C. Trent Rosecrans Breaks Down the Cincinnati Reds Thrilling Playoff Push

How thrilling is this in Cincinnati? Are fans kind of like coming back? Yeah, it was a um you know, it’s funny. The uh first game of the Cub series, Hunter Green goes out and was just lights out. Um throws the shut out. Um flirted with a no hitter, one- nothing win. And afterwards, he said something was like, you know, yeah, it was great, but I wish there were more people here. And and they kind of reacted. It was a it was a good weekend for that. Decent weather, other stuff going downtown. Cubs in town, so a lot of Cubs fans. Um, almost was good that it was Cubs fans because they were like, “Let’s go Cubbies thing.” And the Reds fans showed up to kind of try to drown them out and it was a it was a really good atmosphere and um so so I think there’s been some and then we’ll see how it is this week with no Cubs and the Pirates in town. Um, but heck, if I’m a baseball fan, Skins versus Hunter Green on Wednesday sounds like a a pretty good game regardless of uh standings. Obviously, we’re talking about today. We if the playoffs would start today, three NL Central teams would be in. Is that indicative to the fact that the NL Central has improved or the rest of the National League, the Mets, have absolutely collapsed? Oh, I I think it’s it’s an indictment on the rest of the leagues. Um, when you’re talking about you look at payrolls and you look at those kind of things, preseason, everybody likes to like, you know, kind of like look down on the NL Central, but year in and year out, they’ve got it. It almost seems like every year there’s four teams. You could put them in a bag and pull them out and that’s two through or one through four. maybe you can always pick a a a leader and you always know there’s going to be one team that’s going to be at the bottom. Um often the Pirates, often the Reds. Uh so I think it’s it’s kind of indicative of the rest of baseball. I mean really, how many good teams are there? Um the Dodgers, you’re waiting on it, but you know, they still have the third best record. um they they they’re still in a fight for their division in the last week and and didn’t everybody decide they won the World Series and when they signed Roi Sasaki and and I realized that he’s been dominant and it’s uh ruined baseball forever. But you also have then like the Phillies are good. I I wouldn’t want to face the Phillies, but you don’t want to face the Dodgers, but everybody else is kind of there. I think the Brewers are the thing with the Brewers is they never hurt themselves and we’re seeing how far that can go. All right. So, somebody that doesn’t hurt themselves, who’s the Red’s all-star that’s going to or star that’s going to step up in these last six games to make sure they not only are at the finish line, but they get it across because Ellie right now is having a toughest stretch of his career. But who is that star that’s gonna step up? Because you can’t hope. Well, you know, you get a little impact here, you get a little impact there. These are games when you’re facing a Pirates team that is down on the mat. You have to crush them. And to me, that’s when the stars come out and they dominate this next series. I I I really like what I’ve seen from Noel V Marte. um you know, he is a guy that has kind of had um we’ll won’t get consideration for uh comeback player of the year because of what he’s coming back from, which was a suspension for steroids. And so those those don’t don’t uh register. But even taking that away, when he did come back from his his um his suspension last year, he was just awful. and um you know he came into spring training looking to make amends and knowing that he probably wasn’t going to make the team and this was a year after he was expected almost pretty much handed the everyday job before spring training. He went to the miners and it’s funny like one of the big things uh for the Reds this year is their guys who went down went down and took it the right way and when they came back they were ready. Will Benson, um you know, uh Marte, even Connor Phillips out of the bullpen. Um, but Marte is a guy that was the key really to that um the big Luis Castillo trade a couple years ago. And I once he’s kind of gotten to right field um when they added KBrian Hayes, he’s really just it seems like the the world is off his shoulders and and he this is a guy who can can really hit. Um and you know, I think in the future he can be a pretty decent right fielder. He’s got a great arm. He’s a good athletic uh player. Uh he just doesn’t have a whole lot of time out there. So you see some of that inconsistency and inexperience at times. But but I’m going to go no Mart. How about that