Nick Lodolo ROCKED in Cincinnati Reds UGLY Loss vs Washington Nationals | Chatterbox Reds Game 34

Nick Lodolo ROCKED in Cincinnati Reds UGLY Loss vs Washington Nationals | Chatterbox Reds Game 34

Tell me when you’re bringing us back. This commercial break should be over soon here. Bring us back. Hey, what’s going on everybody? Happy to be here again. It’s a Saturday night. I’m Eric Phillips. I’m joined by my brother Corey T. Phillips. We’re going to sit here and watch the bottom of the ninth with you uh with our red legs uh needing a miracle here down six runs heading into the bottom of the ninth after a night full of uh of wild topics that we’ll get to uh you know after we get a chance to watch the game here. But let’s see how this ninth inning plays out and see if our boys can uh maybe rally against one of the league’s worst bull pins here for the Nationals. But kind of a tough night, Cory. Where’d you uh where’d you take it in tonight? Yeah, tough night at the ballpark, man. Definitely the uh the ups and downs of baseball. You u you feeling feeling real good coming off of last night’s win. Tyler Stevenson couldn’t look better and then kind of struggled really struggled today. So, definitely leaving the ballpark starting the ninth inning at least with a little uh little more of an uneasy feeling than we did yesterday. That’s for sure. Yeah, absolutely. You know, and it’s one of those things that, you know, you you’ve got the Nationals, a team that’s, you know, you kind like you said, you had them on the roast and tomorrow becomes a pivotal game to try to win this next set of games that uh, you know, finish up with a winning homestead. Uh, you you had seven games against teams that you you need to beat if you’re going to be relevant at the end of the season. And you know, you start off this with, you know, TJ Fredle and the top of your order coming up, and I’m sure we’ll get into TJ when we get back into the rundown and things, but there’s uh there there’s some top of the order uh situations that I think need to be addressed moving forward as he starts off with a 1-1 count. Salazar in for the in for the Nationals. Um their bullpen hasn’t been electric, but at the same time, they they’ve kind of stifled us. I feel like the the wind got let out of our sales there and after the the Marte blundered to end last inning. So, we’ll see how we can do, you know, maybe get a couple of guys on and at least make it interesting. You know, maybe help somebody hit an over runs red scored. Yeah, no doubt. So, we’ll see how this goes. Yeah, I feel like the winds really came out of this. It was on the Mod Rosario Tater. Yeah. No, that was that was a big piece of it, too. But we uh we’ve got 2-1 22 now uh here in the bottom of the ninth. Our reds are down six. It’s, you know, 115 as we try to cycle this thing back around and and salvage something tonight. Maybe give ourselves something to feel good about it going into tomorrow. Would love to see Mlan actually get something going. Um, and it’s uh it’s it’s going to be a tough one to kind of rally up. You got 410 tomorrow. Uh, you know, with the flying pig going on in the morning, so it kind of a crap day in Cincinnati from a weather standpoint, too. I threw seven tons of river rock around my garden trying to get things going. But as TJ flies out to left field, we’ve got one out here. And so we’re we’re two outs from being put out of our misery here in the ninth. But you know, it was it was an overall crap day from a weather standpoint. Never stopped raining right up until that 20-minute delay. Started this thing at 7:00. So curious to see, you know, what what spirits can look like tomorrow. I think weather’s projected to be a little bit better. I’m still going to be kind of on the chilly side, which I don’t think plays to our guys’ strength, but got Matty Mlan here with a 10. Would like to just see a good quality at bat here from Matt. He did hit a ball hard earlier in the game. Um, one of the hardest hit balls that we had according to Statcast for his only single. Uh, sitting up here at one for four. But, you know, hitting 160 in the two-hole is not going to play. It can’t play for long. There’s accountability and then there’s playing favorites. So, I think we’re starting to teeter that line with with with what uh what Tito’s got rolling out there. So, it’s hard. Go ahead. Hard not hard not to second guess the decision to keep him in a two- hole, especially with him struggling like he is. But if we know Tito, we’ll uh he loves to play the patience through the through some of the adversity. Yeah. And I mean, if he sees you as a star, he had patience with Ramirez and and Lindor both as they went through their struggles when they were getting started there in Cleveland. And so, he wasn’t there when they got started. They were pretty established by the time he came in, but he he gives he gives the stars leeway. And so if he sees Mlan as a star, maybe that’s the situation there. I know the chat’s been blowing up about the, you know, the game that Stevenson’s had and where’s Jose Trebinho and how in the world can we get our field general back out there, but you know, Ellie, not his best night either. Um, you know, he rolls one through the left side or through the right side. Um, could have been scored in there, was scored a hit, but as he drives one into the left center field gap, that’s what we need to see. That’s Ellie hitting the ball hard the other way. Here comes Matty Mlan. Matt, make a leg. Yeah. Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go. All right. All right. Little bit of life. Only down five. Yes, sir. Base runners, baby. We need base runners. Oh, and don’t tell me don’t tell that to Ellie. He’s probably going to try to take third here. Maybe he’ll try to get cute and hit that delayed steal like he did earlier in the game. That was That’s the kind of stuff that you’ve got to reel him in, man. He’s got to be a smarter baseball player than that. You’re down four at the time and he delayed steals to second base. I was ready to go in on him. Now he drives a ball into left center field. It’s kind of meaningless unless this thing comes, you know, to a miraculous fashion, in which case everybody put a shotgun out there in the uh in the chat and we’ll start shooting beers here live as as this thing goes off. So we got some we got some stake in the game. We got some stake in the game here. Uh speaking of stake, hope you had Sovereign on your tickets today, chat. Hope you guys had an opportunity to make some money before this abysmal Reds performance, but you know, we’ll we’ll get into that a little bit later in the recap as well. We got Gavin Lux up. Starts off with a 1-1 count. Got Ellie standing on second base down five runs. No need to move him. Just get guys on, you know, puts a pressure on this guy. Salazar is already at 12 pitches and two batters. So, let’s see what we can do here. Gavin Lux pops it straight up. Gonna go up in the air. Yeah, that was an adventure the last time. We need to hit those balls to Rosario. I’m not sure what happened. That seemed to work out pretty well. Yeah, I don’t know if the rain was falling or what was going on, but oh boy, had the the wobbly legs with that one going there, but that ball is caught. Now