Turnin 2 SS 2b
07-13-2002, 11:30 AM
HOUSTON -- This was not what Ryan Dempster or the Cincinnati Reds had in mind.
Dempster, the hard-throwing right-hander acquired 24 hours earlier from the Marlins, had hoped to have an impressive debut in his first start as a Redleg but instead wound up with his shortest outing of the season in a 6-3 loss to Houston Friday night at Minute Maid Park.
"It's disappointing because I really wanted to have a good game my first time out," Dempster said. "You're not supposed to go out and go three and two-thirds (innings), you're supposed to give your team a chance to win. I didn't do that tonight."
While Dempster's first line as a Red -- 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 4 K -- looks ugly, the Reds remained encouraged by what they saw from the 25-year-old and what he might mean to this team the rest of the way."
"I thought he threw pretty good stuff, I thought he mis-located a couple of balls," Cincinnati manager Bob Boone said. "Fact is, If (Todd Walker) doesn't bobble that ball (off Daryle Ward's bat) and we get the double play in that (first) inning and that really became a huge thing for them. If he had got out of that first inning it might have been a completely different ballgame."
Boone had a point. Ward would have been an easy twin-killing, but Walker's bobble forced the Reds to settle for the force at second. Dempster then made a mistake with a fastball to Richard Hidalgo and the Houston right fielder hit it for a two-run double and a 3-0 Houston lead.
Dempster later made a mistake on an 0-1 fastball to Ward, who hit it in the upper deck in right field for a two-run homer and a 5-2 Houston lead in the third.
Dempster also didn't get much help from a Cincinnati offense that went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
"I was pretty pleased with his stuff," Boone said. "I think there was some things that (pitching coach Don Gullett) and I saw and we'll be working on them. He's got good stuff. Throws the ball 94 miles an hour and has a real tough slider, those are his two bread-and-butter pitches."
Ryan Dempster / P
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 211
Bats/Throws: R/R
More info:
Stats
Splits
cincinnatireds.com
Dempster (5-9) left after throwing 91 pitches.
"I felt good warming up, felt good out there (on the mound)," Dempster said. "Just two pitches I didn't execute, one to Hidalgo and one to Ward and it kind of put us in a hole right off the bat. I wanted to come in and give the team a chance to win right off the bat and I didn't do that but I've never been one to hang my head and I'll just go back to the drawing board and make a few adjustments and not make those mistakes next time."
Dempster said he wasn't over-throwing or trying too hard in an attempt to make a good impresssion on his new team.
"I felt good, they (the Astros) battled pretty good today, there were times I was ahead and they fouled off a few pitches and eventually I made a mistake," Dempster said. "That's the unfortunate part. Sometimes you have to be better than that and not make mistakes. But I had good life on the fastball and a good slider. I've just got to keep the ball down and good things will happen."
Dempster's teammates believe better days are ahead for the pitcher and thus for the team.
"He is going to be a huge lift to this team," catcher Jason La Rue said. "He had a great fastball and a great slider tonight, what he didn't have was any breaks. Believe me, you can throw this one out. He's got great stuff and he's really going to help us in the second half."
Dempster, the hard-throwing right-hander acquired 24 hours earlier from the Marlins, had hoped to have an impressive debut in his first start as a Redleg but instead wound up with his shortest outing of the season in a 6-3 loss to Houston Friday night at Minute Maid Park.
"It's disappointing because I really wanted to have a good game my first time out," Dempster said. "You're not supposed to go out and go three and two-thirds (innings), you're supposed to give your team a chance to win. I didn't do that tonight."
While Dempster's first line as a Red -- 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 4 K -- looks ugly, the Reds remained encouraged by what they saw from the 25-year-old and what he might mean to this team the rest of the way."
"I thought he threw pretty good stuff, I thought he mis-located a couple of balls," Cincinnati manager Bob Boone said. "Fact is, If (Todd Walker) doesn't bobble that ball (off Daryle Ward's bat) and we get the double play in that (first) inning and that really became a huge thing for them. If he had got out of that first inning it might have been a completely different ballgame."
Boone had a point. Ward would have been an easy twin-killing, but Walker's bobble forced the Reds to settle for the force at second. Dempster then made a mistake with a fastball to Richard Hidalgo and the Houston right fielder hit it for a two-run double and a 3-0 Houston lead.
Dempster later made a mistake on an 0-1 fastball to Ward, who hit it in the upper deck in right field for a two-run homer and a 5-2 Houston lead in the third.
Dempster also didn't get much help from a Cincinnati offense that went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
"I was pretty pleased with his stuff," Boone said. "I think there was some things that (pitching coach Don Gullett) and I saw and we'll be working on them. He's got good stuff. Throws the ball 94 miles an hour and has a real tough slider, those are his two bread-and-butter pitches."
Ryan Dempster / P
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 211
Bats/Throws: R/R
More info:
Stats
Splits
cincinnatireds.com
Dempster (5-9) left after throwing 91 pitches.
"I felt good warming up, felt good out there (on the mound)," Dempster said. "Just two pitches I didn't execute, one to Hidalgo and one to Ward and it kind of put us in a hole right off the bat. I wanted to come in and give the team a chance to win right off the bat and I didn't do that but I've never been one to hang my head and I'll just go back to the drawing board and make a few adjustments and not make those mistakes next time."
Dempster said he wasn't over-throwing or trying too hard in an attempt to make a good impresssion on his new team.
"I felt good, they (the Astros) battled pretty good today, there were times I was ahead and they fouled off a few pitches and eventually I made a mistake," Dempster said. "That's the unfortunate part. Sometimes you have to be better than that and not make mistakes. But I had good life on the fastball and a good slider. I've just got to keep the ball down and good things will happen."
Dempster's teammates believe better days are ahead for the pitcher and thus for the team.
"He is going to be a huge lift to this team," catcher Jason La Rue said. "He had a great fastball and a great slider tonight, what he didn't have was any breaks. Believe me, you can throw this one out. He's got great stuff and he's really going to help us in the second half."