Reds try to put error-prone ways in past, but stay bold
The Cincinnati Reds committed at least one error in nine consecutive games in a streak that ended with Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, the longest such streak since the team was guilty of gaffes in nine straight games during the 2006 season.
When David Bell became the Reds manager, he encouraged the Reds' defense to be bold.
“Taken a lot of runs off the board and helped us win games by having that mindset,” Bell said. “We applaud that, we reward that and we practice being aggressive and making plays. Especially for our team, it's really important.”
Now Bell is hoping to find a way to prevent the team from repeating the mistakes of the past week. That won't, however, involve changing the club's approach.
“When errors are made, we can't punish that,” Bell said. “That's just not the way it works. The errors aren't being made because of a lack of trying or something like that. That's completely different. That's where we are, and I feel really good about where we are, even with the errors that have happened over the last week or so.”
The Reds have good defenders across the infield who had been consistent all year – until recently.
When third baseman Brandon Drury made the team, defense was considered his forte. Utility player Matt Reynolds' defense remains his biggest strength. Last year, shortstop Kyle Farmer's teammates were pushing his Gold Glove award campaign, even if he was ultimately snubbed.
Jonathan India has made as many defensive highlights as any Reds player over the last two years. Entering Tuesday, first baseman Joey Votto still hadn't committed an error all season.
Over the last two weeks, the Reds' best infield defenders simply haven't made the plays they usually make.
“I've been happy with our defense,” Bell said. “I also expect errors and mistakes as part of the game – as long as we're preparing and as long as we're making plays. We really want to keep fostering the aggressive play-making.”