you’ve got two outs down to your last out. Down five, uh, you know, after Lux, uh, should be Spencer Steer coming up. So, I believe this one ends pretty quickly according to game day here, T. I think we might be a touch behind, but I think this one’s going to wrap up right where it’s at. Uh Spencer Steer sees his first pitch. Goes right down Broadway. Doesn’t jump on a fast ball first pitch tonight like he did last night when I got all over it. Sitting with an 01 count according to us and and where we’re at in our streams. Now he drives one, hits the ball hard right at Abrams. And that’s your ball game. Reds are going to lose this one 11 to six. It is a there’s a lot to talk about tonight. A lot of mistakes from all over the field the same way everybody contributed into the win last night. There’s a lot of contributors to the loss tonight. We’ll get into, you know, our boy Nicolo, Ty Stevenson, Matt Mlan. There’s a lot of issues everywhere. Uh and and a lot of blame to go around. Uh but a lot of blunders and just an overall sloppy game here. So, that’s going to do it for us on this side. We’re going to take a quick break and then we’ll be back on the other side. We’ll get into a box score recap and then get this thing going. High five left center field racing back to the round of elite central division champion in the air. wheel begin. [Music] [Applause] [Music] We [Music] fin you down the right field [Music] line for a free run home day by Raone Hernandez. Strike away and out away is Homer Bailey. Round ball to third. Frasier gloves throw to first and Homer Bailey for the second time in his major league [Music] career. Are you kidding me? [Applause] [Music] in league history taking seven home runs in the first game in the year in the first win. What a dream to his career Bruce. Hello and welcome in Chatterbox Reds. I’m Eric Phillips. I’m here with my brother Cory T. Phillips and we are excited to give you a recap. Although the game that we’re recapping wasn’t quite as exciting. Our Cincinnati Red legs lose one 11 to six. Uh an overall, you know, just a shaky night in in the Metropolis. So, it was really tough for our Reds. A lot of blunders all over the field. We’ll get into that. That’ll be our first topic. Our second topic is going to be Nick Lollo and the struggles that he faced this evening. Uh then we’ll get into Tyler Stevenson. You know, all that glitters is not gold after a two double performance last night and being our hero. Lot of issues from behind the plate. uh didn’t really come through with the stick at all either. So, it’s one of those uh you know, take one step forward, one step back with Tyler Stevenson. And then lastly, we’ll get into Matt Mlan and what this two-hole is going to look like with a 160 batter going forward. But before that, I think we’re going to get ourselves into a box score recap. Cory T, if you want to take it off. Yes, sir. Game number 34 from Great American Ballpark Reds versus Nationals. We had Trevor Williams versus Nick Leolo. Uh a little bit of a rough start for Lollo tonight, man. He uh started off started off rough in the first and that started the scoring in the top of the first. Uh Alex Cang with the left scoring CJ Abrams to make it one- nothing. Um it followed up by Luis Garcia Jr. sack fly the left scoring James Woods. So starts us off two to two to nothing already in the first. But the Reds bounce right back in the bottom of the first inning on a Spencer Steer double to left scoring Ellie um scoring Ellie and Fredo actually making it two to two. So, and then uh the later on was I think it was the second inning. Yeah, it was the second inning, Tyler Callahan records his first major league hit and his first major league RBI. Welcome to the show, Tyler Callahan. Jake, yeah, he did. Scoring Jake was uh 99.3 miles an hour off the bat. It was a hard hit ball for sure, but that uh put the gave the Reds their one and only lead, I believe, for the night. That put us up three to two, but the Nets even Nats got even uh in the fourth on an Amed Rosario line drive, making it three to three. Our Medario would then make a night of it. He hit a three-run tater in the sixth in sixth inning, pushing the Nat score to six to three. Nathaniel Lo would then follow it up with a base hit, scoring Woods, making it 73 nationals in the end of the night for Nick Lollo. Wrapping up a really rough night for Lolo. Night stat line ended at 5.1 innings pitched, 10 hits, seven runs. Six of them were earned. Um, two walks, the two walks end up being hit by pitches, which is definitely not not what you want, especially on 02 counts. and end up with four strikeouts on the night. So, not uh not what we were looking for out of Nick Lolo coming off of his best outing with the Rockies, but nonetheless, um the Reds would get one back in the bottom half of the sixth inning on a Jake Frley solo bomb. Uh that’s probably going to end up being our DSC drive or deep drive of the game. Jake Freley hit a 376 ft solo home run coming 97 miles an hour off the bat, making it 7 to4 Nationals. Uh the Nationals would get that run back in the seventh on a safety squeeze that Zuluetta elected to throw the ball to first rather than flip the ball to home which I’m still kind of questioning a little bit but that made it 8 to4 Nationals and they kind of really never looked back from there. The Reds were able to get Reds were able to get a run back in the eighth. Spencer Steer scored on a Noelie Marte popup that Amed Rosario lost in the lights. um let the ball hit the ground and Marte was then tagged out at second base on what we what we can consider to be questionable base running to say the least. But um that’s neither here nor there. We’ll get into that a little bit later. But uh the Nats were able to come back and pad the pad the lead against Luis May an RBI single from Nathan Low making an 115N gnats. And uh we were able to score one more run just to make it a little bit more interesting I guess there in the bottom of the ninth as Ellie drives in Matt Mlan on a u on a double 110 mph off the bat. Make it 116 Nationals. And that’s how your game would end up. 116 Nats. Rough night at the ballpark. What do you think E? Ah yeah. Well I’ll I’ll start on a good note. We’ll give this thing the old compliment sandwich. Uh that’s Ellie hitting a ball over 110 or over 108 miles an hour for the first time since April 12th. U and so we actually do see Ellie Daily Cruz hit a baseball hard. So that’s really nice to see. Um but then the blunders in the middle of this game are so frustrating. Um and it came from everywhere. It it wasn’t just one person. U Lollo had mental lapses on the mound. Uh Mlan boots a ball that starts that sixth inning rally for them. Marte not running with intent. I mean, the fact that he was even gonna challenge for second base gave it the opportunity there on the Ahmed Rosario drop fly ball. Um, but that could have been two runs and a runner on first base as you’re, you know, as you’re looking at that. Um, Yseph Zuluetta, I saw it a little bit differently. I don’t know that it was a guaranteed play. Um, he gets that thing with his glove side. If he attacks that from a different angle and is able to barehand it and get it to home, I think Tyler has a chance at tagging him out. But