for off the uh off the grid? I like it because when a young guy gets popped for roids, you’re like, how long has he been doing this, right? I mean, you don’t know what to expect. And he has certainly bounced back. Um okay, I want to do some schedule breakdown because we’ve got six games left for the Mets and the Reds. Reds went out there in right they’re essentially a game up on the Mets. So this is just as much for Mets fans right now. Mets have three against the Cubs then three against the Marlins including San Die Contra on Friday. Reds have three against the Pirates but that is one Paul Skiing start like you mentioned on Wednesday and then they finish with three in Milwaukee against the Brewers team that is probably playing for nothing even though they’re still not going to be an easy opponent. How do you size up the schedules remaining for the two teams fighting for that last wild card spot? Well, I I wouldn’t overlook the Diamondbacks either. They’re game out um game behind. So So don’t uh overlook them. And I believe they have a pretty they have what somebody and then Colorado Dodgers and Padres’s three three against the Dodgers at home then three in San Diego. Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah, I was getting them connect confused with the Giants. Um that’s that’s not easy, especially with those two battling each other. Um but still I I I’m not going to count out the Diamondbacks. We’ve done that before and that seemed to be a bad idea. Um, but I I think for the Reds it could be tough. Uh, they struggled a little bit against the Pirates. Um, and they’ve struggled mightily over the last couple years in Milwaukee. That Milwaukee team something to play for now, but in three games after three games, they may not. Homefield advantage throughout. They’re close to clenching that. Um, we’ll see. You know, the thing with the Reds is you have a pretty good shot, um, just because of the pitching. Um, the starting pitching has been strong all season. Um, Andrew Abbott has struggled in the second half, but Brady Singer’s picked it up. Um, you know, you have a deeper bullpen. the bullpen was an issue for a while, but if you go back to the um the trade deadline like it was almost a lot of people didn’t understand the Red’s moves and they were kind of going on the margins and they did a hell of a job. I mean, you got to give Nick Crawl and um Brad Meadow a lot of credit for being creative and it working out at the trade deadline. that what that was was KBrian Hayes, which upgraded them at third base defensively. Uh, no question. I mean, that guy is I I had a scout yesterday talking to me and he’s like, you know, he the only thing he could come close to is prime Nolan Areronado and and I I’ve seen that he’s been just phenomenal. Um, and a total change of scenery guy. That allowed them to move Noel V Marte to right field. He’s been better since then. um at the plate seemed more relaxed. Uh that solved some of their issues with the outfield and getting production there. Uh then they got Zack Latell uh into the back of the rotation starter and was seemed kind of weird because it was a team that needed bullpen help. Well, that moved Nick Martinez in there and Nick Martinez is just a kind of a special pitcher in that he can do both, will do both, and has done both. Um, and so that is that’s extremely extremely valuable and and could be in a short series. And then the other one was Miguel Anduhar who came in to just crush lefties. Uh, he started off and crushed everybody then got hurt and he’s kind of back and crushing lefties. You you brought up Kabrian Hayes. I was there on Thursday. Good seeing you. Um, when Hunter Green should have thrown a no hitter. Why wasn’t Cabrian Hayes in the game in the seventh inning for defense? And also, I mean, I said it on the air, but why the heck were they pitching to say a Suzuki? He was the only guy that had any chance against Hunter Green that night and they threw him a pitch that he could hit. And K Bryan probably has that ball if he’s in for South Stewart. He does. He had had a little, you know, when you look at Q Brian Hayes, he’s had this thing with his back for a while. Um, and before the game, he was feeling a little stiff and so he wasn’t in the lineup and that’s why, um, you had Nolan Marte at third base. Uh but yeah, so or no, it was South Stewart, sorry. Um you had South Stewart at third base and and and Sal’s not going to make the plays at the Brian Hayes base. And you’re and you’re right. And the other thing is is like I don’t think Hunter Green was in a mindset to pitch around anybody. He didn’t care. And and you know, you you’ve played both you guys. When a guy doesn’t care, you don’t want to. And when