Cincinnati Reds: Three takeaways from the Opening Day victory

2. Big bats silenced against Pirates pitching

Jameson Taillon made short work of the Cincinnati Reds’ best hitters. The Reds’ 1-5 hitters in the lineup were a combined 1-for-18 (.055). That won’t be the case all season and especially when Scooter Gennett returns, but it’s nice to see that the team can manufacture runs without their best bats contributing.

More from Blog Red Machine

• Reds vs. White Sox: Pitching preview, prediction, and more
• Reds: Reiver Sanmartin adds another twist to offseason roster construction
• Reds: Signing Tyler Mahle to a contract extension should be a top priority
• Reds: Reiver Sanmartin should get first major league start vs Pirates
• Reds should unquestionably bring Wade Miley back in 2022

Joey Votto, who was hitting in the No. 2 hole, was the only player in the top of the Reds’ lineup to get a hit. Votto crushed a double to right-center in the first inning but was stranded at second base after Yasiel Puig struck out and Eugenio Suárez popped out to second base.

Jesse Winker got off to a woeful start going 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Winker was batting leadoff and was replaced in the field by Scott Schebler late in the game when David Bell decided to bring in Michael Lorenzen to play center field.

Speaking of Schebler, he too struggled mightily in his 2019 debut. Schebler, who beat out Nick Senzel for the starting center field job, went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts. Matt Kemp, one of the Cincinnati Reds’ offseason acquisitions, did not get an at-bat in the game.

The back half of the batting order more than made up for the lack of production, as José Peraza, José Iglesias, and Tucker Barnhart went 5-for-10 (.500) with 2 RBIs and 4 runs scored. Derek Dietrich provided the biggest pop of the afternoon with a 3-run pinch hit missile to right-center in the bottom of the seventh to give the Reds a 5-2 lead.