Cincinnati Reds Sweep Four Game Series from Cubs; Have 7 Game Winning Streak

Going into the 2018 baseball season, about all the Cincinnati Reds were expected to do was finish last in the National League Central, something they had done in every season since 2015. They had not improved much over the offseason in a pretty competitive division, so expectations were low.

At the completion of play on June 24th, the Reds were indeed at the bottom of the N.L. Central standings, with a record of 32-45. However, the Reds were showing signs of waking up. On the 24th, the Reds scored seven runs in the seventh inning in their game against the Chicago Cubs for a come from behind 8-6 victory in Cincinnati. The Reds completed a four game sweep of the Cubs, their first such sweep over Chicago since 1983. The win was also the seventh straight for the Reds.

The Reds have an under the radar group of good hitters in their lineup. Second baseman Scooter Gennett led the N.L. in hitting after games of June 24th, with a .332 batting average; he was also among the leaders in RBIs with 51, and he had belted 13 homers. Last season Gennett hit .295 with 27 homers and 97 RBIs, and he’s proving that was no aberration. Third baseman Eugenio Suarez was hitting .308 with 16 home runs and 58 RBIs–tied for the lead in the N.L. And veteran first baseman Joey Votto was hitting .305 with eight homers and 41 RBIs and was leading the National League in on base percentage at .433.

The Reds pitching staff frankly is nothing too great. As a team, they are second from the bottom in the N.L in both ERA (4.78) and batting average against (.264). For Cincinnati to escape the cellar, an upgrade in pitching is necessary.