RC+ Recap: Joey Votto Still Bangs, Alex Wood Is Good

by — August 2, 2019 in Game Recap

In a reversal of Thursday’s rain-shortened game, the Reds (51-57) jumped in front with a first-inning homer on Friday en route to a wire-to-wire win. In game one of the series, it was Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman who went deep. In game two, it was Reds first baseman Joey Votto. He still bangs if you didn’t know.

Here’s a look at Votto’s recent exit velocity increase (Note: The recent increase started when he adjusted his stance and stopped choking up on the bat.):

Meanwhile, Alex Wood was impressive in his second Reds start. Presumably on a higher pitch count, the southpaw tossed 6.2 innings of two-run baseball. The only marks against his name were two solo home runs. He struck out five against only one walk.

Reds Most Valuable Players

  • Alex Wood: .206 WPA (Win Probability Added) | 6.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K
  • Joey Votto: .189 WPA | 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SF
  • Eugenio Suarez: .114 WPA | 2-for-2, 3 BB

Reds Least Valuable Players

  • Aristides Aquino: -.070 WPA | 0-for-4, 2 K
  • Josh VanMeter: -.051 WPA | 0-for-5, K, RBI

Play of the Game

  • Joey Votto: .154 WPA | Two-run home run in 1st inning

Hardest-Hit Balls

  • Jesse Winker: 110.8 mph single in 1st inning (hardest-hit ball of season)
  • Joey Votto: 109.5 mph single in 3rd inning (hardest-hit ball of season)
  • Josh VanMeter: 105.9 mph lineout in 7th inning

Luckiest Hit of the Day

  • Kyle Farmer: .090 xBA, 73.0 mph, -4° LA; Single

Unluckiest Out of the Day

  • Jose Peraza: .690 xBA, 83.1 mph, 20° LA; Lineout

Highest Pitch Velocities by Pitcher

  • Michael Lorenzen: 98.5 mph four-seam fastball
  • Raisel Iglesias: 98.1 mph sinker
  • Alex Wood: 92.6 mph two-seam fastball

Links

Tags:

Matt Wilkes

Matt Wilkes got hooked on Reds baseball after attending his first game in Cinergy Field at 6 years old, and he hasn’t looked back. As a kid, he was often found imitating his favorite players — Ken Griffey Jr., Adam Dunn, Sean Casey, and Austin Kearns — in the backyard. When he finally went inside, he was leading the Reds to 162-0 seasons in MVP Baseball 2005 or keeping stats for whatever game was on TV. He started writing about baseball in 2014 and has become fascinated by analytics and all the new data in the game. Matt is also a graduate of The Ohio State University and currently lives in Chicago. Follow him on Twitter at @_MattWilkes.

1 Response

  1. R Smith says:
    August 3, 2019 at 11:49 AM

    Really like the rotation. This team should have a chance to win every day. I would not rule out a good August W/L record. A far cry from 2016/17.

Subscribe to RC+ via Email

Get an email every time we publish a new post!

Reds Content Plus is a site for passionate fans of the Cincinnati Reds. Our staff of independent writers covers the performance of Reds players and the strategies of the Reds manager and front office. Our content builds on what you’ll find at other Reds fan sites. What separates RC+ is our use of (and explaining) advanced statistical measures. Whether it’s a sacrifice bunt, intentional walk, stolen base, bullpen use, pinch hitting or pulling the starting pitcher, we’ll dig into the numbers. If you want to support us, check out our Support Page.