I think it’s bang bang at best there. But to not even look that direction, I think is is is where the air comes from Yospher there, especially and and they caught it out on the broadcast that he tried at the pitch before. I mean, it’s a safety squeeze. It’s got to be in your head as to, you know, oh man, what would I do if this bun actually gets down the very next pitch, he gets it down and he doesn’t make the right decision. Uh in in a game when you’re down three runs, the difference between three and four, we all know, is monumental and that puts you down eight to four and it seems like the game’s over from there. Um, yeah, I I think that’s that’s what gets us into our our situation here. But our deep drive of the game is is sponsored by Deep South Commodities. DSC is a leader in renewable commodities, bofuel production, specializing in used cook oil collection, aggregation, and sales. Visit deep south commodities.com for more information. Uh, and thanks as always to our friends at DSC. That deep drive is Jake Frillley’s 376 foot home run with a 97 uh.0 exit velocity. And so that is our deep south commodities deep drive of the game. Somebody’s lying there. Either Statcast is wrong or the markings on the wall in the outfield are wrong because he hit basically the 370 side. I understand, you know, I don’t know if it’s the launch angle or the the downward trajectory if that’s what they get six feet from, but he hit that ball 370 ft. I saw it on the wall. All right. Well, he got he got the extra six feet from Old Boy trying to make the the catch and he hit it with his glove, so it got really close there. So, it might have been a little bit of a windage from the glove right there. Yeah. And if you’ve ever sat on the other side of that wall right there in front row in the outfield, there’s actually like the yellow and then the little bit of a lip and then it’s hard concrete and that ball shot up off of his glove up into the stand. So, yeah, it was it’s one of those. It’s 376 ft. It is the only home run the Reds hit tonight, but good to see Jake get Goodwood on the bat on a night where the ball was not flying out of GAVP uh for us anyway. Uh, and it’s one of those, uh, I I’d like to see them, you know, start to play with a little bit more power, but, you know, tonight wasn’t the night. Our topics tonight, like I said, the blunders, uh, and and the mistakes made throughout the game. Uh, we’ll get into Nick Lollo. We’ll talk a little bit more about Tyler Stevenson’s efforts behind the plate, um, and at the behind the plate and at the plate this evening. Um, and then Matt Mlan in the two- hole. So, getting into the blunders, I’m going to I’m going to list them out here. Um, and to me, in order of importance, Matt Mlan’s there in the sixth inning, no runners on. I believe there’s one out at the time. Matt boots the ball at second base that puts a runner on. That gets preceded by uh a hit by pitch. Uh where Nicolo had was up 02. Uh hits a guy with a pitch and then we’ve got runners on first and second. And on the very first pitch, Nicloo doesn’t even turn around to look. They get second and third on a double steel. You thought Tyler Stevenson bobbled that ball a little bit and maybe should have had a play. I’m not sure that Espanol was awake at third base to the point that he could even make the throw if he wanted to. Um and so those all lead up to Ahmed Rosario hammering a ball for the you know the the third time tonight. Uh he hit every ball hard that that when he came to the plate um and he sends a three-run bomb out there and puts him up six to three and that really felt like the beginning of the end. Uh and really took wind out of sales there. U but then you’ve got Yosesefer not making the play at the plate. Yeah. And it just the the Marte base running issue there with a a popup that 99 times out of or actually I’ll say 999 times out of a thousand that ball is caught and there’s no you know situation where Marte would need to run for second base but he runs with no intent. Hangs himself out to dry to you know get tagged out at second base when what could have been a huge mistake with runners on either second and third or possibly even just first and third. Uh but but an opportunity to get some of those runs back that felt kind of like the nail in the coffin and and the actual end of the game uh in terms of what the Reds were trying to do from a comeback scenario. But overall thoughts on on the cleanliness of the game in a in a situation where we everybody contributed to a win last night. You just heard me list off six different guys that contributed uh some some pretty bonehead plays to a loss. Yeah, it’s it’s definitely frustrating, man. Hindsight’s always 2020, don’t get me wrong. Um, Noel V. Marte just it’s a base running blunder. I’ll be honest with you. When I I as far off a second base as he was and as close as the place was as close as the play was not, I assumed he started from first and just kind of waited on the popup and made a you know I mean just made a base running error that way. Then I realized he came from the plate. It’s just like ah what do you you’re not sure what you’re thinking there but it’s obviously hindsight’s 2020. You wish you had that one back. And speaking of the hindsight being 2020, the couple I I the base running aggression, I love I love limited dime with the aggression on on the bases, don’t get me wrong, but hindsight being 2020, sending Sant sending Santiago Espanol there right before the Tyler Callahan single, you know, I mean, that puts another that puts another run on. Mlan then comes follows it up with a single later in the inning. That puts us at a two-run lead. Might give us a little bit different complexion on the ball game. So, and then just the the uh Ellie getting caught on the strike him out, throw him out in the seventh. I understand it’s the fastest man on the planet, but by the same token, you’re giving up base runners when you’re down four and five runs. I down four runs and it’s a delayed steal. Four runs, four run deficit’s not the time to get cute. If you want to go, go, right? Like, you’re down four runs. They don’t care if you go. You’re almost a runner indifferent or uh base or defensive indifference at that situation. But, you know, it is what it is. you get the good and the bad with Ellie, you know, to see him come back and hit a ball 110 mph in the bottom of the ninth in a in a pointless or in a in a you know, kind of a garbage time situation, you know, that that’s good to see, but otherwise, this is a poor night for Ellie as well. Um, but Santiago Espanol, another great night. Goes three for four. Optimistic John, appreciate you down there in the chat filling us in there. We’re taking a look at the stats here as we go, but Santiago Espanol with the bat. Another reason why you got to find a way. He’s a right he goes in that’s a right-handed starter sees him three times gets two hits off of him. I mean that’s that’s awesome to see Santiago continue the streak that he’s on. That professional approach at the plate feels like it’s starting to bleed into some other guys. Gavin Lux not great. Uh you know at at the plate tonight but you know it’s it’s it’s a it’s a tough night all the way around. It’s cold, wet, rainy, little bit