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It looked so different for most of Opening Day.
The team long-suffering Cincinnati Reds fans had eagerly waited to see ever since manager Terry Francona was hired in October showed up on Thursday at Great American Ball Park.
That is, until the Reds needed one more out in the ninth inning.
Reds Opening Day Giants Cincinnati Reds fall to San Francisco Giants on Opening Day, 6-4
That’s when a seemingly spirit-lifting, one-run win turned into a demoralizing, 6-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants because closer-of-the-day Ian Gibaut melted down.
“It’s a big sting,” Reds ace Hunter Greene said. “Everybody’s frustrated.”
The Reds overall didn’t play like the 2024 Reds. But this gut-punch was certainly a tough reminder of last season: The Reds’ margin is still razor thin, even with a hall of fame manager and added depth across the roster.
A young and still developing club can't afford many injuries, and everybody has to chip in for the Reds to take the next step and make the playoffs. They're hoping better fielding, baserunning and more pitching depth flips their fortunes after the Reds went 15-28 in one-run games last season – the worst such record in the National League.
Cincinnati is without injured closer Alexis Diaz right now, though he might not have fared any better amid his ongoing struggles going back to late in the 2023 season. The Reds need Gibaut and a committee of guys to step up and hammer down victories until Diaz returns and figures out how to regain the All-Star form he had early in the 2023 season.
The Reds did a lot of promising things. They didn’t boot the ball all over the ballpark. No errors is a big deal for this team. The Reds didn't repeatedly do stupid things on the base paths, though Gavin Lux was thrown out trying to take an extra base in the third inning. Fielding and base-running buffoonery cost the Reds from getting a playoff spot and ultimately led to manager David Bell's firing last year.
It was particularly a good sign when Elly De La Cruz showed discipline and drew a two-out walk in the first inning. He then showed discipline while on base. He didn't recklessly take off and try to steal like he did so many times last season. De La Cruz's patience paid off. Lux drew a walk. Jeimer Candelario then ripped a run-scoring single into right field to give the Reds a 1-0 lead.
The Reds played good, fundamental small-ball again in the third inning. TJ Friedl led off with a single. De La Cruz and Lux had back-to-back, one-out singles. No one took any risks on the base paths. Candelario drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single to right field to give the Reds a 3-0 lead.
This was feel-good stuff on Cincinnati's annual special day. They were getting run production from their $45 million man, a welcome sign after Candelario struggled last season. Their $53 million ace gave them five solid innings with eight strikeouts, despite Greene saying afterward he didn't have his best stuff. Relievers Scott Barlow, Emilio Pagan and Tony Santillan followed Greene by each tossing an efficient, scoreless inning.
All this story needed was a happy ending. It was up to Gibaut, the last man to make the Opening Day roster.
“Everybody one after the other did their job," Gibaut said. "(Stuff) happens."
It's never a good idea to put too much emphasize on a player's Opening Day performance, good or bad – or the team's result, win or lose. This marathon is just getting going.
Does anyone remember the Reds' Opening Day hero last year? Anyone? No. Because journeyman Nick Martini didn't do much else in the other 51 big-league games he played in last season after belting two home runs in the Reds' season-opening win.
So yeah, stuff happens. Especially with a team constantly living on the margins.
Contact columnist Jason Williams at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds look improved on MLB Opening Day. Until they needed one more out
Continue reading...
The team long-suffering Cincinnati Reds fans had eagerly waited to see ever since manager Terry Francona was hired in October showed up on Thursday at Great American Ball Park.
That is, until the Reds needed one more out in the ninth inning.
Reds Opening Day Giants Cincinnati Reds fall to San Francisco Giants on Opening Day, 6-4
That’s when a seemingly spirit-lifting, one-run win turned into a demoralizing, 6-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants because closer-of-the-day Ian Gibaut melted down.
“It’s a big sting,” Reds ace Hunter Greene said. “Everybody’s frustrated.”
The Reds overall didn’t play like the 2024 Reds. But this gut-punch was certainly a tough reminder of last season: The Reds’ margin is still razor thin, even with a hall of fame manager and added depth across the roster.
A young and still developing club can't afford many injuries, and everybody has to chip in for the Reds to take the next step and make the playoffs. They're hoping better fielding, baserunning and more pitching depth flips their fortunes after the Reds went 15-28 in one-run games last season – the worst such record in the National League.
Cincinnati is without injured closer Alexis Diaz right now, though he might not have fared any better amid his ongoing struggles going back to late in the 2023 season. The Reds need Gibaut and a committee of guys to step up and hammer down victories until Diaz returns and figures out how to regain the All-Star form he had early in the 2023 season.
The Reds did a lot of promising things. They didn’t boot the ball all over the ballpark. No errors is a big deal for this team. The Reds didn't repeatedly do stupid things on the base paths, though Gavin Lux was thrown out trying to take an extra base in the third inning. Fielding and base-running buffoonery cost the Reds from getting a playoff spot and ultimately led to manager David Bell's firing last year.
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It was particularly a good sign when Elly De La Cruz showed discipline and drew a two-out walk in the first inning. He then showed discipline while on base. He didn't recklessly take off and try to steal like he did so many times last season. De La Cruz's patience paid off. Lux drew a walk. Jeimer Candelario then ripped a run-scoring single into right field to give the Reds a 1-0 lead.
The Reds played good, fundamental small-ball again in the third inning. TJ Friedl led off with a single. De La Cruz and Lux had back-to-back, one-out singles. No one took any risks on the base paths. Candelario drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single to right field to give the Reds a 3-0 lead.
You must be registered for see images
This was feel-good stuff on Cincinnati's annual special day. They were getting run production from their $45 million man, a welcome sign after Candelario struggled last season. Their $53 million ace gave them five solid innings with eight strikeouts, despite Greene saying afterward he didn't have his best stuff. Relievers Scott Barlow, Emilio Pagan and Tony Santillan followed Greene by each tossing an efficient, scoreless inning.
All this story needed was a happy ending. It was up to Gibaut, the last man to make the Opening Day roster.
“Everybody one after the other did their job," Gibaut said. "(Stuff) happens."
It's never a good idea to put too much emphasize on a player's Opening Day performance, good or bad – or the team's result, win or lose. This marathon is just getting going.
Does anyone remember the Reds' Opening Day hero last year? Anyone? No. Because journeyman Nick Martini didn't do much else in the other 51 big-league games he played in last season after belting two home runs in the Reds' season-opening win.
So yeah, stuff happens. Especially with a team constantly living on the margins.
Contact columnist Jason Williams at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds look improved on MLB Opening Day. Until they needed one more out
Continue reading...
