The Cincinnati Reds are coming off an 11-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals last night and have pushed themselves into fourth place in the National League Central with a 38-43 record. While they still sit 10 games back from the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. They took game one of the four-game series with the second-place Cardinals last night in impressive fashion with a series victory the Reds could put themselves tied for second or at the very least third in the division after this weekend if all goes well. Last night the Reds welcomed back a key piece to this offense.
3B – Noelvi Marte
Before the game yesterday, the Reds activated the top prospect who was ready to break camp with the Reds, before receiving a 80-game suspension for banned substances. Marte got the start at Third last night and bat fifth. He ended up going three for five with three hits, three runs scored, one double, one steal, and one RBI last night. Marte is a special talent and having his bat in the lineup could just be the spark this club needs to make a big push in the second half. I will be locked into this series to see how he fairs after his first game back!
Rest of the Weekend with the Cardinals
Friday Night
Friday night the Reds will send Frankie Montas (3-5, 4.48 ERA) to the mound to face off against Andre Pallante (3-3, 5.23 ERA). Montas will look to stymie the Cardinals offense Friday night, he last faced the Red Sox on June 22nd and went six innings allowing five hits, two runs, one home run, one walk, and striking out four.
Saturday Afternoon
This will be the toughest game for the Reds offense as Carson Spiers (1-1, 3.45 ERA) will go up against Sonny Gray (9-4, 2.81 ERA). Gray has been excellent for the Cardinals since his return from the injured list early this spring. Gray has been tough this year with a 0.95 WHIP while striking out 103 batters in just 83.1 innings pitched.
Sunday
Hunter Greene (5-3, 3.79 ERA) vs Lance Lynn (3-3, 3.86 ERA), I think the Reds offense should feast on the veteran and this game could be the game that gives them the series win. Hunter Greene leads the Reds’ pitching staff in strikeouts 103 and will look to earn his sixth win of the season on Sunday.
Upcoming Trade Deadline
With the Trade deadline nearing below are a few names to consider as the Reds look to make a big push in the second half of the year. The names mentioned are not big names and could come fairly cheap when it comes to assets. Depending on Nick Lodolo’s health, I am saving any big moves until we see him return, cause a starting pitcher will come at a hefty price, but the two names below could be more reasonable.
RHP – Carlos Esteves – Los Angeles Angels
Yes, he is currently a closer with 15 saves on the year, but adding him to the bullpen, could provide them with a strong 8th-inning guy and spell Diaz now and again with save opportunities. On the year he has appeared in 25 games with one win, three losses, 15 saves, 25 innings pitched, a 0.84 WHIP, and a 3.25 ERA on the season. Fernando Cruz could slide to the 7th inning, leading the Reds with 15 holds on the year with a 1.15 WHIP and a 3.89 ERA. A strong bullpen can set this team apart from the rest of the division. A bullpen with Diaz, Esteves, Cruz, Sam Moll, Buck Farmer, and Nick Martinez would be a strength down the stretch for this Reds club.
OF – Brent Rooker – Oakland A’s
The Reds outfield production has been limited this year outside of Spencer Steer, the rest of the group has been struggling either at the plate or to stay healthy in general mainly TJ Friedl who is on his third visit to the injured list this season. Rooker could come in and even platoon in Right with Benson and DH when not in right. He has played in 68 games for the A’s this season with 28 runs scored, 65 hits, 15 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs, 45 RBIs, and two steals. He is currently slashing .261/.339/.506 with a .845 OPS this year.
Wrap Up
The Reds have dealt with many injuries off and on this year and are still within reach of a playoff spot as of June 28th. This weekend’s series against the Cardinals is a big one in my eyes as the team could start the month of July off in third or second place if they can take care of business this weekend. The return and hot start for Marte are encouraging and one that could spark this offense. The team will hopefully get TJ Friedl back on July 8th for good and hopefully, he can return and provide another offensive boost to this team. With Marte, Steer, India, Marte, and the electric Elly De La Cruz this team has the potential to be a problem down the stretch for the National League Central. Let us not forget that Matt Mclain has started swinging a bat again after his Shoulder Surgery in March. A late July or early August return of Mclain could be special for this team if they can get hot in July. Overall the start of the year has not been exactly what many have hoped for, but as you can see there is a lot to be excited for and I for one am ready to watch this Reds team take off in July!
