Observations from Cincinnati Reds’ 11-5 Loss to Rangers

For the second consecutive day, the Cincinnati Reds were blown out of the water, this time by the Texas Rangers. Despite a ninth-inning rally, the Reds still fell by an 11-5 score on Wednesday afternoon.

Here are some observations and notes from the game:

Pitching implosion: part II

While the Rangers’ bats didn’t bash the Reds as hard as the Giants did on Tuesday, they weren’t far off. They scored a pair of runs through the first three frames off of starter Tim Melville, including a solo homer by Mitch Moreland.

Blake Wood, followed with a shutout fourth by allowing another run in the fifth. Wood now has a 5.40 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in five innings, though he likely still has a leg up based on being the club’s only major-league signing of the offseason.

The floodgates were then opened against Ryan Mattheus, who gave up two runs in the sixth and couldn’t record an out in the seventh, allowing a two-run shot to a familiar face in Drew Stubbs. Mattheus may have been a staple in the bullpen last season, but it would be a surprise if that was the case this year, as he’s allowed seven runs and 10 hit through just three innings this spring.

After going cold for two innings against Zack Weiss, the Rangers took it to Caleb Cotham in the ninth. The offseason acquisition from the New York Yankees allowed four runs on five hits to dig the Reds into an even deeper, 11-run deficit.

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Lorenzen dealing with elbow ailment

The reason Melville got the start against the Rangers was because yet another Reds pitcher, Michael Lorenzen, is dealing with elbow tenderness. Elbow injuries are never something to take lightly with pitchers, but according to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, the injury is not considered serious and Lorenzen should return to throwing in a couple days.

Rodriguez heating up?

After a slow first week for left-field candidate Yorman Rodriguez, he seems to be finding his stride both at the plate and in the field. After hitting a single on Wednesday, he’s now picked up three hits in his last six at-bats. He also made an impressive play in the field, showing off his highly touted arm from right field by gunning down ex-Red Shin-Soo Choo at third base in the top of the first inning. Rodriguez has been lagging behind Jake Cave, Scott Schebler and Adam Duvall for an outfield spot to this point, but he looks to be making up a bit of ground.

Notes:

• Although he’s been flying under the radar, Tyler Holt continues to make a solid case for a backup outfield spot. He went 2-for-3 with a double on Wednesday and is now hitting .333 (5-for-15).
• It’d be a shame to not mention the comeback effort in the ninth inning. With five hits — including doubles from Joe Hudson, Blake Trahan, Bryson Smith and Phillip Ervin — a walk and a hit batter, the Reds were able to make a considerable dent in the Rangers’ massive lead. It wasn’t enough, but it was an admirable effort from some Reds minor leaguers.
• It wasn’t fair to mention Weiss’ day in the “pitching implosion” section, so let’s talk about it here. In his two innings of work, the righty was the only bright spot for the Reds on the mound all day, allowing two hits and a walk, while striking out one.
• Making the start at third base, Eric Jagielo picked up his first hit in a Reds uniform in the second inning.