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BALTIMORE – Hunter Greene's first rough outing in five starts this season not only cost the Cincinnati Reds their best chance to win Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles but also proved costly for their pitching plans for the finale of their first series of a long, three-city road trip.
And just like that what looked like a soft part of the schedule over the next several days got that much tougher.
Reds defense Spencer Steer Fielding reinforcements on tap for Cincinnati Reds in Spencer Steer, maybe this weekend
Reds prospects Chase Burns Chase Burns allows Zyhir Hope, Kendall George homers before settling down, striking out 7
With the Reds still trailing by just two runs Saturday when Greene was lifted after three labored innings, manager Terry Francona went to reliever Taylor Rogers for one inning and then Sunday's scheduled starter, Carson Spiers, for length, a chance to win against an Orioles rookie starter, and bullpen preservation – turning Sunday's rubber game in Baltimore into a minor-league spot-starter proposition or bullpen day for the Reds after the 9-5 loss Saturday.
"We were kind of up against it," said Francona, who had three relievers unavailable because of workloads and made the Spiers decision knowing he needed the right-hander to work the final four innings – even after he began to fatigue two outs into his third inning of work.
"He wore it like a trooper," Francona said. "He was out of gas. I knew it. DJ (pitching coach Derek Johnson) knew it. And there wasn't anything we could do about it. And that's not a good feeling."
The Reds head to Miami to face the moribund Marlins in a three game series next, without a day off until Thursday.
Spiers was recalled from Triple-A Louisville Friday when Sunday's originally scheduled starter, Nick Lodolo, went to the paternity list and joined his wife for the birth of their first child.
After his 94-pitch outing, Spiers was expected to be optioned back to Louisville to swap in a fresh arm.
Team officials had not met to finalize a plan in the hour or so immediately after the game.
Greene (2-2), who entered the day with an 18 2/3-innings scoreless streak and 0.98 ERA, gave up back-to-back home runs in a three-pitch span to the first two Orioles batters, Cedric Mullins and Gunnar Henderson.
And it didn't get much better the rest of his shortest start since a scheduled short one in his first game off the injured list last September.
Greene went out of his way to give Spiers credit.
He showed a lot,” Greene said. “I didn’t help with putting him in that position, but he showed a lot of heart and kept the guys in it as long as he could. He’s done that multiple times.
“Even though he gave up some runs, he showed a lot of character and heart, and he’s been very consistent in that space.”
Greene needed 29 pitches to get through the first, 30 more for the second and finished with 77 total after a third inning that included another home run, this one a two-run shot by Ramon Laureano.
Greene had allowed three runs combined in his first four starts. And three home runs over the next three innings.
“He was up with some pitches,” Francona said. “I actually think throwing that amount of pitches in three innings is way harder than maybe going 7. That’s why we got him out of there. As hard as it was to do because of where we are with our bullpen, we couldn’t leave him out there.”
If there's a pitching equalizer, or at least solace, for the Reds as they came out of Saturday, it was that the Orioles needed seven relievers to finish Saturday's game, including closer Felix Bautista.
The Reds actually led twice, briefly, in this one, scoring once in a four-hit first (a second potential run getting thrown out at the plate for the final out), and then 3-2 after scoring two more in the top of the second against right-hander Brandon Young, who was making his big-league debut.
Young settled down in the third and fourth but was done after a leadoff walk to TJ Friedl in the fifth.
If there was a highlight for the Reds in this one, it was Jake Fraley's second-inning solo home run over the right-field bleachers onto Eutaw Street, the 132nd home run hit onto Eutaw in the history of the 34th-year Camden Yards ballpark.
He was the first to do it for the Reds, who didn't play at the ballpark until 2011. Saturday marked the Reds' 11th game at the park.
Seven home runs were hit in Saturday's game, including a second by Laureano as part of back-to-back Orioles shots in the seventh (when Jordan Westburg followed Laureano's second homer).