of a delay for the second night in a row. Third time in a week. I don’t want to make excuses for these guys, but when Tito talks about coming with an approach every night and a high energy and wanting to win each game, that effort tonight was not uh anywhere, shape, or form uh representative of that. Yeah. And I I mean, obviously when your when your starter starts off a little rough and has a has a rough night at the ballpark or has a rough night in the first inning, you know, it’s going to be a grind. And we just didn’t have the mentality to grind it out tonight, man. But that’s the ups and downs of baseball, man. You gota you gota love it and hate it all at the same time. Nick Loolo coming off of his best start. You got you I mean hopes were high with him on the mound. Tyler Stevenson coming off the the great day the great game yesterday and both of them just really struggled today. So it’s a high I did want to touch I wanted to touch something on that coming off his best start and that best starts in Colorado and they mentioned it during the broadcast that guys have that fatigue coming out of Colorado. That is kind of a bunch of malarkey. uh they they did a case study on that. 418 starts um dating back to 2017. 418 starts uh that that they looked at. Uh the earned run average afterwards was like a 4.18. Whereas for the rest of the season, guys that didn’t start in Colorado, those same dudes that went uh in their next start was a 4.25. Uh and so it’s actually they threw better in their start after Colorado than their start coming in. Um and so you hear that the the thin air fatigue and how your body recovers and things like that. you know, don’t want to be a a a sports scientist by by any stretch of the imagination, but in doing just a touch of, you know, five minutes worth of research, you find out that that start in Colorado should not have affected him. Now, the spin rate and things like that and where his feel for his pitches was, I think that’s where, you know, as we get into topic two here in Nick Lollo, uh, you want to remind us of his stats again tonight and and what you thought stats. Yeah. Yeah. Give me what was his final inning? final stat line, five innings pitched, uh 10 hits, seven runs, six of them were earned, the two walks, and then four strikeouts. So, definitely not his, uh, not his best work at all by any stretch of imagination. He definitely had to he had to grind through it. Was really really struggling with the breaking ball there in the first inning, was having trouble having trouble throwing strikes with it. But, um, like you say, all he can hope for is the next better outing next time. Yeah. And then six of those runs being earned of the seven that he gives up total, one of those going to Matt Mlan. The two hit by pitches both came on 02 counts. And that’s that’s where I think the the situation from Colorado to here. The feel for that breaking stuff. He missed on the inner half of the plate uh to right-handed batters a ton. He it was like he couldn’t figure out how to, you know, snap that thing off and catch that inside corner that when he’s dealing, he’s dotting that slider uh and the fast ball on opposite sides of the plate. Um, and he’s able to get a lot of swings and misses out there in Colorado. Tonight he only gets the four punch outs. Um, and he still throws upwards of, you know, close to 100 pitches. Uh, it just not his best. Um, and hopefully he finds a feel for it. I know, like I said, crappy weather again tonight, a lot of moisture in the air, a little bit on the chilly side, but you got to be a pro man and come back to this thing and understand that we’re trying to get on a roll here. Hunter Green goes out and gives you a dominant performance last night. you feel like we’re setting the table again and then it’s one step forward, one step back and you know it’s still a winning ball club as of now but Nick Lollo has got to be a better pitcher and a more consistent pitcher for us to get to where we need to go. I guess the the one good thing you can say and I think Trace has mentioned it all along the way that if Nicolo eats innings and and lasts an entire season from a health standpoint, it’s a great season for Nicloo. So the wins and losses in the ERA and and how everything goes from a performance standpoint are secondary to him staying healthy. at least tonight he did he did still seem to be okay and his velocity was still there. Um I think Lark had mentioned it on the pod or on the uh on the broadcast that you know it wasn’t physical uh you know it wasn’t anything from an injury standpoint or fatigue. He was just you know didn’t have a feel for it at the end of the fingertips with the breaking stuff tonight. Absolutely. So I mean you’re definitely going to have your ups and you’re going to have your downs but if you are feeling down lead us right into our boys from 8988. We always want to remind you you can call or text 988 anytime, day or night. The 988 suicide and crisis hotline is a place to get support for anything related to mental health. Whether it’s an immediate crisis, simply wanting to find out how to connect with care, or anything in between, 988 is a one 100% confidential, secure, and anonymous way to reach out for help when you don’t know where else to turn. To connect, call or text 988 or visit mantherapy.org to get help. It’s okay not to be okay. There’s 345 people on this on this uh call right now are on this on watching us here on YouTube and we appreciate every single one of you. We want to make sure that you like and share and subscribe and do everything that you can, not just here on YouTube, but also and wherever you get your podcast, whether it be, you know, Spotify or or Apple podcast, wherever that’s at. But when we talk about those guys at 988, 348 people now understand, reach out to somebody. If you need to drop a comment in our comments section, do whatever you got to do. We can we can get you that 988 number as soon as possible. Ingrain that number into your head. It should be just as popular as 911 uh in terms of how we treat it as a society. So really excited that they’re a partner here with Chatterbox Reds and a cause that Cory at I know you and I have had that hit home a couple of different times in our life. So 988 very important uh and we love that they they want to be a part of the show with us. So hate to hate to be a downer there, but we’ll get back into this Reds baseball here. Let’s talk about something else that kind of takes you down and that’s Tyler Stevenson. after coming out of the shootute yesterday and being absolutely on fire, he fades in the backstretch on this Kentucky Derby day, uh, and and absolutely has an abysmal game behind the plate, which is weird because I wrote down a note in the fourth inning where, man, he looked good on the play where he comes out from behind home plate on a on a bunt ball and gets an opportunity to turn and throw to first base. He bends down, picks it up, fires to first, they call him out. I’m like, man, that’s an athletic play. the oblique must be feeling okay after he hits the ball yesterday. This is going to be awesome. And now you’ve got a situation where he starts to not be able to take the ball out of his glove, throw it down to third base. He sails one into