Cubs Series Still Hurts

The weekend series against the Cubs might just have broken me more than any other series that I can recall in my lifetime. What should’ve been a sweep turned into a series loss to Chicago and there is nothing worse than hearing “Let’s Go Cubs” in your own stadium.

With just over 100 games to go and floating around .500, this series was a must-win and well…you know the rest. Cincinnati remains 0-23 when trailing after six innings on the year, yet somehow have their best record at this time compared to their last eight seasons, excluding COVID. Want some more frustration? The Reds have lost 38 consecutive series when losing the first game of the series. How is that possible? Take away the four 1-0 losses, four losses blown in the ninth inning when leading going into it, the San Francisco Opening Day meltdown, and these two Cubs losses and the Reds would be in first place. The Cubs series will haunt me for quite some time and I am fine if I never see “PCA” all over my timeline ever again…It still hurts.

Time to Battle

Enough with the negativity though, it’s time to battle back and be in a position to buy come the end of July. I don’t want another wasted Elly season, nor do I want to see this pitching staff waste away a solid rotation. With Fraley returning soon (Don’t you dare send down Benson), CES soon to return, and other reinforcements soon to arrive, we will find out if this team can push themselves over .500 while playing a very tough schedule. As bad as they have played to begin the season and their lack of ability to rally, I can only see it going up from here. I think this team is better than a .500 ball club and I truly believe they can make a run. Find a way, this city is begging for winning baseball.

Positives

· Tyler Stephenson is hitting the ball hard and if he can return to form, this team will be dangerous. However, this team cannot continue to carry three catchers. Good catchers are hard to come by and Cincinnati has three of them. Maybe it’s time to make a deal?

· At 27-28, Cincinnati is just 4.5 games back from a Wild Card spot and 6.5 games back from the Cubs in the Central. There is plenty of time.

· Santiago Espinal continues to mash left handed pitching. He is batting .333 against left handed pitching.

· TJ Friedl is quietly having a stellar season, overlooked by many. Want to know why the Reds have scored nearly the most runs in baseball in the first inning? Look no further than leadoff batter, TJ Friedl.

Negatives

· The bullpen appears exhausted and has recently shown exhaustion over the last few games. Optioning Lyon Richardson, a consistent arm with a high ceiling, was a mistake.

· Matt McLain continues to struggle at the plate and to add to that, he’s had some costly fielding mistakes. His missed tag against the Cubs likely lost us a series. This team is relying on him to be good. How long do you give him, a full season?

· Terry Francona’s media interactions are less than ideal from a media and fan standpoint at times. I despise the “You don’t know ball if you question my decisions” attitude. The media just wants to know the thoughts from a World Series champion and fans should not blindly follow without concern. I have trust in Francona, but imagine if the media never asked him a tough question? What’s the point?

Brown County Reds Baseball & Softball Camps

Registration is still open for the 2025 Cincinnati Reds Baseball and Softball Camps in Hamersville. This exciting week-long camp will be held June 2–6 at the Flash Baseball Complex. Open to boys and girls ages 6–14, the camp runs Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Designed for players of all skill levels, Reds Camps offer a fun and unforgettable experience focused on the fundamentals of baseball and softball instruction.

Each camper will receive:

– 30 hours of small-group instruction from Reds Camps coaches covering all aspects of the game (grouped by age and ability)

– Reds uniform including jersey, pants, belt and cap

– VIP trip to Great American Ball Park (scheduled to include a Q&A and photo opportunity with a Reds player or coach)

– Four tickets to a select Reds game (dates subject to availability)

To register or learn more: – www.reds.com/Camps

– 1-855-8GoReds (1-855-846-7337)