he is just so um like Hunter was, that’s part of it. And then like, okay, as long as it’s in the park, well, I’ll get the next guy. And uh and and Hunter did that. Uh but Cub Brian was good enough to come in for the ninth. Um I know Tito had said before the game he didn’t think he was going to be available. Um but Cub Brian said he he saw the chiropractor and felt good enough to to go in in the ninth. Have you ever seen a play like what happened on on that night? The 386 play where But it’s got to be the only one in baseball history. Okay. But it is MLB at the time was saying okay because at one point they were saying it wasn’t off the first baseman’s glove and I’m like well then the guy was out and there should have never been a play at second. It should have been a hit. So it it kind of because once once it passes a fielder I know but then you can get hit by the ball and all that stuff. I know but it it pulled Spencer Steer that in the moment. Uh but it did tick off his glove. So it was a 38 386 which yeah only one ever which is just unbelievable. Uh but yeah, that that was one of those and I I think there was it was weird because I’ve talked to like everybody around that play and it was just what was weird was that everybody stopped and for that like split second you remember um that everybody stood looking for a second like oh god is he okay because that ball was what 105 off the bat of uh PCA. So, you’re worried mostly about a guy getting hit 105 in the helmet if he’s I mean to put it bluntly like if he’s going to survive. I was there for a oldest Chapman um in spring training a couple years ago or many years ago and it says the same kind of thing where your first reaction is, is this guy okay and have I seen something tragic? Luckily, he was he bounced back and hopefully, you know, the the little bit that it hit off Spencer Steer’s glove was enough to deaden it some or or or whatever, but well, that ends well. Crats, let’s talk about Omaha Stakes. 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Let’s say this team does make it for fans of other teams that have not really paid attention to the Reds all year. How dangerous do you think they could be in October? I actually really like a lot of their young pitching. And I’ll apply what I said about the Blue Jays to the Reds. The Reds can have a different looking pitching arsenal because they have a really solid one through five rotation in my mind. They’re not all going to be starters. That immediately enhances your bullpen. Do you agree? Yeah. I mean, Zack Latell’s done some of that in his career. Um he he’s not unfamiliar with it. We already mentioned how Nick um Martinez has gone there and and done that, you know, and also one of the big things with this bullpen is been the emergence of Connor Phillips over the last couple weeks. Um this is a guy again um a trade with the Mariners, a different trade with the Mariners. Uh but but he is a guy that is kind of had just a terrible year last year. Made came up early. Um was okay. went back to the miners, made a small adjustment, and has just been lights out since. He’s been exactly what they thought maybe he could be, and that’s huge. And then Zack Maxwell, who couldn’t throw strikes in college or in the minors, uh, all of a sudden is your extra guy, and he’s, you know, I’m not fa I don’t want to face Zach Maxwell. He’s what I mean, he he basic he wears Anthony Munoz’s number and looks bigger than Anthony Munoz. So, that’s that’s quite the um it’s it’s quite the the luxury that they have. Uh Graham Ashcraft is looked good since he’s coming back. Tony Santion has been used as much as anybody. I think he’s um yeah, probably I don’t think there’s anybody who’s he was with Tyler Rogers is at the top of the the uses and he still looked great. He came in last night and had a big inning uh to get the save. And then Alio Pagan is a guy who has just nobody was looking at that at the beginning of the year, but he’s just done a really good job closing. Um, and so you just keep pushing that down where where you have all these guys and you have a Nick Martinez that can go a couple innings. Um or you know I’m almost wondering besides Green and Lollo do you you can almost like piggyback uh Singer and and Abbott with the left right because Abbott’s had a not a great second half and Singer has had a great second half. Um, so there’s just there’s just a lot of arms. And when you’re talking about the Santion um and and Pagan and Ashcraft, you have guys who are all kind of those that that raise thing where you’re coming from different angles and gives you those different looks. C Tran, great stuff, man. I’m excited to see how the week plays out. Chase Birds. Oh, wait. What