the outfield from behind the plate. There’s just a lot of big differences there where we want to make sure that uh uh one of those I I don’t want to get into a catching conundrum because José Trevvinho seems like a field general, but you’re seeing it in the chat. There’s a lot of people talking about why Jos Trevvinho needs to catch Nicolo. Uh, and I think Tyler Stevenson might settle into that role where he’s a DH most days. Uh, and maybe he’s got one or two specialty catchers or one or two pitchers that he catches uh, you know, for for special consideration. Maybe it’s Nick Martinez. Maybe it’s one of the younger guys when they get here. Whatever that situation is. But, you know, defensively, this guy was 61st in Major League Baseball in terms of pop time a year ago at 2.02. You know, it doesn’t get much worse than that. I mean, there’s only 30 baseball teams. He’s not just last. He’s not 30th. He’s 61st. So, the league has has two guys at the catcher spot with better pop time than Tyler Stevenson on average. So, it’s way Yeah. defense has never been a strong point. It’s always been the stick that keeps him in the lineup. We’re at a point now where we’ve got sticks and gloves, you know, sitting on the bench, and I’m not sure how long that’s going to last. Yeah. I mean, it’s a it’s a rough spot for Tyler Stevenson, man. we’ve got to come back in with two guys that have just been shining at the plate and shining behind shining behind the plate obviously too. So, it makes uh makes the bad game stick out a little bit more when everybody else is starting to shine. So, it definitely is a is a rock and a hard place for for Stevenson trying to come back in. Obviously, you hit the ground running last night, but when you have the blunders like you do today and you compare them to the the likes of what Trevino has been doing and what the likes of Austin Wins has been doing, it’s uh it’s hard to stay optimistic. But, by the same token, we talked about it last night trying to find somebody to play first base. We got there’s there’s another option for Tyler Stevenson. Put a first base mid on him and keep him in the lineup. Keep uh keep our options open at DH, that sort of thing. So, not sure what his glove would look like, but I am uh I’m not I’m not against it keeping his at bat in the lineup and keeping guys like José Trevino behind the plate. What are your thoughts there? Yeah. No, I if you keep José Trovinho behind the plate, you’ve got the field general. And I think that’s another part of why folks are so hard on Tai Steve in the chat tonight is, you know, who commands Nicolo better? Is it a focus standpoint? is a pregame preparation standpoint who handles the pitching staff in a way that, you know, makes them really excited to, you know, to to get out there. Tyler Stevenson’s been around for a really long time. Not sure what his extension looks like at this point, but somehow in a month and a half, Jose Travin was able to land himself a two-year deal. Um, I would imagine Derrick Johnson and the pitching staff had a lot to do with, hey, we want this guy calling pitches for us. We want this guy to be our our dude that we’re throwing to. Um, and the fact that the sticks come along, he brings that torpedo bat down from New York and and he’s absolutely been raking and so and then Austin wins gets hot. So he he’s he’s in like you say, he’s in between a rock and a hard place, but iron sharpens iron. Which way you going to go here? Uh, you can either, you know, you can don’t let them see your backup, which is getting hurt like Tyler Stevenson’s done year over year. Um, and so it’s you let them see their backup. Your backup produced at a level that you can’t right now, and therefore your your backup’s not the starter. So it it’s the same thing we talked about with Jammer Candelario allowing Noel Marte to see the field. Uh it’s you once you see it, you can’t put that cat back in the box, man. Like it’s it’s we you you’ve shown us how good this team can be and what good position play looks like from catching and third base and short and second. Don’t don’t make us settle for second best here while we’ve got a you know a decent a decent catcher sitting on the bench. All right. I hate to go to It’s two games into like I I I don’t want to terrible. Yeah, we’re we’re looking we’re going in really hard on a guy that had an off night. I mean, off nights are going to happen in baseball, don’t get me wrong. And the whole Trebinho thing, that’s not a knock on Tyler Stevenson. That’s about the approach that that Trevo brings to the ballpark. That’s Trevinho showing up two months before and asking for the video for our pitchers so he can get relatable with what they like to throw and where they’re comfortable and that sort of stuff. So, I don’t even necessarily think it was a so much of a knock on Tyler Stevenson as a look at this guy, look at the way this guy carries himself, let’s lock this guy up because we’ve got a a manager behind the plate. Yeah. No, absolutely. And I think the the coincidence of Nick Ledo having his worst outing of the season. Uh them stealing four bags on us tonight, which I don’t think Lollo helped him in that capacity either. Uh and everything kind of all happening at the same time. That’s where you lead to these like is the is the catcher doing the job? Like As much as we want to talk about wins and all the rest of them, that’s been happening all year long. We have one of the slowest pop times period between Trevinho and and wins and I mean that’s been happening all year long. It’s been that’s been on the uh on the chopping block for a while now. We need to get better defensively behind the police stopping the run. So, it’s I hate to put it all on Stevenson’s back and and I know it was four four of them tonight, don’t get me wrong, but by the same token that’s been happening on a regular basis, too. Yeah. No, that’s that’s understandable. And and like I said, it’s two games in. Don’t want to go too hard on Tyler Stevenson. He’s going to settle in. Hopefully, he’s back in that DH role tomorrow and gets an opportunity to to to come back against uh Gore, who’s a who’s a tough left-handed pitcher. So, you need your Tyler Stevenson. You need your Austin Hayes to get back and get healthy. Uh because we we have a lineup that could do damage against a left-handed pitcher uh as as opposed to what we were a year ago. But, uh getting into our last topic here, Matt Mlan’s hitting 160, boots a ball tonight. uh does score a run there in the in the you know bottom half of the of the ninth uh where you know we’re wear we’re in garbage time when Ellie smokes a ball but how long can you let a 160 hitter sit in the two-hole and just automatically get to play second base every day? Like that’s that’s the question. How how valuable is defense and how does Tito see him? Is he an all-star? Is he one of the guys that gets the longer leash because of he he proved it for what half a season? uh he’s got it the injury history he’s talked to Charlie I read Charlie Goldsmith’s article um and he talked about it’s not injury related he feels perfectly healthy but since he’s come back off that little IIL stint he had at the beginning of the year he starts on fire from opening day on goes to the IIL and since he’s