LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: Will Benson

  • De La Cruz Goes Deep But The Reds Fall Short Again

    De La Cruz Goes Deep But The Reds Fall Short Again

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – When a big time athlete like Elly De La Cruz throws up on the field, you know just how hot it is. On a blazing June day in St. Louis, the Reds looked to bounce back after a series opening loss last night. And for a shining moment, it looked like they just might pull it off. But once again, Cincinnati found themselves on the wrong side of an infuriating close loss against a division rival.

    After Wade Miley’s recent injury, Terry Francona opted for a bullpen day on Saturday, and Brent Suter took the mound to open things up. He went two innings and gave up a two run shot to Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson. After that it was time for Nick Martinez.

    And to his credit, the Reds’ Swiss Army Knife did everything that Francona asked of him by entering the game in a relief role after getting rocked in his last start two days ago against Minnesota. He’s shown time and again that he will do whatever is necessary to help this team win, and he did that again. Martinez tossed two perfect innings and threw just 18 pitches to get it done.

    Ian Gibaut then entered in the fifth inning with the game still within a run. He issued three walks, demonstrating another frustrating lack of command. But the Reds made it out of the inning unscathed thanks to a wonderful back-pick by Tyler Stephenson and a double play on a sharply hit line drive that was caught by De La Cruz.

    After mustering just one run in the first game, Cincinnati had chances aplenty in this one to break out. In the third, after the Reds got a run after Gavin Lux grounded into a double play, De La Cruz hit a monster 110 MPH shot into center field and got to third. But the speedy shortstop was cut down trying to score after the Cardinals had some trouble with the relay throw.

    But Cincinnati buckled down and played some power ball to plate big runs. Matt McLain once again showed how much he’s improving with time. His ground rule double in the seventh was a part of a three hit day for the Reds second baseman. He’s now hitting .281 in his last ten games and has raised his season average to .209, after it had been down around .180 for a sizable portion of the year.

    But more importantly, that double paved the way for Elly De La Cruz’s 17th long ball of the year, a 435 foot shot that went off the bat at 107 MPH. The two run stroke put the Reds up 4-2.

    Lyon Richardson followed Nick Martinez’s example with two clean innings of his own. His 21 pitches were extremely efficient and well placed. He now has a 1.99 ERA on the season and is looking better and better with each outing.

    Things did not go so well for Tony Santillan unfortunately. In the eighth he secured the first two outs before surrendering a bevy of singles that brought St. Louis to within one. The four singles were the most that the Reds reliever allowed in one inning. That forced closer Emilio Pagan out of the pen an inning early, but he punched out  Wilson Contreras with a bully style 97 MPH heater to close the inning and keep the Reds ahead.

    But in ninth inning Pagan made a tough mistake to Nolan Arenado who launched a 383 foot home run to tie it and send the game to extra innings. Neither the Reds nor Cardinals excel. While Cincinnati managed to magnificently escape a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the tenth, only to fall in the bottom of the eleventh to a Yohel Pozo single to drop the second straight game.

    The most frustrating thing is how the Reds have failed to perform in extras this year. They have now failed to score the “ghost runner” in 7 of 8 total extra innings played this year (this is their sixth extra-inning game). The same issues came into play again today. Spencer Steer advanced to third on a wild pitch with no one out in the eleventh but he was stranded there to waste yet another opportunity.

    The Reds now fall to 10-15 against the National League Central. They desperately need to win games like this one to get back to relevance in the division, and today’s implosion certainly doesn’t help. For all the momentum Cincinnati has generated they must now avoid the sweep tomorrow, and with Andrew Abbott on the mound they are in a great position to get it done.

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    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

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    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • The Reds Bats Go Quiet In Series Opening Loss to the Cardinals

    The Reds Bats Go Quiet In Series Opening Loss to the Cardinals

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – The Reds offensive struggles in St Louis on Friday night brought back a lot of unpleasant memories. But it happens to even the best and most expensive lineups, as the New York Yankees found out this month. Still, with the way the Reds had been efficiently hitting the ball in their past four series, the hope was that they’d keep that momentum going in their crucial three games against the Cardinals.

    But St. Louis starter Andre Pallante put a quick stop to any positivity Reds fans may have had. Over six innings he dominated Cincinnati hitters, giving up just a pair of hits and striking out four. He’s had the Reds’ number for some time now, and his latest outing was no exception.

    Gavin Lux had a game he’d likely prefer to forget. His error allowed two runs to cross the plate and he was 0/4 at the plate, stranding two men on base. It’s important to remember that Lux has barely played a handful of  games at third base though, but his throw in the bottom of the seventh was a big part of a bad inning for Cincinnati.

    The only run came on a Jose Trevino double in the top of the eighth. But that was all they could muster in a night where the bats were frustratingly impotent. They managed just four hits on the night and stranded five men on base.

