Jim’s Journal, July 1st, 2024

The Reds’ didn’t have a consistent weekend on offense at all, with 2 huge wins, and 2 wimpy losses.  Does it seem odd they could outscore St. Lou 20 to 11 over 4 games, but only win one pair, and get shut out in the others?  That’s what happened.  Sunday, the last of their series with the Cardinals was a 2-0 loss, in which Cincy only tallied 2 hits.  Saturday they’d racked up 13 hits on the way to winning 9-4, Friday only 4 hits as they dropped the game 1-0, and Thursday it all started with an 11-4 blowout of the Cards, and 16 Reds hits.  Second baseman Jonathan India says the club can’t keep doing whatever it is it’s doing right now, if it wants to get some positive streaks going.  He says he figures you can’t dominate a game, then just take a step backward.

 

Jonathan keeps working to show a good example on that, too.  India’s now in a 3-way tie for the 2nd-longest streak since 1900, of consecutive games in which he’s hit a double, with 8 of them.  And he’s in pretty good company, the others with 8-game doubling streaks being the Cards’ Yadier Molina in 2016, and the Cubs’ Derrek Lee back in 2007.  The Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette hit doubles in 9 straight games, in 2019.  Cincinnati’s taking a day off today, heading to New York to face the Yankees starting tomorrow night.

 

Still tracking the local working his way back to the major leagues–  Batesville’s Bryan Hoeing pitched again for the Jumbo Shrimp of Jacksonville Saturday, and racked up a second consecutive relief victory, allowing only a single earned run on 2 hits, and Bryan struck out a pair of batters as well. He’s been battling a hamstring injury, so hopefully things keep going in a positive direction for him.

 

Remember we’ve got some really good sports talk coming to you tonight–  it’s Overtime, starting just after our 6:00 news block, with Terrance Arney and Leon Smith.   Their special guest this evening will be former “Mr. Baseball,” and first-round MLB draft pick Alex Meyer, who played during his career for teams including the Twins and the Angels.  We’re going to Overtime, tonight shortly after 6, on the Sports Voice, 103.9 WRBI.

 

There shouldn’t be much word about high school sports at all this week.  This 1st of July is the start of Moratorium Week, per the IHSAA, the time when no programs statewide can be practicing or holding workouts.  It ends next Sunday the 7th.  So a lot of Indiana’s fall sports are expected to resume preparation for their upcoming seasons a week from today.