about Chase Furns? Forgot the flamethrower. Yeah, the eight out throw on 101. I mean that the night the other night was just still crazy to me. Hunter Green averaged 100 miles an hour on his fast ball over a complete game shut out. Um just it was just stupid. It was funny. It was like after that game I just walked by Alio and I kind of joked. I was like, “H, man, I screwed you out of a save.” He goes, “There was nobody down there who was going to be better than Hunter.” uh there was no upgrade in the bullpen and he was right. Um so it’s one of those things, but yeah, Chase Burns is a guy that you can use in that David Price role uh back in when he was a rookie. Uh they’re being careful with how much they use him, but he he came in for multiple innings the other day. Uh and you can’t you just can’t deny the stuff and you don’t have to worry about anybody seeing them more than once. Circle of trust pitching stuffwise, the Reds are up there with any team in baseball for October when you shrink what your pitching will look like. It actually makes me think the last time the Reds haven’t made the playoffs in a full season, I know, in a really long time, but the last time they made it was 2020. Didn’t they not What was it? 2014 was the last full season playoffs, you said. 13. 13 was a uh a wild card loss to the Pirates. Um 12 was when they, you know, were maybe the best team in baseball and then lost to the Giants who made that amazing run. And then uh but they haven’t they haven’t won a playoff series or a home playoff game since 1995. That’s uh 30 years. Was that Bowden GMing back then? Maybe. Or maybe it was right before him. I I I’m not sure. Um, I was in freshman in college or, you know, sophomore in college. Um, you said 1995. Yeah, it was Boden. That was Boden. So, we’ll have to bring him back on this week to chat about that. But 2020, they made it. This was my other point. And from what I recall, they had two games. Pitching was nasty and they didn’t score a run. Right. Correct. Um, and and you know, that was Trevor Bower, um, Luis Castillo, and and and more. and and they were both just lights out, but the offense didn’t get anything done. And I think there’s a danger with that here. This is an offense that hasn’t been great or consistent. Um, and and and and you could get in that same same kind of uh problem, but you can also keep games really close because you have that kind of pitching. And uh they have a couple guys who can who can get hot. And if Ellie gets hot, uh, he’s he’s he’s been better the last couple days. Maybe it’s just one of those things that he can pop out. Uh, because he he’s a difference maker and he’s always going to be somebody that everybody’s worried about. And um, hopefully for the Red’s sake that he gets it going. Ellie in the playoffs would be fun to watch, too. Damn. I’m looking I’m like, he’s only had 36 stolen bases this year. Well, and he had um 18 home runs. He had 18 home runs going to the All-Star game, and he has 20 now, man. The two longest streaks, homerless streaks of his career. Yeah. But but he’s not running like we thought he would this year either. He had had some leg injuries. Um he was not exactly the same. He had a quad and then something else. I think it was a hamstring or something. So, he’s he’s been hobbled a little bit, but he he’s also played every game. Um, started all but one. The one he didn’t start was he had a flight canceled when he was coming back from his sister’s funeral in the Dominican Republic. And it started that day in the Dominican Republic. Uh, had some flight issues uh getting to Cincinnati from from Santa Domingo. And then um that game got uh postponed and resumed the next day. and he actually got in the game. So, he’s played in every game. So, um you know, I I I think that’s for him. It’s really important and the team knows that he wants to play every day, every inning, and that’s just uh who he is. Um, maybe that’s been bad in some ways for for his longevity and his production, but it’s also, you know, you don’t you never want to discourage guys who will do anything to post. And and Ellie’s a guy who was shown this year that he’ll do anything to

C. Trent Rosecrans, Reds senior writer for The Athletic, joins Foul Territory to break down Cincinnati’s playoff push. From Hunter Greene’s electric shutout to the atmosphere at Great American Ball Park, C. Trent explains how the Reds have stayed alive while the Mets collapse. We dive into Noelvi Marte’s resurgence, the steadying presence of Ke’Bryan Hayes, and how the young pitching staff could make the Reds a sneaky October threat. Can Cincinnati finally win its first playoff series since 1995?

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