta and Diehl could get the Reds off to a stronger start, so Dugger began the game in the bullpen.
"We set it up the best way we could," Bell said. "With the way their lineup was set up, it flowed exactly the way we wanted it. We allowed the runs there, but that was the strategy, that was the plan. That’s what we needed to do."
Moreta made his first career start and allowed a homer and a double while facing just the three batters. Diehl entered the game with one out in the first inning, and he allowed two more homers. By the time the Reds were up to bat, the Pirates led 4-0.
By having Moreta and Diehl pitch in the first inning, the Reds tried playing right-left matchups as they looked for a scoreless first inning. Instead, the Reds got a four-run deficit.
"We determined that was the best way to set it up right there," Bell said. "We really didn’t have a starter. It was more of using all of our relievers to get us in the best position to win the game."
Dugger entered the game for the second inning and made his Reds debut, and he allowed three runs in three innings. The Reds tried to use a different strategy to replace Lodolo’s production, but injuries and their lack of depth caught up to them again.
Reds second baseman Brandon Drury kept the team in the game as he continues to be one of the Reds’ best hitters this season. In the first inning, Drury got the Reds on the board with an RBI double. In the fourth inning, Drury crushed a three-run home run to right field.
"I like (the team’s at-bats) right now, and we’re scoring runs," Drury said. "It’s a hard game. We’re trying to put it all together as a team and go on a little win streak here."
The Reds had one of their better scoring games of the season, but another slow start to the game by the pitching staff led to the Reds falling to 4-23 on the season.
"It’s always nice to play good, but I want to win too," Drury said. "It’s very frustrating for all of us. I like our team. I think we can get hot and get on a run and win some games. Right now, it’s very frustrating. We keep coming to the park until it turns."
Source link