    When all is said and done, the Reds simply can’t allow this offensive hiccup to become a long term trend. And based on how they bounced back from adversity in the entire month of June, there’s no reason to believe it will. Tonight they just ran into a good pitcher who had their number.

    Additionally, the bullpen picked an inopportune time to self destruct. It was a relatively close game until the bottom of the seventh when Scott Barlow, Taylor Rodgers and Tony Santillan let the Cardinals break the floodgates wide open and put the game out of reach, allowing five crippling runs.

    Brady Singer deserves a lot of credit for his tenacity tonight, as he matched a lot of the fire that Pallante brought. Singer struck out seven over six strong innings as well. This is his second great outing in a row with 12 innings pitched and 11 strikeouts, while allowing just two earned runs.

    This series opener is one that we should learn from, but quickly move on from. Against the Guardians and Tigers, Cincinnati had some ugly games, but stayed focused to, on balance, have a great stretch run.

    That’s exactly what we need to see in the next two games of this road trip in St. Louis. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Also, don’t forget to follow us at The Loveland Sports Desk at the below links:

    For Facebook, click here.

    For X, click here.

    For Instagram, click here. 

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • The Reds Fall But Win Their Fourth Straight Series

    The Reds Fall But Win Their Fourth Straight Series

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – The Reds may have fallen to the Twins on Thursday afternoon, but they have absolutely turned their season around these past four series. They are 9-3 over that span, batting .276 and they’ve averaged almost 6 runs per game. Cincinnati has swept the Diamondbacks and taken the series against two of the American League’s best (on the road) against the Tigers and Guardians.

    They’ve gotten plenty of help from the usual suspects. Elly De La Cruz is hitting .295 in his last 12 and he is slugging .636. TJ Friedl is getting on base at a .389 clip.

    But it’s some struggling Reds who are beginning to raise some eyebrows and show some signs of a turnaround. None more so than Matt McLain who is hitting .308 during this 12 game window, with two home runs and seven RBIs. He’s hit safely in 10 of those last 12 and he’s seeing the ball better, walking five times. And McLain’s defensive skills have been on prime display as well, in addition to his offensive renaissance.

    Spencer Steer has had his issues this year but this little run has seen him hit .268 with 11 hits in those 12 games. He’s collected seven RBIs of his own.

    And no Reds recap would be complete without a dive into the dominant year Andrew Abbott is having. He’s 6-1 on the year with a miniscule ERA of 1.84. His command has been exceptional this season and he is a stabilizing force for this rotation.

    All of this has been accomplished with key players out due to injury. Imagine what this team can accomplish when we see the return of Hunter Greene, Austin Hays, Noelvi Marte, and Graham Ashcraft? Their talents combined with the improving play of McLain, Steer, and others could be the boost this team needs to make a playoff push in 2025.

    After the offensive difficulties this club had earlier in the year, such hope seemed like a fool’s errand. But to their credit the Reds never folded and kept their composure through it all. They are 39-36, three games over .500 and with a crucial series against bitter rival St. Louis on the horizon.

    They don’t have to win every game going forward, they simply need to do what they’ve been doing: win the series, play consistent complimentary baseball, and stay the course.

    If they can keep doing that, the dog days of summer are going to be much easier to bear. 

    ———

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Also, don’t forget to follow us at The Loveland Sports Desk at the below links:

    For Facebook, click here.

    For X, click here.

    For Instagram, click here. 

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • Bring Out the Brooms: Reds Take Three From the Diamondbacks

    Bring Out the Brooms: Reds Take Three From the Diamondbacks

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – The Reds completed their sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon with a 4-2 win at Great American Ballpark. The victory got Cincinnati back to .500 at 33-33, and came complete with a long ball show from a couple key players.

    Christian Encarnacion Strand hit his fourth home run of the year, and his third in as many games after returning to the lineup. His rocket to center field in the 11th inning in the second game of the series proved to be the game winner, the Reds’ first win in extra innings all season and their first walk-off win. CES’ return to the lineup has appeared to galvanize the Reds’ bats, and he is absolutely leading by example.

    A Red following that example is Matt McLain. Cincinnati’s second baseman also had a very respectable series. He had four hits against Arizona with three runs batted in. On Sunday McLain smashed the game winner: a two run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning. That shot broke a 67 at bat homerless streak

    The Reds are a team in desperate need of a spark. CES’ return to the lineup has all of the hallmarks of being just what this club needs to make a push to climb (and stay) even further above .500. And with Austin Hayes on the cusp of retuning, and Noelvi Marte starting to swing the bat again, the prospect of a fully healthy Cincinnati lineup is closer to becoming a reality.

    Even though ace Hunter Greene may be sidelined for a not insignificant period of time, the other starters in the rotation have been solid. The bullpen has been on lockdown recently. If the bats can score runs consistently and continue to flash some power, then perhaps there is room to hope for the rest of this year.

