Best-Trevor Bauer SP Cincinnati Reds – 6IP 3H 1ER 1BB 12K 103PC 1W
The Reds might bolster the best trio of starting pitchers in the whole league: Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo, and Trevor Bauer. Overall, the team has not lived up to the hype despite the work put in by these three pitchers. On Friday night, Bauer put on a show against the Milwaukee Brewers that was flat out filthy. Bauer has been pitching this way the whole season; he has gone 2-0 and has a .93ERA, .57WHIP, 19.1IP, 32K, and 4BB.
Cleveland traded Bauer to the Reds midseason in exchange for some prospects. Some questioned if Bauer was the right choice after posting a 6.39ERA, the highest ERA in his career for the ten games he played with the Reds. One of the best pitchers in the whole league is a motivated Bauer, who is exactly what the Reds are getting this season. The Reds have a pitching staff other teams fear. However, the Reds are missing a consistent offensive or bullpen. Without these two essential pieces, the Reds will continue to waste these fantastic starts.
Other Notables: Erik Gonzalez 2B Pirates – 4-5 1R 6RBI 1HR; Zach Davies SP Padres – 5.2IP 0ER 3H 0BB 6K 1W; Niko Goodrum SS Tigers – 2-6 5RBI, Zach Grienke SP Astros – 6IP 5H 0ER 1BB 5K, Jose Iglesias SS Orioles – 4-4 1R 3RBI.
Worst – Eric Lauer SP Milwaukee Brewers – 3IP 6ER 5H 3BB 2K 1L
The Brewers, as a team, had seemed to get back on track. They took two wins from the Chicago White Sox before heading into their matchup with the Cincinnati Reds. And the Reds were coming off a 13-0 beatdown by the Cleveland Indians, and the Reds’ offense had been stifled for the last three games. The Brewers had all the momentum going into this matchup, but no amount of momentum could have saved them from Lauer’s pitching performance on Friday night. Lauer was making his debut for the Brewers, a debut the team will not soon forget. The Brewers starting staff had pitched pretty well to this point, and they had just gotten back to .500 before this clunker by Lauer; the Brew Crew needs to regroup and play the baseball they were playing in Chicago for a chance of getting in the playoffs.
Extra Trash: Matt Olson 1B Athletics – 0-5 4k; Jeff Samardzija SP Giants – 4IP 7H 5ER 2BB 3K 1L; Trevor Story SS Rockies – 0-5 1RBI; Matt Boyd SP Tigers – 4.2IP 8H 7ER 3BB 5K; Dylan Moore 1B Mariners-0-5 4k.