Right when it felt like the Dodgers series was going to crush any hopes of Cincinnati doing anything in the month of May, the Redlegs found a way to not only win the series against Los Angeles, but sweep them straight out of town.
The series was a highlight reel night in and night out, including an India grand slam, Steer home run, Fairchild home run, Fairchild miraculous catches, crucial at-bats from the entire team, a nice bullpen day from Martinez, Hunter Greene becoming elite, and so much more. The ballpark was sold out and while there was a lot of blue in the stands, it didn’t stop Cincinnati from showing up and cheering on a team that mightily struggled in May. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t lose hope over the last four weeks, but this series might just be the momentum to reel everyone back in for the month of June.
Stay the course!
Chasing .500
Now that we have enjoyed celebrating an awesome sweep, the reality is that we’re still last place in the National League Central. The good news, however, is that Cincinnati has 23 of their next 31 games against divisional opponents. They’ve had a tough schedule and this is where they finally have a chance to make up ground and try to get back to .500 baseball before the end of June. Finding a way to take this Cardinals and Cubs series is going to be crucial, as this team can’t fall back after a sweep, as they have truly put themselves in a hole.
With the rotation alive and healthy, along with everyone performing well outside of Ashcraft, it’s going to take a lot to count this Reds team out. This team will also be getting back key players in the near future, as Friedl isn’t far off from returning, CES is roughly a month out, Noelvi Marte joins the team on June 27 from his steroid suspension, McLain is still hopeful for playing in August, and Brandon Williamson could soon be joining this rotation. It’s been a rough month of baseball, but it might just be time for the momentum to change to Cincinnati’s favor. As I was writing this, Cincinnati was only 3.5 games back from a playoff spot. How crazy is that? Turn the channel back to Bally Sports, show up at GABP, and support this young team as they are far from out of it.
Last 15 days
Over the last 15 days it has been great to see many players shine that weren’t getting the recognition they deserved. Benson and Fairchild have been asked to play outside of heir platoon roles due to injuries, causing some fluctuation in their stats. I try to stick to looking at splits, as well as how players have performed in the last 15 days. Here are the leaders over the last two weeks of Reds baseball:
· Home Runs — Will Benson (3)
· Batting Average — Jonathan India (.250), Jeimer Candelario (.239)
· RBI — Spencer Steer (8), Jeimer Candelario (7)
· Hits — Tyler Stephenson (13), Jeimer Candelario (11)
· Walks — Spencer Steer (8)
· Stolen Bases — Elly De La Cruz (6)
· OBP — Jonathan India (.348)
· Strikeouts — Greene (18)
· ERA — Andrew Abbott (.167), Nick Martinez (.200), Hunter Greene (.206)
· Innings Pitched — Greene (19.1)
Are you built for 162?
I am certainly one that watches every single inning like the season is on the line. My wife laughs as I stand by the fireplace and watch the Reds in the eighth inning in early May, yet here I am still doing it. The MLB season is long, but just how long is it? Let’s find out. On May 27, over the last five years, this is the record of the Cincinnati Reds:
· 2024 – 21-30
· 2023 – 22-29
· 2022 – 17-31
· 2021 – 22-27
· 2020 – 20-26
· 2019 – 25-29
Cincinnati ended with a winning record in 2023, 2021, and 2020. To jump to another bad start from a different club, remember when the Athletics made the playoffs after starting the season 8-17 in 2001? They ended their season with 102 wins. In 2005, The Astros made it to the World Series, but had a record of 18-32 at the end of May. The 2019 Nationals began with a 19-31 record before winning the World Series. The 2022 Phillies were 21-29 and made it to the World Series. The 2022 Mariners were 21-29 and ended up making the playoffs. Stay the course and remain optimistic, it’s early.
Matthew McAdow is a Peebles resident. He works in human resources in the nuclear industry and has been an avid Cincinnati fan his entire life. He is an Ohio Christian University graduate and has always enjoyed giving an honest opinion on multiple topics regarding Cincinnati sports.
