Manager David Bell and his Cincinnati Reds need to figure out on their day off on Monday how to turn the feistiness and attitude they showed Sunday in a road loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates into wins.
The Reds (1-8) begin a three-game series at home against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night in a 6:40 ET first pitch.
On the day off, fans likely will be talking about the monster shot hit by first baseman Derek Dietrich that bounced into the Allegheny River on Sunday. Dietrich stood at the plate and watched the prodigious blast instead of at least walking to first base while viewing it.
Pittsburgh starter Chris Archer threw behind Dietrich the next at-bat, and a melee ensued after Archer was issued a warning and allowed to remain in the game. Cincinnati’s Yasiel Puig, Amir Garrett and Bell were among the five ejected.
“He had a great day,” Bell said of Dietrich, who later banged another ball our of the park for his third career two-homer game. “He performed great today, and it’s unfortunate that it’s acceptable that they’re allowed to try to intentionally hurt one of our players.”
Despite Dietrich’s offense, the Reds lost 7-5 on Sunday. And on Tuesday, Bell will send out flame-thrower Luis Castillo – a former Marlins top prospect — in hopes that the right-hander can break the club’s eight-game losing streak. Cincinnati’s only win was a 5-3 victory over the Pirates on opening day on March 28.
Castillo (0-1, 1.42) was the Pitcher of the Year in 2016 when he played for Jupiter, Miami’s Advanced A affiliate in the Florida State League. The Marlins later traded him – twice – to San Diego and Cincinnati, but the deal with the Padres was nullified when pitcher Colin Rea landed on the IL after his first Miami start.
Castillo, 26, has been outstanding in his two starts this season. In 12.2 innings pitched he has allowed just three hits and two runs while striking out 17. His only downfall has been his control, walking seven and hitting a batter.
Pitching hasn’t been the problem for the Reds. They pitching staff is a respectable 12th in team ERA at 3.68 in the major leagues and has surrendered just 32 earned runs, but Cincinnati is last in batting average (.170), runs (21) and hits (49). They have been shut out four times in nine games.
Like Cincinnati, Miami (3-7) is off to a rough start. After splitting a four-game series with the Colorado Rockies at home to open the season, the Marlins were swept in South Florida by the New York Mets and the Braves just once in Atlanta.
“It was actually a pretty good ballgame,” said Miami manager Don Mattingly of Sunday’s 4-3 walk-off loss. “We get two and make it a game. (Curtis Granderson) hit a big home run in the ninth to tie it.”
The Marlins’ power has been a big surprise this season.
The club has 11 home runs in its 10 contests. Marlins players hit their first 10 homers in half the amount of games (nine) than it took in the 2018 season (18).
Miami’s Jose Urena will make his third start and first on the road, but Cincinnati’s hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park might not be the best place for the right-hander to get his season on track.
Urena is 0-2, sports a bloated 10.38 ERA and has not worked through five innings in either start. He has been knocked around hard, allowing 16 hits and a homer in 8.2 innings.