been back he’s he’s been abysmal at the plate he feels like it’s coming around he did hit a ball I think over 100 mph tonight with his only single but he goes one for four with a walk and a hard hit ball but it’s still it’s the two-hole. We need we need to start producing a little bit more. How you feel about that batting? I mean, I I understand where you’re coming from there. Um it’d be different if he’s striking out and not putting the bat on the ball. My guy still he’s still got good X velocity. Um those balls are going to start finding holes eventually. I am from the I’m on the other end, especially after what we saw with Jake Freley because I was the guy. Send Jake Freley back down. Freley’s not going to get right. The guy’s garbage and then next thing you know, he takes off on a tear and we’ve got a solid right fielder because the guy’s a good defender. kind of feel like we’re in the same boat with Matt Mlan right now. We’ve just got How long do you let it go? I I don’t have an answer for that. Um me personally, I let it go till he gets right. But by the same token, you’re talking about a valuable spot in the lineup in a two-hole when you’ve got guys like Santiago Espanol and Gavin Lux and you giving you solid at bats at every every play. when those one and two holes are coming up more often than any any anybody else. I understand where you want your production from. But yeah, there’s there’s something to be said for patience. He’s got the fifth most of bats on the team and he served a little time on the on the disabled list. I mean, that that tells you we’re at 104 at bats. It’s it’s May, you know, whether you want it to be or not. It’s tomorrow’s tomorrow’s May the 4th be with you. Although to Star Wars night was at the ballpark tonight. We’re celebrating we’re celebrating Sinko on Monday, man. It’s uh it’s it’s not time to, you know, start thinking, you know, do we have the right things in place? We’re not in spring training anymore. It’s it’s time to get moving. We we’re a couple weeks removed from that IIEL stint. Things have to start picking up because you’re talking about a second a two-hole hitter that’s averaging as a as has a 567 OPS. The average second baseman in Major League Baseball has a 700 OPS. And so when you talk about like where are we? We’re not just, you know, worse than what Matt Mlan, it’s not just Matt Mlan struggling and he’s not playing his best. He’s playing below league average at this point. You know, we say all you want about the defense, but tonight he boots the ball in a big spot. It wasn’t even a big spot, but his boot led it to be a big spot. And then Ahmed Rosario absolutely smokes that ball to left field and everybody in the ballpark knew it was gone from the time it left the bat. Um, but you we’ve got to get better. If you can get to major league average at second base, Ellie starts to or continues to produce. I I think where we’re at is it’s it’s still a wait and see. I I we got about one more week left. Um, but I at some point in time, the hard-hitting questions have to get into those press conferences. So, put your manager hat on. Where you putting him? What are you doing? You dropping him in the lineup? You giving him days off? What What are you doing? I’m actually I’m more of a fan of TJ Friedel in the two-hole uh than than I or I’m sorry TJ Fredo u dropping down in the lineup with Matt Mlan. I like Gavin Lux in the two-hole. Uh and it’s either hitting in front of Ellie. I I like Ellie moving up to the two as well so that he sees more at bats. Ellie’s leading the team in 127 played appear or uh 144 played appearances. TJ Fredo’s at 143. Um, but it’s also uh Ellie’s played more games uh than than TJ has. And so that that top of the order comes around quicker. Ellie ends a couple of innings tonight. Um, I I don’t like Ellie leading off innings. Um, but I I would rather see Ellie in that two-hole. I’d drop Matt Mlan probably down to the six. I get him in behind when Austin Hayes is healthy. I get him behind Austin Hayes. I get him behind Spencer Steer for the time being. Um, and I I give him an opportunity to kind of reset the bottom of the lineup where you’ve got some contact hitters in Trevinho and Espanol. uh and and where those guys are going to be because if Matt gets right, Matt’s a devil’s machine. If he’s standing on second and you’ve got Santiago Espanol or José Trovinho with the bat in their hands with less than two outs, I like our chances. I I like our professional guys to move Mattie ahead and and you use that extra base hit potential uh to to get us going. I I don’t disagree with you. I um I am of I’m of the accord. I like Ellie hit lead off, too. I want I want my guys getting getting the most of bats they possibly can. And I I am against the I’m against you. I guess I I guess I should say in the whole I don’t like Ellie leading off an inning. I do. I like Ellie leading off an inning just you got your most speed and your your biggest chance to score a run getting on base first and it’s only the leadoff spot once. After that you’re just another spot in the lineup. So I I I know you love the uh the thought of the TJ Fredo nine the 912 having that having that turnover there. I I I do I do en I do kind of enjoy that. I like having that kind of speed and that kind of contact at the end of your lineup to roll it back over to your best hitters. Um, ideally I’m batting Ellie one and probably Gavin Lux two or maybe even um vice versa, honestly. But those are your two best at bats right now. Whatever we got to do, get MLAN right. I I obviously don’t know what the answer is. Um I I’m leaning more towards patience. I feel like he’s going to get right. Some of those balls are going to start finding gaps and and once that happens, then then the ball starts rolling from there. But like you said, we we we’ve got to get right. We’re below average right now at second base and we’re below average in the two- hole. So things like that can’t continue to happen if you’re going to have a winning ball club come September. Yeah. And and we need a second superstar, right? I mean, you’ve had a lot of contributors over the last couple weeks. Um when you get on this heater, uh you know, the fiveame winning streak or when you win a couple in a row coming out of the Cardinal series and the first game of this Nat series, Tyler Stevenson steps up. Uh tonight, Tyler Callahan looks like he delivers a big blow that’s going to give us the opportunity to run away with a game. Um, you’ve got uh Jake Frillley starting to hit the ball well. TJ Fredo’s contributed. Ellie’s contributed. Everybody seems to be in on this game except for Matt Mlan. And so at at some point in time, you need that second superstar to come up with Ellie. You need that guy to protect Ellie, not just behind him, but also in front of him. If Matt Mlan is the Matt Mlan that he can be, and he’s hitting in front of Ellie and Austin Hayes is right behind him, Ellie’s going to see more pitches and we’re going to start to see the ball leave the yard at a higher rate. But until then, how afraid are you to pitch to Matt Mlan? And how afraid are you to pitch to like Gavin Lux tonight? Gavin Lux is a is a great professional hitter. I don’t know that he’s hitting for the power that we need uh in terms of