PITTSBURGH — Cincinnati Reds general manager Walt Jocketty quickly put to rest any speculation that he might be looking to change managers after his team’s late-season collapse.
Cincinnati’s season ended with a 6-2 loss at Pittsburgh on Tuesday in the National League wild-card game. That followed a five-game losing streak to end the regular season.
However, when asked if he would think about firing manager Dusty Baker, Jocketty said, “I don’t think so. He’s signed for another year.”
Baker looked stunned when he met with the media moments after the final out Tuesday night.
“It’s very difficult because it’s like, I don’t know, unbelievable actually,” Baker said. “Our club has been through a lot of things on and off the field. Our club stuck together. We realize now that we still got some more work to do. We’ve got some improvements to make.
“It’s very difficult to come down to one game, especially the way we played. We got outplayed big time.”
The Reds qualified for the postseason for the third time in the last four seasons. However, they were eliminated in the NL Division Series in 2010 and 2012, then went out in the one-game wild card playoff Tuesday.
Before the game, Baker admitted that he felt some people might not appreciate with the Reds accomplished in recent seasons. They broke a 15-year postseason drought in 2010.
Baker is also 3-7 in elimination games during his 20-year managerial career.
“We’re in a society that there’s only one room at the top,” Baker said. “Again, I would like to think if you keep persevering, you’ll get to the top. If you don’t get to these settings, you have no chance of being a champion.”
Notes: RHP Mat Latos (floating bone chips in right arm) was unavailable for the NL wild-card game. … LHP Tony Cingrani (back spasms) left the Sept. 10 game in the second inning and didn’t pitch again in 2013. … RHP Jonathan Broxton (flexor mass strain in right forearm) went on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 22, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on Aug. 25. He underwent season-ending surgery Aug. 23. Recovery is estimated at six months. … RHP Nick Masset (right shoulder surgery in September 2012) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 21. He has been rehabbing since undergoing shoulder surgery last September. However, in his latest setback, Masset was diagnosed in August with thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition that will require surgery to correct.