Not that long ago, the Cincinnati Reds were nine games over the .500 mark. Even after a burp and a hiccup, this was still a team that was 29-25 through 54 games, a club that had absorbed some punches and returned a few in good measure.
The last two weeks of baseball, though, have seen them look as dismal and disheveled as they’ve looked in years. They’ve gone 3-10 over their last 13 contests, slipped all the way down to 32-35 on the season, lost their star, forgotten how to hit, and lost in excruciating
fashion almost every single time they’ve stepped on the field.
Wednesday’s series finale against the San Diego Padres was perhaps the nail in the coffin. Despite poking a pair of late homers to give them an insurance run, the bullpen once again was completely wiped, and Fernando Tatis, Jr. swatted a homer off a pitcher who, in Chase Petty, really had no business being on the mound at the time.
The Reds are firmly in throw it at the wall and hope it sticks territory already, and there are still nearly 100 games left to play this season. That’s a daunting reality that they must face, and despite the incredibly long odds at this juncture, must overcome to give a roster with Hunter Greene, Elly De La Cruz, and Emilio Pagan a chance to still play for something come July.
Through the rest of June they go, however, with the Arizona Diamondbacks next up on their list.
Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez is having a resurgent campaign, and he’ll start for the Snakes in the series opener at Great American Ball Park on Friday evening opposite fellow southpaw Nick Lodolo. It’s a dreaded Apple TV game sharing the very same time slot as the US Men’s National Team during their World Cup debut, so it’s sure to be a ratings blockbuster.
Arizona is coming into GABP on a slump of their own, fresh off a sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins. They’ve lost 5 of 6 and, like the Reds, 10 of their last 13 overall to drop to just 34-34 on the season, and they’re surely eyeing this as a ‘get right’ series given the quality of competition and the bandbox where the games will be played. So, the Reds have that going for them, which is not nice.
First pitch for Friday’s series opener is set for 7:15 PM ET.
Here’s how the Reds will line up to begin:
