Reds Rapid Reactions as the Reds Smash Miami, 10-3, in the First of Four

The Cincinnati Reds needed to get off to a good start in a series it needed to win. It started off looking like a bullpen day but it turned out to be just a normal game. The bats woke up and hopefully, they saved a little juice for the remaining three games. It marked the 10th time the Reds scored 10 runs. Four different Reds logged multiple hits on the day.

1. What Bullpen Day?

Heading into Monday night's game, it looked like Nick Martinez was going to just open for a bullpen day. Don't tell him that because he went out there and had one of the best outings of his season.

Martinez threw 70 pitches and turned in a five-inning effort while allowing just four hits. Most impressively, Martinez didn't walk a single batter and did not allow a run to score.

Earlier in the season, Martinez came on as the long reliever for a bullpen day and tossed five innings of shutout baseball and just one hit.

The Reds obviously believe he can be an integral piece of next year's ballclub. Martinez was often named as a potential trade piece. Considering he has a 0.519 ERA over his last seven outings (17 1/3 innings), that decision might have been the correct one.

2. Another Home Run Derby

It seems like this season has been either scoring in bunches or nothing at all for the Reds. On Monday, the bunches won the day.

Elly De La Cruz (twice), Noelvi Marte , and Ty France all found the seats. De La Cruz had another one of his quintessential days where he got on base five times, four of which were extra-base hits. Those four extra-base hits were recorded at over 100 MPH exit velocity. Before Jesus Sanchez 's 480-foot bomb in the sixth, De La Cruz had each of the three hardest-hit balls on the night.

The Reds chased Roddery Munoz in the fourth after managing seven hits and four earned runs off the starter (six total runs). The offense quieted down a bit, only managing three hits and one run after.

Tonight's performance needs to not be a few-and-far-between kind of thing. It was recently unearthed that while the Reds' Pythagorean win-loss record is about six games better than the actual record, it's a tad disingenuous. The Reds' run differential against three of the worst teams in baseball (Los Angeles Angels, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox) is +63. Against everyone else (heading into tonight's game), it was -35.

However, beating up on bad teams is how the Reds have gotten to this point. Why not continue it and maybe run into a little momentum for the trip to Milwaukee?

3. Bullpen struggles

Heading into the sixth, the Reds led, 6-0. Then, the newly acquired right-handed reliever Jakob Junis continued his struggles. In his first appearance last Wednesday, Junis was lit up for three runs off four hits in his 1 1/3 innings. Tonight, it was more of the same.

Junis' final line tonight was 1 2/3 innings, six hits, and three runs.

After just a week of baseball, it's feeling like the Brewers won the trade. Junis has not looked at all like the competent reliever with shutdown upside as was expected. He has been more of one of those relievers you throw in during a blowout to eat innings.

He gave up a 480-foot home run to Sanchez that was 116.4 MPH off the bat. The RBI double play, also given up to Sanchez, was 108.2 MPH off the bat.

There is some disconnect here between the Reds and Junis. Hopefully, Junis can get this a bit more under control as the season progresses because if the Reds want to even remotely entertain going to the playoffs, throwing a guy with an 18.00 ERA since joining the club isn't going to get it done.