Elly De La Cruz had yet another multi-walk game, Christian Encarnacion-Strand homered again, and Matt McLain had another big game but the Louisville bullpen imploded in a loss, Edwin Arroyo hit a long home run and Julian Aguiar threw five strong innings in Dayton’s win, and Daytona got home runs from Hector Rodriguez, Cade Hunter, and Ariel Almonte in their victory on Saturday night.
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The Louisville Bats lost 13-11. Box Score
- Will Benson went 1-5 with a walk and 2 runs.
- Elly De La Cruz went 1-3 with 3 walks and 2 runs.
- Matt McLain went 1-3 with 2 walks, a double, run, and 3 RBI.
- Christian Encarnacion-Strand went 2-6 with a home run (9) and 2 runs scored.
- Nick Martini went 2-3 with 2 walks, a run, and 4 RBI.
- Michael Siani went 1-5 with a steal (5), home run (5), 2 runs, and 2 RBI.
- Jhonny Pereda went 2-5.
- Alejo Lopez went 1-4 with a walk, double, run, and RBI.
- Ryan Nutof threw a hitless inning with a walk and a strikeout.
The Chattanooga Lookouts lost a doubleheader
Game 1: 2-0 loss. Box Score
- Quincy McAfee went 1-3 with a double.
- Nick Quintana went 1-1 with a double and 2 walks.
- Rece Hinds went 1-3 with a double.
- Carson Spiers threw 2.0 perfect innings.
Game 2: 2-1 loss in 8 innings. Box Score
- James Free went 1-3.
- Daniel Vellojin went 1-2 with a walk.
- Ashton Creal went 1-3 with an RBI.
- Ivan Johnson went 1-3.
- Christian Roa was charged with an unearned run in 4.0 innings with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts.
- Manuel Cachutt threw 2.0 hitless innings with a walk.
- Stevie Branche was charged with an unearned run in an inning of relief.
The Dayton Dragons won 5-4. Box Score
- Blake Dunn went 1-4 with a walk and a steal (16).
- Edwin Arroyo went 3-5 with a home run (3) and 2 runs.
- Austin Callahan went 1-4 with a double, run, and an RBI.
- Austin Hendrick went 2-4 with a double, 2 steals (8), and a run.
- Tyler Callihan went 2-4 with 2 doubles, a steal (5), and 2 RBI.
- Justice Thompson went 1-3 with a walk and a run.
- Julian Aguiar was charged with an unearned run in 5.0 innings with 5 strikeouts.
- Donovan Benoit threw 2.1 shutout innings with a walk and 2 strikeouts.
The Daytona Tortugas won 10-4. Box Score
- Hector Rodriguez went 2-2 with 3 walks, a home run (6), and 2 runs.
- Cam Collier went 2-5.
- Cade Hunter went 2-5 with a home run (2) and 2 runs.
- Ariel Almonte went 2-4 with a walk, triple, home run (2), 2 runs, and 2 RBI.
- Yassel Pino went 1-4 with a walk and a run.
- Yan Contreras went 3-4 with 2 doubles, 2 steals (2), 2 runs, and 3 RBI.
- Chris McElvain allowed 3 earned in 5.0 innings with 4 strikeouts.
- Kenya Huggins threw 3.0 shutout innings with a walk and 4 strikeouts.
- Jacob Heatherly threw a shutout inning with a walk.
5/14 Game Preview
| Team | Record | Time (ET) | Probable | Box Score | Listen | Watch |
| Louisville | 16-21 | 1:05pm | Wong | Here | Here | Here |
| Chattanooga | 14-17 | 3:05pm | Phillips | Here | Here | Here |
| Dayton | 15-17 | 2;05pm | Acuna | Here | Here | Here |
| Daytona | 13-19 | 5:00pm | Pelio | Here | Here | N/A |
When it comes to the hitters in Louisville
McLain – needs to be up already. Newman’s OPS is somehow even .20 below what Myers has given the Reds in his terrible start to the year and Newman has options to be sent down. A 40 man spot is also is easy get just by moving Overton to the 60 day IL. Hopefully he gets to break in the new uniforms with the Reds on Friday because he has nothing left to prove at AAA
Benson/Hopkins – they’ll both eventually be up but who knows when. Myers is the easy choice of who NEEDS replaced but I think we’re stuck with him until the deadline so just keep wishing for his breakout. Fairchild or Ramos one should provide the other spot but they’re doing just enough right now to hang on.
De La Cruz – I think he’s ready now. The 1 for 21 start seems so long ago now and he’s just crushing everything where even his outs are 100mph+. The last hurdle was his plate discipline and I think he realized that because he’s stopped chasing and it’s led to 10 walks in his last 5 games and only 8 ks for the month in 55 plate appearances.
Encarnacion-Strand – here’s the one many will probably disagree with me on. The power is unreal but there’s some real big things to work on here with the patience at the plate. K% is skyrocketing in May for him and his walks are nonexistent. He’s got 23 Ks to 1 walk on the season and since the start of May he’s struck out 18 times (35% of his plate appearances) without walking once! He’ll get exposed swinging as much as he does at the highest level. He’s not on the 40 man yet so I think it’s fine to wait on him to make some adjustments here. I Wouldn’t call him up before Votto returns and we get to see what he looks like
I would agree with McLain coming up and CES staying and figuring out some plate discipline. I would leave EDLC down for now as well and see what McLain can do in the majors while letting EDLC get a few months in AAA. They need to figure out positions between those two, India and Steer (and maybe Barrero) so they can all get regular playing time.
