Cincinnati Reds learn crucial lesson about opening day defense

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Welcome to the first episode of The Opener, where every weekday morning you’ll receive a new news column to start your day from one of the MLB editors at SI.com.

In an age when fewer balls are in play than ever before, Major League Baseball’s oldest franchise leads a completely modern baseball experience: How Much Does Defense Really Matter?

Over the past two offseason, the Cincinnati Reds have stepped up their offense by worrying less and less about their lineup. They hired Nick Castellanos, one of baseball’s worst defensive forwards, and third baseman Mike Moustakas to play second because they’re both productive hitters. They figured they might limit the exposure of Moustakas ‘lack of reach due to all of their defensive changes, and that Castellanos’ poor offfield play wouldn’t matter as much with the Reds playing their home games. at the Great American Ballpark, which has some of the smaller dimensions. in the game. Since it opened in 2003, more home runs have been hit there than at any other big league baseball stadium.

Cincinnati made the playoffs in 2020, the first year of their grand experience, and during the offseason the Reds let shortstop Freddy Galvis go in free agency and failed to add one for the replace. Instead, they moved third baseman Eugenio Suárez to short, the top-level defensive position he hasn’t played since 2015. Who cares if he makes the plays? He’s raking! Moustakas is back in third and rookie Jonathan India, Cincinnati’s 2018 first-round pick, starts in second.

You can probably see where this is going. In Thursday’s opener against the Cardinals, which St. Louis won 11–7, Suárez missed his first two field chances and cost the Reds at least a few points. The Cardinals were leading 1-0 in the first inning and the goals were loaded with an out when Yadier Molina bounced a routine double play ball to Suárez’s right. For the backhand, the shortstop felt it, allowing Molina to reach and two runners to score. Then, on the next pitch, Dylan Carlson tore a three-point homerun off the right field foul post.

Albert Cesare / USA Today Network

In the next set, Paul Goldschmidt released a single on the field to stop and came second on Suárez’s error in the pitch. Nolan Arenado picked him at home – but the race almost certainly wouldn’t have scored without the error because Goldschmidt would have stayed at first base. Next batter, Paul DeJong, launched into a late inning double play.

At one point, the Cardinals were leading 11–3, but the Reds shrunk the lead and made it a ball game because, well, they can hit. Castellanos and Suárez made it through the circuit. Castellanos went 3-for-5 and first hitter Jesse Winker, another bad fielder, went 2-for-4. India, who were in the lineup at second because the Reds were comfortable playing Suárez from shortstop, had two hits in their league debut.

Cincinnati’s glove-less experiment failed on opening day, but it’s far too early to say if it’s worth giving up. If nothing else, it’s definitely worth watching throughout the season.

The Yankees’ offense faltered in their 3–2 loss to the Blue Jays in extra innings, but Gary Sánchez’s opener went as well as they could have hoped for.

Toronto ace – and perhaps the only reliable starter – Hyun Jin Ryu made most New York hitters uncomfortable with his efficient quickball change combo, biting cutter and impeccable control. The best example of this came in the first inning, when Ryu sniffed Aaron Judge on an inner heater of 91 mph because Judge, expecting an offset speed, flipped late to a throw that he usually crushes.

Sánchez’s difficulties last season were caused in part by bad timing and poor ground recognition. He couldn’t catch the fastballs, but was too early on the out-of-speed courts; he missed hitting pitches for called strikes, but beat balls breaking nowhere near the area. On Thursday against Ryu, a pitcher who thrives on deception, Sánchez jumped on a fastball from the first pitch and threw it 407 feet into the left-field seats.

Sánchez later beat a single on the field to stop in the seventh and started the bottom of the ninth with a step. He also looked comfortable on defense, blocking balls in the dirt with ease, receiving pitches well and delivering a seed on second base to catch Randal Grichuk flying. Gerrit Cole made a bad throw – a suspended slider that Teoscar Hernández demolished for a home draw in the sixth – but otherwise was on pace with Sánchez after their difficult first year as drum mates last season.

Quick shots:

• Miguel Cabrera hit the first home run of 2021, because of course he did. It was his 488th career homerun, and it happened in a blizzard in Detroit against defending AL winner Cy Young, Shane Bieber. But the best part was Miggy sliding into second base because he couldn’t see the ball go over the fence through the blizzard. Cabrera, soon to be 38, did not want to participate in a hat-trick. He was totally happy to stay second with a brace until he realized it was gone. The Tigers beat Cleveland, 3–2.

• Speaking of crazy homers, Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer that was actually a one-run single and one out. Early in the third inning of the Dodgers’ 8-5 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field, Bellinger hit a left-flying ball that bounced off Raimel Tapia’s glove and went over the fence. Justin Turner, who started the game on first base, had rounded second when he thought Tapia had made the game and reserved it for first. In the confusion, he passed Bellinger, who was called out because he had passed Turner in the basepath.

• Pablo Sandoval has cracked a Two-point circuit with pinch Phillies ace Aaron Nola to tie the game 2–2 with two strikeouts in the seventh inning. The Braves had a chance to take the lead at the top of the 10th, but Roman Quinn beaten down Ozzie Albies trying to score on a sacrificial fly to complete the frame. John Segura single house Bryce Harper to go away. The Philadelphia Survey Pen survived its first test.

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