like clearing the bases. I don’t know the extra base hits and things like that are there. I I roster management is what it is. I mean, I think a lot of people are going to say that, you know, the order doesn’t matter. You got to go out and play and it’s nine on regardless of how you slice it. But I would like to see us build uh to to something and roll on this train of accountability. There’s a lot of blame to go around tonight. But I feel like there’s been a lot of blame building up behind the second baseman and and Matty Mlan’s got to start coming to the ballpark with uh a different mindset at the plate. Start producing somewhere. Hit the ball out of the ballpark. You know, the average could be what it is if you’re getting a lot of extra base hits. But, you know, where we’re at right now doesn’t work. And I feel like it’s the leading contributor as to why we’re not winning ball games. uh when we do take it on the chin. So, still 18 and 16, still a very good baseball team. Uh the Brewers do get beat again tonight by the Cubs. I believe the Cardinals were rained out. Um still looking Pirates are two to one, get beat two to one. And so, uh the Cubs continue to build their lead here in the in the Central. I believe that puts them ahead at three games. Uh still leaves us at second place here in the NL Central. But, you know, it you don’t want to let this one get away. Uh you’ve got a winnable series tomorrow. Um, you want to tell us a little bit more about what we’ve got lined up for tomorrow? I’m sorry. What? I was I was looking stuff up, man. I’m sorry. No, you’re good. Looking at a different screen. No, you’re good. You want to tell us a little bit more about what the what’s our pitching match up tomorrow? Oh, pitching match up tomorrow is Mackenzie Gore versus Nick Martinez. And Mackenzie Gore is throwing the ball really well right now. He’s got one of the higher swinging swing and miss rates going coming and going. So, it’s going to be going to be a tough day at the ballpark, man, against a really good left-hander, but hopefully Nick Martinez can come out and give us give us the juice he’s been providing us the last couple outings. And uh we can we can start to score some runs, man. Get some production out of the front part of that lineup and and keep rolling in the back half. Yeah. And and if you do, I mean, you you’ve got a big hook coming in, Mackenzie Gore, right? I I I think the fast ball’s in the low to mid 90s. Um but that it’s the big hook in the breaking ball that really can put you away and make you look silly. I would love to see us come up with a lot of right-handed bats tomorrow and work on pushing the ball the other way. I want to see Ellie hit a ball through the gap between, you know, first and second. I want to see uh, you know, Gavin Lux maybe take a day off. I want to see Tyler Stevenson push the ball the other way. Trevino, Espanol. I want to see good at bats and and maybe get him out of there in the fifth inning, see enough pitches, work him around, foul some things off and do, you know, scratch, fight, and claw because you’re going to need some runs. Uh, and and although you may not get him early, but Nick Martinez is going to be Nick Martinez. You know, are we going to get bullpen guy or are we going to get I’m here to be a starter and nobody’s taken my spot, Nick, because it’s been kind of jack on high with them throughout the season. Um, but I I I do want to see uh, you know, what these guys can do. And I I would like to see, you know, just a better approach at the plate tomorrow against a left-handed pitcher. I think it’s a game that is still winnable. Not nearly as winnable as tonight. The Reds were minus 160 on the money line before this game started. uh and you’ve got a significant pitching advantage looo o over Trevor Williams and and to to lose that game the way that you did um in in such an ugly fashion kind of it stings a little bit. We need to get right tomorrow because then you got an opportunity to go up and take a sweep against the White Socks uh and continue this get this thing going. Uh don’t forget tomorrow is a 410 start. Very weird time for a home Sunday game, but it is a 410 start because the Flying Pig Marathon’s in downtown tomorrow. Where could they where could they uh get tickets if they did want to get tickets? Yeah. So, Game Time’s the official ticketing partner of Chatterbox Sports. I mean, I love getting them. I’m going to take a look right here. I’m going to do everything but buy. Tickets did go up from yesterday. I believe last night I told you they were $10 for Sunday. Now, they’re 31. So, they they do rise. They they eb and flow with the game. And as demand picks up, I think a lot of folks have have sat through some rain and figured they’d just come down on Sunday or they’re sticking around for half the marathon, but tickets have been gobbled up. Um, you can get into the ballpark. Uh, actually, never mind, I’ll take that back. You can get into the ballpark for as cheap as $16 tomorrow and that’s sitting in the lower level uh if you’re looking for a pair of tickets. I love what they do. They’re all in pricing. Shows you the total uh with fees before checking out. Uh they have panoramic seat views in the app. Event cancellation protection. Automatic full refunds for events that are that are canceled and not rescheduled. Uh the lowest price guarantee or game time will credit you 110% of the difference. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app. Create an account. Use the code seox for $20 off your first purchase. terms to apply. Again, create an account and hit the redeem code CBOX for $20 off. So, if you wanted to go down, snag a pair of tickets. It’s your first time using Game Time. You’re going to get that opportunity to go in, you know, maybe buy buy a nicer seat knowing that you got 20 bucks to the good in your name to use on those tickets for tomorrow. Send these guys out with the winner. Get some atmosphere in that ballpark. I think I am actually going to make the trip down. Uh weather looks a little bit better. I think we’re going to see some rain in the morning, so those marathoners will be a little, you know, looking like drowned rats coming back in back in. But, uh, I I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. Um, I I do like I I think Nick Martinez, Nick Martinez can be that guy, uh, that kind of stops this little bit of a slide and poor play. I hope they come out a little bit sharper tomorrow and we finish this thing off with a bang, another winning home stand. I I love the idea of carrying three winning pods and out to Chicago with us. So what what whatever we got to do to get that done. We you know if you if you have a chance get on game time snacks and tickets I’ll see you down at the ballpark tomorrow. But uh yeah no other than that Reds lose 116. Hate to see it but it puts us at 18 and 16. We are still a winning baseball team here in Cincinnati. Uh if you told me that on Cinco de Mayo or on on May the 4th be with you the Cincinnati Reds would have a winning record. Sign me up. I’m I’m all there for it. Uh hopefully a better effort out of our boys tomorrow. Mackenzie Gore um versus Nick Martinez starting at 410. Cory T, you got anything else for everybody? As always, go Reds. [Music]