Some other comments from today I’ll make in a separate post
Chattanooga – after some bad starts to begin the year I’m starting to feel good about Roa again. He and Richardson both pitched good today. Sucks that the offense down there can’t do anything unless Marte stays on fire. Too much talent in the lineup for that. Wish they’d scrap those balls they’re testing in that league.
Dayton – Love seeing Arroyo start to get hot and Hendrick is quietly on a nice run that I somehow haven’t paid much attention to yet until recently. Also Aguiar is really stinking good! That staff is loaded in Dayton with him, Petty, Acuna, Rivera, Farr, and Parks
Dayton – the teenagers are starting to all get going again! Ridiculously fun lineup to follow. If Balcazar was healthy that lineup could be scary 1-9
ACL season starts in just a few weeks. Haven’t seen a full roster released yet. Any idea how soon that might happen? I’m guessing Duno starts overseas but I’d guess Cabrera, Pineda, Sanchez, Antonia, and Ascanio would be the headliners before the draft. Any other bigger names I’m forgetting?
Probably not going to get an Arizona roster until opening day.
I’d imagine that by-and-large, unless there have been injuries, that the roster will be the guys that began the season in extended ST:
Some of these guys could be injured and rehabbing. This is the list from the start of April.
Awesome! Thanks Doug
Oh yeah, Carlos Sanchez …
Scary 1-9 in Daytona? Seven of the 1-9 last night were hitting .235 or below. Not a definition of a scary lineup.
Yep scary. Averages are down now but it’s a bunch of teenagers for the most part adjusting to a very pitcher friendly League.
When they figure it out (some already have) a lineup with the following is tough to top in A ball. What a shame Balcazar couldn’t continue his very good start the season
C – Tanner
1B – Pino/Triana
2B – Jorge
SS – Acosta
3B – Collier
LF – Hunter
CF – Rodriguez
RF – Almonte
DH – Stewart
I’m still not sure about Roa. Times I’ve watched him pitch are hot and cold, which is fine being the minors. It’s more than just missing with pitches, though, but missing by a lot. So I think he’s gonna have to become more efficient to succeed. True, he can’t have a run like he did at the end of last year without being able to string positive things together. But if you look at yesterday, 4 innings, 80 pitches 45 or so strikes. This is why he still seems a bullpen piece looking ahead.
we are gonna need to use a good asset for a starting pitcher.
Agreed. Hopefully that asset is “Cold Hard Cash,” because ownership is swimming in that.
Yeah the huge crowds, loss of Bally revenue and paying $25 million for a player that hasn’t yet played an inning, just screams pockets full of money.
Not very common for quality SP to be traded for cash only. Good SP ate in short supply.
Contreras is interesting. Has barely played since being drafted in 2019 but has 4 doubles in the three games he’s played this year. Maybe another one to add to the SS depth.
Contreras is considered to be someone who could be a steal for a round 12 pick. His defense is his strength. His bat was the greatest concern, then he had a wrist injury costing him a bunch of time. BA has him as projectable for more power based on his frame. Definitely a sleeper.
Now EDLC is just messing with Patrick. 3 more walks, no Ks. He’s now sporting a 12.25% walk rate and a 26.5% K rate.
We need a Tyler Hendricks to complete the set.
Louisville can score, and be scored upon, without limit.
I’m starting to get nostalgia for the 3 k .900 ops Elly. It made no sense but times were good.
Can’t believe their isn’t a real option for Tyler Hendricks or Tyler Hendrick or Tyler Hendrix anywhere in Baseball or this years draft unless we draft a basketball player
Crazy that we have arguably the 3 best hitters in the International league.
Abbott has got to show that he can maintain his stuff deeper in the game before he can expect a promotion to the next level.
Watching Dayton play last night showed one reason Austin Hendrick has been a disappointment. He hit a ball off the wall for a double last night, however had he not broken out of the batters box in a home run trot he would have had an easy triple. The fact that the pitcher balked prior to the next pitch could have cost the team a run.Luckily a teammate picked him up with a hit.
I’d buy this argument about Abbott if they weren’t running Luke Weaver, Ben Lively, Luis Cessa, etc out there.
Don’t believe they have long term plans for any of those guys. They are stop gaps. Abbott would be considered a long time member of the rotation and this the ability to go at lest 6 innings per start or 180 innings a season.
You’re right that they have no long term plans for those guys, but this division sucks out loud and the Reds are playing well enough that they need to make an effort to win. Andrew Abbott is a better choice than any of those guys. And he’s not so undeveloped that the difference in the tiny amount of development they may want should get in the way of that.
I’m with MK on this. I’m more interested in seeing if his stuff without the AA sticky ball can sustain in AAA. But I don’t think Abbott is all that far off, to be honest. As for the need to be competitive in the ML’s this year, and moving Abbott up to help with that, seems to me that it’s best to stick with the program (trust the process). This year is 100% about development, so when it’s best for Abbott’s development to call him up would be the right time to do that. This is probably nitpicking, given that he’s close no matter what or when he gets the calm.
When you’re close, even if you didn’t plan for it, you deviate. I’ll die on this hill.
Hinds, Cerda, Northcut, Vellojin, McGarry, Johnson are all “hitting” less than .200 in AA. Still young guys of course but some may be playing themselves off prospects list.
Add Torres to that list when he comes back as well.
Some of it is due to the new balls they are testing out in that league. Not really doing anyone much good pitcher or hitter
With Lodolo IL’d, and Stoudt optioned, the rotation is Greene, Ashcraft, Weaver, Herget/Lively/Bullpen. Off day Thursday can help the rotation a little, but they’ll probably need a fifth dude. Williamson spot start?
Hope McAfee gets called up to Louisville when EDLC and/or McLain get called up. Dude’s been balling out this year.
Would’ve been nice to keep Chase Anderson around