It didn’t take long for the Cincinnati Reds fanbase to turn on Terry Francona. Frankly, the honeymoon period was over after Francona gave the ball to Ian Gibaut on Opening Day only to see the right-hander give up a go-ahead home run in the ninth inning.
It’s been a difficult first season in Cincinnati for Francona and Reds fans are getting restless. They were promised, among other things, accountability and a no-nonsense manager who understood the intricacies of the game. As such, Francona’s lineup construction has become quite concerning to fans; especially over the last week.
A left-handed opener has been dispatched by the opposition twice over the last five games, and Francona has done nothing to counter it. The Chicago Cubs ran out Drew Pomeranz on Saturday, and Cincinnati couldn’t log a hit during the first inning. The Milwaukee Brewers trotted out DL Hall on Wednesday and he carved up every batter in the Reds lineup not named Jose Trevino.
Terry Francona needs to get Elly De La Cruz & TJ Friedl out of the Reds lineup against left-handed openers
Craig Counsell and Pat Murphy both challenged Tito to abandon his stubborn ways and shake up the Reds’ starting lineup. Instead, Francona filled out the lineup card the way he has all season with left-handed hitting outfielder TJ Friedl at the top and switch-hitting Elly De La Cruz batting third.
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