On the one hand, it’s a bit hyperbolic to declare that a 31-33 team playing a road series in San Diego is playing for their season. There are, after all, almost 100 games left in the 2026 regular season.
For the Cincinnati Reds, though, it’s been five-plus weeks of absolute crud on the baseball field, both in the form of their overall record and in terms of the health of the roster. This is a team that’s threadbare in almost all facets right now, a team now lacking identity and depth at the very same
time. And when you factor in that the trade deadline comes at just about 100 games – not the full 162 – suddenly game 65 takes on a lot more meaning when it comes to how aggressive this tepid front office will be about a run this season.
God that’s embarrassing to say yet again. It’s only the exact same admission I’ve had to make mid-June for all of the 15 or so seasons that I’ve covered this franchise.
Anyway, Andrew Abbott takes the mound against the Padres tonight in late night West Coast action, with Lexington, Kentucky’s own Walker Buehler on the bump for the Friars. First pitch is set for 9:40 PM ET, so you’ll need to stay up much, much later than you probably should to see the end of this one.
Lineups for both clubs are listed below.
