We had some glimmers of hope in recent weeks that things may be looking up, thanks to home sweeps of the Brewers and Pirates. But the Cardinals stopped by and reminded us that the Reds are still not ready to compete with the better teams. (Maybe if Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle were still in the rotation, it would be a different story.)
Tonight’s opener of a three-game series against the Red Sox at Great American Ball Park is another case of a team that needs wins to keep pace in the playoff race rolling into town to face the home team, armed with a 20-man pitching staff of mostly age-26-and-under hurlers (and Homer Bailey).