Austin Hays hit a second homer for the Reds, leading off the ninth.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How Hunter Greene's 1st clunker of season cost Cincinnati Reds twice
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And just like that what looked like a soft part of the schedule over the next several days got that much tougher.
Reds defense Spencer Steer Fielding reinforcements on tap for Cincinnati Reds in Spencer Steer, maybe this weekend
Reds prospects Chase Burns Chase Burns allows Zyhir Hope, Kendall George homers before settling down, striking out 7
With the Reds still trailing by just two runs Saturday when Greene was lifted after three labored innings, manager Terry Francona went to reliever Taylor Rogers for one inning and then Sunday's scheduled starter, Carson Spiers, for length, a chance to win against an Orioles rookie starter, and bullpen preservation – turning Sunday's rubber game in Baltimore into a minor-league spot-starter proposition or bullpen day for the Reds after the 9-5 loss Saturday.
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"We were kind of up against it," said Francona, who had three relievers unavailable because of workloads and made the Spiers decision knowing he needed the right-hander to work the final four innings – even after he began to fatigue two outs into his third inning of work.
"He wore it like a trooper," Francona said. "He was out of gas. I knew it. DJ (pitching coach Derek Johnson) knew it. And there wasn't anything we could do about it. And that's not a good feeling."
The Reds head to Miami to face the moribund Marlins in a three game series next, without a day off until Thursday.
Spiers was recalled from Triple-A Louisville Friday when Sunday's originally scheduled starter, Nick Lodolo, went to the paternity list and joined his wife for the birth of their first child.
After his 94-pitch outing, Spiers was expected to be optioned back to Louisville to swap in a fresh arm.
Team officials had not met to finalize a plan in the hour or so immediately after the game.
Greene (2-2), who entered the day with an 18 2/3-innings scoreless streak and 0.98 ERA, gave up back-to-back home runs in a three-pitch span to the first two Orioles batters, Cedric Mullins and Gunnar Henderson.
And it didn't get much better the rest of his shortest start since a scheduled short one in his first game off the injured list last September.
Greene went out of his way to give Spiers credit.
He showed a lot,” Greene said. “I didn’t help with putting him in that position, but he showed a lot of heart and kept the guys in it as long as he could. He’s done that multiple times.
“Even though he gave up some runs, he showed a lot of character and heart, and he’s been very consistent in that space.”
Greene needed 29 pitches to get through the first, 30 more for the second and finished with 77 total after a third inning that included another home run, this one a two-run shot by Ramon Laureano.
Greene had allowed three runs combined in his first four starts. And three home runs over the next three innings.
“He was up with some pitches,” Francona said. “I actually think throwing that amount of pitches in three innings is way harder than maybe going 7. That’s why we got him out of there. As hard as it was to do because of where we are with our bullpen, we couldn’t leave him out there.”
If there's a pitching equalizer, or at least solace, for the Reds as they came out of Saturday, it was that the Orioles needed seven relievers to finish Saturday's game, including closer Felix Bautista.
You must be registered for see images attach
The Reds actually led twice, briefly, in this one, scoring once in a four-hit first (a second potential run getting thrown out at the plate for the final out), and then 3-2 after scoring two more in the top of the second against right-hander Brandon Young, who was making his big-league debut.
Young settled down in the third and fourth but was done after a leadoff walk to TJ Friedl in the fifth.
If there was a highlight for the Reds in this one, it was Jake Fraley's second-inning solo home run over the right-field bleachers onto Eutaw Street, the 132nd home run hit onto Eutaw in the history of the 34th-year Camden Yards ballpark.
You must be registered for see images attach
He was the first to do it for the Reds, who didn't play at the ballpark until 2011. Saturday marked the Reds' 11th game at the park.
Seven home runs were hit in Saturday's game, including a second by Laureano as part of back-to-back Orioles shots in the seventh (when Jordan Westburg followed Laureano's second homer).
Austin Hays hit a second homer for the Reds, leading off the ninth.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How Hunter Greene's 1st clunker of season cost Cincinnati Reds twice
Continue reading...
