C. Notes: Reds' week even worse than its 2-5 record would suggest
When Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona gathers those close to him around an aluminum pole on Dec. 23 to celebrate Festivus, he'll have several grievances from this week to air.
The Reds left Great American Ball Park last Sunday with an 18-17 record. A week on the road that produced twice as many players placed on the injury list (four) as wins (two) is unlikely to be looked back upon fondly when the season is over.
Advertisement
It's been a trying week for the Reds, their medical staff, their manager, players and fans. It's been pretty much a disaster.
Here's a day-by-day look at what went wrong:
• Monday: Rookie outfielder Tyler Callihan ran straight into the left-field wall at Truist Park when trying to catch a ball off the bat of the Atlanta Braves' Matt Olson in the third inning for the final out. Not only did Callihan suffer a broken left forearm on the play, but he also wasn't awarded a catch because he didn't 'voluntarily and intentionally' release the ball from the glove arm and instead allowed it to roll out of the glove when he went to grab his fractured arm.
Olson kept running and was awarded a two-run, inside-the-park home run. The Reds lost 4-0.
• Tuesday: Andrew Abbott went toe-to-toe with fellow lefty Chris Sale, and the Reds had a chance to close it out in the ninth with Emilio Pagán on the mound, but the team didn't cleanly execute a relay that allowed the tying run — from former Red Stuart Fairchild, no less — to score. Right fielder Jake Fraley threw the ball to second on the double to right by Michael Harris II, and cutoff man Matt McLain was moving from his spot to take a throw from the outfield as the cutoff man toward home but had to move when the throw took him toward second. McLain paused, and his throw home wasn't in time to catch Fairchild. The Reds were walked off in the 10th.
Before the game, third baseman Noelvi Marte went on the IL with a left oblique strain.
• Wednesday: Even on a day when the Reds won, there was bad news. Right-hander Hunter Greene looked dominant in his first three innings of work but pulled himself after his second warmup pitch before the fourth inning. Greene was diagnosed with a groin sprain and was placed on the IL two days later.
• Thursday: Francona was ejected for the first time as Reds skipper in the middle of the 11th inning (although he didn't realize it until the bottom of the inning). With Monday's ruling against Callihan's catch in mind, Francona challenged the out call of Blake Dunn trying to steal second that ended the top of the 11th.
Dunn was clearly thrown out trying to steal, but Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies just as clearly lowered his knee to the ground and placed it in front of the bag, against the agreed-upon rules of the game. Instead of calling Dunn safe by the letter of the law, Porter's crew went by the spirit of the law — a courtesy the crew didn't extend to Callihan. Francona challenged the call, but blocking the bag isn't a reviewable call.
Advertisement
• Friday: The Reds placed Greene on the IL before the game, then scratched Fraley from the starting lineup with left calf tenderness; he was placed on the IL Saturday. The Reds traded for Connor Joe from the San Diego Padres before the game, and he was activated the next day.
Then there was the game, in which no Reds base runner advanced to third and the team was shut out for the sixth time this season.
• Saturday: Starting the game with a 10-run first inning was good, but a game like that shouldn't have been as stressful as it was, as Brady Singer gave up seven runs in 2 1/3 innings. The Reds won 13-9, but it was closer than it should have been.
• Sunday: The team that scored 13 runs the day before was held to just two hits. The Reds lost 6-0 and were shut out for the seventh time this season, tying the Pittsburgh Pirates for the most of any team in baseball this season. Since the beginning of last season, the Reds have been shut out 23 times, second only to the Chicago White Sox (24) in that same period.
Rookie Chase Petty made his second start and had better numbers than his first, but he walked six and allowed four runs in three innings.
The Reds went just 2-5 this week and are one game below .500 at home (9-10) and on the road (11-12).
Monday, the Reds have their first scheduled off day since April 24 before welcoming the 12-29 White Sox to Great American Ball Park for three games, including Wednesday night's Pete Rose celebration. The White Sox are just 3-17 on the road. The Reds continue their homestand and American League Central run with three games against the Cleveland Guardians.
• RHP Rhett Lowder (right forearm strain) made two rehab starts this week, first in Arizona in the season opener for the Arizona Complex League and then Sunday for High-A Dayton. Lowder suffered the loss in both, losing his start in Arizona to Clayton Kershaw, who was on a rehab assignment for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lowder allowed two runs on four hits over three innings with five strikeouts and no walks in Arizona. Sunday at Dayton, he allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits over three innings with a walk, a hit batter and five strikeouts.
Advertisement
• LHP Wade Miley (Tommy John surgery) allowed three runs on three hits — including two homers — with six strikeouts and no walks in 2 2/3 innings for Dayton on Saturday.
• LHP Sam Moll (left shoulder impingement) made his eighth appearance in his rehab stint with Louisville and hasn't allowed a run in any of his last three outings. He has a 5.63 ERA in his rehab stint, with 10 hits, eight runs, 10 strikeouts and four walks over eight innings.
• RHP Ian Gibaut (right shoulder impingement) threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts Sunday in his first rehab appearance for Louisville.
• Triple-A Louisville (19-19): Since his demotion, RHP Alexis Díaz has made four appearances with the Bats and hasn't allowed a run. Since going down, he has totaled four innings, allowed two hits, walked three and struck out five. All five strikeouts have come in the last two outings, and both hits came in the first two. On Sunday, he struck out the side and earned the win for the Bats.
• Double-A Chattanooga (16-16): OF Austin Hendrick doubled in both parts of the team's doubleheader Sunday, raising his slash line to .217/.325/.391. But the best part about Hendrick's start is that through the first 24 games (and 83 plate appearances), he has 22 strikeouts and 10 walks. Though a 26.5 percent strikeout rate isn't ideal, it's 10 percentage points better than his strikeout rate last season, which was his best-ever strikeout rate as a pro. His 12 percent walk rate is more than double what it was last year (5.3 percent) and higher than any other season other than his first.
• High-A Dayton (11-22): Dragons RHP Easton Sikorski has allowed only one earned run in 17 innings over nine appearances. The 25-year-old closer has three saves and a 0.53 ERA. He has 22 strikeouts, one unintentional walk and a hit batter.
• Class-A Daytona (15-18): C Alfredo Duno hit a two-out, walk-off home run Sunday in a 2-1 Tortugas victory. It was Duno's fourth of the year. Duno, 19, also doubled and is hitting .220/.339/.430 with more extra-base hits (12) than singles (10).
(Top photo of Hunter Greene: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
26 minutes ago
- New York Times
How Coastal Carolina got to today
Follow all our live coverage of Game 2 of the CWS between the LSU Tigers and Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Imagn Images The LSU Tigers won Game 1 of the College World Series behind a dominant performance from pitcher Kade Anderson. Will they claim the title today, or will the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers force Game 3? Join us for live coverage of Game 2 of the best-of-three series, with the first pitch set for 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Start time: 2:30 p.m. ET, 1:30 p.m. CT 2:30 p.m. ET, 1:30 p.m. CT Watch: ABC and ESPN+ ABC and ESPN+ Streaming: Fubo ( Try for free ) Fubo ( ) Get involved: live@ Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Imagn Images How the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers got to Game 2 of the championship series: Regional Defeated Fairfield 10-2 Defeated East Carolina 18-7 Defeated East Carolina 1-0 Super Regional Defeated Auburn 7-6 Defeated Auburn 4-1 CWS Defeated Arizona 7-4 Defeated Oregon State 6-2 Defeated Louisville 11-3 CWS title series How the LSU Tigers got to Game 2 of the championship series: Regional Defeated Little Rock 7-0 Defeated Dallas Baptist 6-0 Lost to Little Rock 10-4 Defeated Little Rock 10-6 Super Regional Defeated West Virginia 16-9 Defeated West Virginia 12-5 CWS Defeated Arkansas 4-1 Defeated UCLA 9-5 Defeated Arkansas 6-5 CWS title series Defeated Coastal Carolina 1-0 Here are the baseball programs that have won multiple national championships: USC: 12 12 LSU: Seven Seven Texas: Six Six Arizona: Five Five Four: Arizona, Cal State Fullerton, Miami (Fla.) Arizona, Cal State Fullerton, Miami (Fla.) Three: Minnesota, Oregon State Minnesota, Oregon State Two: Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Stanford, Oklahoma, Michigan, California Getty Images The championship series began yesterday with LSU winning Game 1. Here's the remaining schedule: Game 2: 2:30 p.m. ET, today 2:30 p.m. ET, today Game 3: 7:30 p.m. ET, Monday (if necessary) Here are the last 10 winners of the NCAA baseball national championship, which includes both teams in this year's championship series ... 2024: Tennessee 2023: LSU 2022: Ole Miss 2021: Mississippi State 2020: Not played due to COVID-19 pandemic 2019: Vanderbilt 2018: Oregon State 2017: Florida 2016: Coastal Carolina 2015: Virginia LSU would claim the program's eighth national title with a victory today (or tomorrow if necessary). The Tigers previously won the title in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009 and 2023. Coastal Carolina's season is on the line today as it chaces its second title (it won in 2016). The Athletic There's no better place to follow all your favorite teams, leagues and players than on The Athletic as we focus here on the conclusion to this season's NCAA Division I baseball tournament. We've got you covered on all things NBA with the NBA Finals and NHL with reaction to an exciting Stanley Cup Final, while the MLB season and NFL offseason continue to roll along. You can subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer here. Imagn Images Today's game will be aired live on ABC and ESPN+. We will also be bringing you live updates throughout. Getty Images Today's game starts at 2:30 p.m. ET. That's 1:30 p.m. local time in Omaha. Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of the 2025 College World Series today. LSU meets Coastal Carolina for the national championship in a best-of-three series, with the Tigers leading the series 1-0. We're delighted you've decided to join us for live coverage, and don't forget that you can get involved throughout by emailing live@
