Cincinnati Reds: 3 overreactions from Opening Day loss

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Cincinnati Reds shortstop Eugenio Suarez (7) throws to first. /

The Cincinnati Reds did not get off to a fast start yesterday, falling to the St. Louis Cardinals 11-6. After inducing a ground ball out to the first batter he faced, Luis Castillo allowed the next five Cardinal hitters to reach safely and Dylan Carlson cleared what was left on the base paths with a three-run home run. St. Louis led 6-0 after the first half inning.

It certainly was not the Opening Day that David Bell and the Reds coaching staff had hoped for. While a certain section of fans have the mindset that the sky is falling, I prefer to take a much more optimistic approach. So what are the three biggest overreactions from Cincinnati’s Opening Day loss to St. Louis?

1. Eugenio Suarez cannot play shortstop for the Reds.

Yes, Eugenio Suarez‘s first chance to prove that he can handle the defensive duties at shortstop was a massive failure. In the bottom of the first, Suarez booted a ball, allowing it to reach the outfield and St. Louis’ newest acquisition, Nolan Arenado, crossed the plate making the score 3-0 in favor of the Cardinals. The next batter sent a three-run shot over the wall in right field.

The replay clearly showed that Suarez looked toward second base, hoping to turn a double play, before he actually secured the ball in his mitt. It was his first chance to make a big-time, inning-ending play, and it didn’t go his way.

In the second inning, Paul Goldschmidt sent a sharp ground ball to the hole, and while Geno made a nice play to snag the ball (that was 104.9-MPH off the bat), but an errant throw allowed the Cardinals’ first baseman to reach second base. He would then score on a base hit by Arenado.

Let’s be real, we knew that by moving Eugenio Suarez to shortstop, the Cincinnati Reds were sacrificing defense for offense. Shuffling the infield was the only was to get Jonathan India’s bat into the lineup. Let’s also not discount that this was Suarez’s first game at shortstop since 2018 when he played a grand total of 11 innings fielding the position.

This will be a work in progress, and it’s not as though Suarez was taking grounders at shortstop and preparing to play the position over the winter. Cincinnati was supposed to find a shortstop via free agency or a trade. They didn’t, so Geno will man the position in 2021. Give him time to adjust. It could be a great thing to have a shortstop capable of smacking 50 home runs.

CINCINNATI, OH – APRIL 1: Nick Senzel #15 of the Cincinnati Reds makes a diving catch for an out. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

2. Reds centerfielder Nick Senzel is made of glass.

There are tons of takes throughout Reds Nation that grow tiresome. The only one more overplayed than Joey Votto is paid too much money, is that Nick Senzel is injury-prone and the team should’ve traded him while they had the chance. Can we actually stop with negativity surrounding Senzel and try to lift him up for a change?

Senzel exited the game after making a spectacular catch in center field. The 25-year-old charged hard on a Nolan Arenado line drive in the top of the fourth inning. After securing the ball, Senzel popped up awkwardly and began to wince. Reds Country had a collective moment of, “Here we go again,” once it was revealed that the centerfielder was not returning to the game.

David Bell said indications are that Nick Senzel will be OK. He hopes to have him back this weekend. #Reds
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) April 2, 2021

The good news for the Reds is that Senzel appears to be okay, and Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer revealed that David Bell hopes to have him back in the lineup this weekend. Bell later spoke to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com about the decision to remove Senzel from the game:

“It was significant enough to come out of the game, but we probably won’t have the full knowledge of what to expect until tomorrow. I do think, indications right now, he’s going to be OK. We’ll just have to see how many days it will be. Hopefully we’ll have him back this weekend.”

The optimism from David Bell is encouraging, and hopefully we see Nick Senzel back in the lineup this weekend. If not, Cincinnati has good depth in the outfield. Even without Shogo Akiyama, who’s out with a hamstring injury, the Reds have Aristides Aquino, Tyler Naquin, and Mark Payton if Senzel is sent to the IL.

Yes, I understand that Senzel cannot help this team if he’s sitting at home, nursing an injury. But, the Reds can no longer get anything of value for Senzel in a trade, so let’s move beyond that idea. Senzel injured himself laying out for a ball with his team trailing by five runs. The hustle and grit is what makes him the player he is, and I don’t expect him to slow down. That’s the only way he knows how to play.

CINCINNATI, OH – APRIL 1: Luis Castillo #58 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the first inning. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

3. Luis Castillo is not an ace.

What in the world happened to Luis Castillo yesterday? Wow! That was one of, if not his worst performance since coming up to the big leagues. Was it the cold weather or his late arrival to spring training? Who knows? What I do know, is that La Piedra will bounce back from that dreadful performance the next time he’s on the mound.

To be fair, the next time he’s on the mound will be against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday afternoon; so let’s hope he gets batter results. Castillo didn’t even make it out of the fourth inning, going 3.1, allowing 10 runs on eight hits. The right-handed didn’t even have a strikeout. What?!

The Reds chose, wisely I might add, to allow Trevor Bauer to enter the free agent market last winter. Instead, the front office appears ready to hand the reins over the pair of Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray. Gray is on the IL and Castillo looked awful yesterday.

Castillo’s start was less than ideal, and perhaps the most obscure stat is that, of the 73 pitches La Piedra delivered, only 18 (25%), according to Baseball Savant, were of the changeup variety. According to FanGraphs, not only was Castillo’s usage of changeup down from last season, but so was the velocity.

Next. Winker should bat leadoff for the Reds

Remember folks, it’s just one game. With 162 on the slate, one game during the 2021 season doesn’t carry as much as it did during last year’s abbreviated 60-game campaign. Look for Suarez’s defense to improve, Senzel to return to the lineup, and Castillo to dominate in his next start. It’s a long season.

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