2014 Spring Training Cactus League Reports – Reds vs. Padres
2014 Spring Training Cactus League Reports – Reds vs. Padres
By Doug Upstone of Sports Watch Monitor
One of the advantages of living in the Phoenix area besides the weather this time of year is the ability to see spring training baseball. This is where you can see half the teams in baseball and be able to draw strong conclusions for wagering purposes on season win totals.
We continue our coverage in Peoria, where the Cincinnati visited San Diego.
The Game: For the Padres, it was a split squad game and they needed better pitching for this affair as they were hit hard in a 15-4 thumping.
San Diego starter Tyson Ross showed good command and utilized his hard stuff to get Cincinnati hitters out in his two innings of work. Other than top pitching prospect Matt Wisler (two innings, no runs), the rest of the Pads pitchers were hit diligently which included Burch Smith, who lacked command and reliever Anthony Carter whose velocity was down noticeably having seen him earlier in the week.
The Cincinnati offense was in all its glory, ripping the ball from foul line to foul line and should have had two home runs, but the centerfield background wall is at least 40 feet tall and two balls caromed off if it at over 420 feet.
The Reds defense was already in top form as SS Zach Cozart, 2B Brandon Phillips and 1B Joey Votto all made Sports Center worthy plays.
Reds Fortunes: Cincy has won 90+ games three times in the past four years and went to the playoffs where they exited hardly without a whimper. Reds owner Bob Castellini wanted greater results and less tease and jettisoned Dusty Baker, moving up former pitching coach Brian Price to the hot seat.
Price will still be working with one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and hopes for a complete return of Johnny Cueto and Sean Marshall in particular. If everything works out, the Reds should again have one of the top pitching staffs in baseball and arguably the most dominant closer in Aroldis Chapman.
Cincinnati was never in the running for the continued services Shin-Soo Chin, which leaves a large void at the top of the lineup card. Chin had a .423 on baseball percentage batting leadoff and added 21 home runs. Speedster Billy Hamilton is the likely candidate to take over, but he has zero power and as everyone knows you cannot steal first base.
Joey Votto again led the team in on-base percentage, but his 73 rbi’s was a source of irritation to Cincy fans who would like to see him be less selective and take more chances with the stick in his hands to drive in runs. Speaking of sticks, Jay Bruce certainly is one.
At first glance, the Reds appear weaker and that is reflected in their win total being down to 84.5 according to oddsmakers. We’ll make an official call when we see them again later this month.
Padres Prospects: What you have to like about San Diego is despite not having a roster rich in talent, they have a number of everyday players and pitchers that are above average and if they collectively could have good years at the same time, it could be fun being a Padres fan again.
GM Josh Byrnes did not tinker with the non-pitchers, believing having a healthier team will improve the offense and comfortable that his bench will yield better results. Opposing scouts admire how hard skipper Bud Black gets his team to play daily, but they need more output from the positions that demand power and they cannot have 2B Jedd Gyorko lead them in home runs again with 13.
With rare exception, the Friars five starting pitchers should not be overmatched in any given series. Andrew Cashner might not be a top ace, but he’s solid and the other four hurlers will give them a chance, backed by a good bullpen.
San Diego began 5-15 last year, which buried them to start the season. It will not be any easier with 13 contests against teams which finished over .500 last season, plus six battles San Francisco before April ends.
If the Pads can emerge .500 by May 1, they should have a legitimate shot at beating their projected win total of 79.
