Friday evening’s debacle in the Bronx would have, in a just world, been the kind of thing that would have pissed off a wide swath of Cincinnati Reds fans. They gave up big hits early on bad pitches. They looked positively overmatched all up and down their lineup. They lost, they didn’t score, and looked defeated throughout the entire process.
It somewhat went over without so much as a groan, though. This is the Reds we have come to know for oh so long after all, and losing games like that in ways
like that have become so predictable that you see them coming from weeks away. So, by the time it materializes in perfect form, you’ve already checked out.
A couple dozen strikeouts later, and the Reds are back in action again today in Yankee Stadium, this time with lefty Andrew Abbott on the mound. At the rate he’s been pitching (2.47 ERA in 51.0 IP over 9 starts dating back to April 30th) and at the rate the Reds have been precipitating down the standings, Abbott should probably get traded this summer for something the Reds can use down the road. That’s a compliment, Andrew.
Will Warren will start for New York as they look to clinch the series over Cincinnati. He’s 7-1 with a 3.47 ERA on the season, and while I long ago moved past the idea that a pitcher’s record was worth more than a cold slice of dirt, the idea that a pitcher could actually be 7-1 for a team means that team has actually won enough games to make that happen, and that’s foreign enough for me to sound cool right now.
First pitch in today’s matinee action is set for 1:35 PM ET as the Reds – who will be in last place through the weekend regardless of how the next two games play out – look to figure out how to play baseball once again.
Lineups for both clubs listed below.