    But .5oo has been the boogeyman for this team all year. Cincinnati has shown that they can get to that mark, but they’ve struggled mightily to remain there for any length of time. But with key players returning to the lineup, and with some others beginning to play better, perhaps this time will be different.

    Up next for the Reds is another Battle of Ohio series with the Guardians, and this series will tell a lot about just how ready this club is to maintain their winning ways. Cleveland sits at 34-30 and but have lost four of their last six games. Recently re-signed pitcher Wade Miley is set to take the bump for the Reds, and he will face the Guardian’s Luis Ortiz (3-6, 4.02 ERA). The first pitch is at 6:40 on Monday from Cleveland.

    ———

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Also, don’t forget to follow us at The Loveland Sports Desk at the below links:

    For Facebook, click here.

    For X, click here.

    For Instagram, click here. 

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • Ohio Sports Roundup: Reds Take on Guardians, Kappa Extended, and the Cavaliers Search for a Coach

    Ohio Sports Roundup: Reds Take on Guardians, Kappa Extended, and the Cavaliers Search for a Coach

    by Chris Ball

    Queen City Sports from Loveland, Ohio

    The Cincinnati Reds After taking 3 of 4 from the Chicago Cubs the Reds split their series against the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians are 20 games over .500 and in first place in the American League Central Division and the Reds played them just about as tough as they have against the Dodgers and Phillies, two other division leading clubs. Against those three the Reds are 9-7 this year and have played some solid baseball in getting those wins.

    Perhaps the biggest story from the Guardians series was the continued hot bat of Jeimer Candelario. He hit 2 more home runs in the Reds 4-2 win over Cleveland on June 12 including what would be the game winner. His three run bomb in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the Reds a 4-2 lead that their bullpen would never relinquish. It also spoiled a great outing by Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee who still finished the game with 11 strikeouts in just 5.1 innings. Since May 27, Candelario is hitting .306 with 19 hits, 6 home runs, 12 RBIs and 8 runs scored.

    Other Reds batters are staying hot in June. This includes a surprising run by Will Benson, hitting .333 with a .967 OPS in his last 15 games. Jake Fraley in his last 15 is batting .293 while TJ Friedl has 3 home runs and 11 RBIs.

    Cincinnati next faces the Milwaukee Brewers tonight at 8:10 PM. The Brewers sit atop the NL Central with a 7 game lead over both the Reds and Cubs. If they can take this series on the road and claw back at least a game or two from Milwaukee, Reds fans will have plenty of reasons to be optimistic going forward.

    The Cincinnati Bengals

    The Bengals finished their mandatory mini camp this week. All of the major players were in attendance, including a few that were absent for the voluntary OTAs such as Ja’Marr Chase and Trent Brown. Tee Higgins has yet to make an appearance as he continues his holdout, but this was something all sides were clearly prepared for.

    The main storyline this week remained former first round pick Dax Hill and his reps with the first team defense while battling for a job at cornerback against DJ Turner. By all reports Hill, a former safety, looked very good at his new position. There remains a lot of optimism that he can be a quality starter at the position, even if his time at safety may be at an end. Hill was a versatile athlete at the University of Michigan and played both safety and cornerback there, and so that flexibility should serve him well as he tries to see the field as much as possible next year for the Bengals.

    Another positive development for the Bengals this week was the extension they reached with center Ted Karras. Karras signed an extension that will keep with the team through the 2025 season. Early reports indicate that the next two years of his contract will pay him about 12 million. He’s started 36 games since joining the Bengals in 2022. Last year, according to PFF he was the 15th highest graded center and allowed 6 sacks  All numbers aside, Kerras is a team captain and has been a stalwart for the Bengals on the line for several years. Consistency and communication will be paramount for Cincinnati’s front five in 2025. Having a veteran back at the center position is absolutely essential to our success next year.

    The Cleveland Cavaliers

    The Cavaliers are a team with many substantial questions this offseason. The future of two of its key stars are up in the air in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. But the decision that may be the most crucial of all is which coach will take the reigns in 2024 and beyond.

    The name that seems to have the most buzz over recent weeks is James Borrego the former Charlotte Hornets head coach. Borrego, a Gregg Popovich protégé and two-time champion as an assistant, has a 148-183 mark as head coach with Charlotte and Orlando. But he has many of the qualities that Cleveland is seeking to build the team around going forward, including the ability to build a dynamic offense built around dynamic players (such as Zion Williamson in New Orleans) and he is a coach that his former players have spoken very highly of.

    The Cavaliers are in no hurry to name a successor to JB Bickerstaff. But announcing a new head coach soon will likely be the catalyst that spells the decisions of both Mitchell and Garland. It’s possible that the future of Cleveland’s basketball team for the next several years to come will be defined by the decisions President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman makes in the next few weeks.

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    A new Loveland Magazine feature: The Queen City Sports Podcast by Chris Ball

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to LovelandSportsGuy@gmail.com!

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.