It’s bleak out there for the Cincinnati Reds, again.
They’ve lost 3 in a row. They’ve gone just 2-8 in their last 10 games, and just 3-11 over their last 14.
They’re playing the New York Mets – the team who occupies the playoff spot they’re chasing – and lost to them at home in last night’s series opener. They’re also about to head west on another 9-game road trip, something that always and forever throws them into the gutter of the season.
This young club, which one held such high hopes, has lost more games this season than they have won. It’s hard to recall that they were 7 games over .500 as recently as August 19th, but that’s how dreams get so dashed – there has to be enough rampant optimism over something to get the hopes so high in the first place.
FanGraphs has nuked the Reds odds of making the playoffs down to just 1.5% as they find themselves 6 games back of the final Wild Card spot and now also behind both the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants in the standings.
It’s up to Brady Singer to throw a no-hitter, or something similar, this evening. Or, y’know, the bats the Reds rely on could actually sock a few dingers for a change.
First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET. Lineups below.