Cory and Eric Phillips will be live in the 9th Inning.

The Cincinnati Reds host the Washington Nationals at Great American Ball Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025, in a matchup that highlights contrasting team dynamics and early-season performances.

The Reds enter the game with an 18–15 record, showcasing a balanced and potent offense. Elly De La Cruz leads the charge, offering a dynamic blend of power and speed. Supporting him are Austin Hays and Spencer Steer, contributing timely hits and solid defense. As a team, the Reds boast a .393 slugging percentage, ranking seventh in the National League.

On the mound, left-hander Nick Lodolo is slated to start. With a 3–2 record and a 2.25 ERA, Lodolo has been a reliable presence, consistently delivering quality innings and limiting damage. His performance, coupled with a bullpen featuring arms like Alexis Díaz and Fernando Cruz, gives the Reds confidence in both high-scoring and close-game scenarios.

The Nationals, with a 14–19 record, have faced challenges, particularly on the road where they hold a 5–12 ATS record. Offensively, they’ve struggled, hitting the team total under in 14 of their last 19 games. Key contributors include Keibert Ruiz and Luis García Jr., but the lineup has yet to find consistent rhythm.

Starting pitcher Trevor Williams takes the mound for Washington. With a 1–3 record and a 5.70 ERA, Williams has faced difficulties in limiting damage and working deep into games. The Nationals will need a strong outing from Williams and early run support to alleviate pressure on their bullpen, which has shown flashes of effectiveness but remains inconsistent.

The Reds will look to capitalize on their home-field advantage and the momentum provided by their dynamic offense. With Lodolo on the mound, they aim to establish an early lead and maintain control throughout the game. For the Nationals, a disciplined approach at the plate and a quality start from Williams are crucial to challenging the Reds’ momentum and securing a road victory.

Fans can expect an exciting matchup as both teams aim to build momentum and make their mark in the early part of the season.

Chatterbox Reds is your home for coverage all season long for the Cincinnati Reds with LIVE post game shows after EVERY game on YouTube, and NEW podcasts the morning after every game (including weekends)! SUBSCRIBE to the channel and turn on notifications to ensure you never miss a thing!

PODCAST LINKS:

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Player FM: https://player.fm/series/3450767

Andrew Abbott, Julian Aguiar, Graham Ashcraft, Scott Barlow, Emilio Pagán, Fernando Cruz, Alexis Díaz, Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Nick Martinez, Tony Santillan, Carson Spiers, Brent Suter, Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson, Tyler Stephenson, José Trevino, Jeimer Candelario, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Santiago Espinal, Jonathan India, Noelvi Marte, Edwin Ríos, Will Benson, TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Stuart Fairchild, Austin Hays, Spencer Steer, Jacob Hurtubise, Blake Dunn, Cooper Bowman

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