Washington Post
30 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Suns agree to trade Kevin Durant to Rockets for players and picks
The Phoenix Suns have agreed to trade 15-time all-star forward Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets in exchange for guard Jalen Green, forward Dillon Brooks, a 2025 first-round pick and five second-round picks, multiple people with knowledge of the situation confirmed Sunday. The trade agreement cannot be officially completed until the NBA's calendar resets in July. ESPN first reported the deal's terms. Durant, 36, will bring his proven scoring ability and championship experience to a young Rockets team that finished second in the Western Conference last season before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors. Houston was able to add the four-time scoring champion without surrendering all-star center Alperen Sengun or promising recent lottery picks such as Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. Rockets Coach Ime Udoka previously coached Durant as an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets in 2020-21 and for the U.S. men's basketball team at the 2020 Olympics. Durant's disappointing two-plus seasons with the Suns began with a February 2023 blockbuster trade from Brooklyn. Although Durant touted Phoenix's championship potential shortly after his arrival in the desert, the Suns were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2023 playoffs, suffered a first-round sweep against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024 playoffs and missed the postseason this year by finishing 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-46 record. Multiple missteps by Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who agreed to purchase the team in December 2022, preceded Durant's long-anticipated departure. Phoenix attempted to construct a 'Big Three' by acquiring Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards in June 2023, but Durant, Devin Booker and Beal struggled to build chemistry because of repeated injury issues and never meshed particularly well on the court. As the Suns slipped in the standings following a franchise-record 64-win season in 2021-22, Ishbia fired well-regarded coaches Monty Williams, Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer in quick succession. Despite those changes, Phoenix continually struggled to defend at a high level and fell short of its potential on offense despite its well-known stars. While Phoenix attempted to trade for disgruntled star Jimmy Butler before this year's trade deadline, its efforts were hamstrung by the no-trade clause in Beal's contract. Durant remained an ultraefficient scorer throughout his Phoenix tenure, averaging 26.6 points, six rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 43.0 percent on three-pointers last season. However, Durant has become more dependent on his jump shooting since he suffered a torn Achilles' tendon as a member of the Golden State Warriors during the 2019 NBA Finals. The two-time champion has seen his Player Efficiency Rating, free throw rate and ability to score at the rim slip noticeably since that injury, and he hasn't advanced to the conference finals since leaving the Warriors for the Nets in June 2019. By trading Durant, who is owed $54.7 million next season, the Suns took a step toward greater financial flexibility after leading the NBA with a $220 million payroll. Earlier this offseason, Ishbia hired Brian Gregory as general manager and Jordan Ott as coach, signaling a new era for an organization that traded significant draft assets to acquire Durant and Beal. Phoenix still faces major roster questions, including whether it should part with Beal this summer and whether the 28-year-old Booker, a four-time all-star, should be moved in pursuit of a full-scale rebuilding effort. The Suns do not control any of their first-round picks until 2032. Green, 23, was the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, but the athletic scoring guard must continue to improve his consistency and efficiency as he progresses through his career. Brooks, 29, is a proven wing stopper. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Junior Caminero's solo home run (19)
Wynns blasts solo homer to level score in Athletics-Royals Athletics catcher Austin Wynns hits his fourth home run of the season to tie it up with the Kansas City Royals in the second inning at Kauffman blasts solo homer to level score in Athletics-Royals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area 0:48 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
