Despite unanticipated NLDS results, Cincinnati Reds keep their spirits high – MLB Update
On the day when Cincinnati Reds were driven out of the season by the San Francisco Giants with 6-4 win in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, Reds' manager Dusty Baker did not yield to negativity and pessimism, expressing his pride in the team’s efforts and outstanding performance throughout the year.
Even though the disappointment was huge, as the Reds had 2-0 lead in the NLDS until the Giants staged a comeback from Game 3, Cincinnati's manager had his view to share about the whole development.
"I'm proud of them and proud they fought to the end, which they did," manager Dusty Baker sighed. "That at-bat that Jay Bruce had was unbelievable. That was sheer determination. You've got to work a little harder this winter, and this is going to take a while for this to heal, but ... sometimes you just get tired of disappointments."
Reds posed their confidence in Mat Latos to start in the decisive game. He had been the leading pitcher in Game 1 when Johnny Cueto exited in the very first inning due to back spasms. Latos pitched four solid innings there, allowing only a run, but here things took a sharp turn.
Latos surrendered six runs, the total that the Giants put on the table, which culminated with the Reds defeat. The team which had performed really well in the regular season, until they made it to the post-season, could not hold their ground here.
But despite the result, no one is willing to give way to pessimism. The focus, rather, is on the future.
It was Joey Votto who put it rather succinctly. "We came up short," He said. "This was a series where we can either paint this organization with a failure brush or we can take it and learn from it and improve. We showed resilience.”
For many, the Reds’ elimination from the season might sound unceremonious. But beyond any shadow of a doubt, it was the Giants’ exceptionally good performance in the last three games of NLDS that gave them the absolute victory to play the National League Championship Series.
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