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| 3B Todd Frazier's solo home run in the 6th inning, provided to be the difference yesterday in the Reds 1-0, series clincher vs. the Cubbies. |
The Reds following their series loss out in St. Louis a couple weeks ago, followed that up with a very disappointing weekend series in Pittsburgh, where they were swept by the Pirates in a 3-game series. Ending their first road trip of the season, going 1-5, and being 5-7 on the season, the folks in the Queen City, where getting a little worried. However, the Reds just wrapped up a 10-game home stand, going 8-2, with series wins over the Phillies (sweep), Marlins (three out of four), and the Cubs (two out of three). Second place in the NL Central division with a record of 13-9, the Reds now hope to take that momentum on the road, as they start a 10-game trip in the nation's capital tonight vs. the Nationals, for a four-game series over the weekend. The Nationals have been struggling as of late, and are one-game under .500 on the season (10-11), after may people had them picked to win the World Series at the beginning of the season. After the Nationals series, the Reds head back out to St. Louis for another three-game series vs. their arch-rivals (Cardinals), before finishing up the trip, with a series up in Chicago vs. the Cubs. Finally, the Reds return home to take on the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series (May 6th-8th).
The Reds over the past couple of weeks have got great starting pitching out of the rotation thus far, without the services of their ace SP Johnny Cueto, who is on the 15-day DL with an arm injury. Filling in for Cueto, has been a young guy, named Tony Cingrani, who in just two starts has strikeout 17 batter's. The rest of the rotation has been solid, but it is important that Cueto comes back healthy and back to form, for the Reds to have continued success this season. As well as, the starters have pitched, this latest home stand, they were only credited with four of the team's eight wins, due to the fact the Reds have already played in a number five extra-inning games this season (with four of those five going past the 10th inning). The Reds can't be wasting quality starts from the rotation, that's why guys like Choo, Votto, Bruce, and Phillips, along with the rest of the line-up need to generate more runs per/game (although the Reds are 2nd in the NL in scoring, 114 runs thus far this season, due to a a handful of lopsided wins), because these extra-inning games will take a toll on this team over the season, if they continue to play in them.
Todd Frazier's 480-feet HR, in yesterday's 1-0 win vs. the Chicago Cubs
Well...last time we discussed anything about the Cleveland Indians, they were getting smacked around by the evil empire, the NY Yankees. Thank goodness, the final two games of that series were PPD due to rain (gotta love spring time in the midwest). Following the Yankees series, the Indians won a 3-game series vs. the White Sox in Cleveland, taking the first two games. A game below .500 (5-6), the Indians welcomed to town, another AL East foe, the Boston Red Sox. This marked the fourth out of five AL East teams to come up on the Indians schedule to this point of the season. The Red Sox were off to a hot start this season, and were playing with heavy hearts following the Boston Marathon bombings. The Indians were gracious enough, that they allowed the Red Sox to sweep them in a 3-game series, by a combine score of 19-8. The starting pitching was pretty pathetic in that series, especially this guy.
The Reds over the past couple of weeks have got great starting pitching out of the rotation thus far, without the services of their ace SP Johnny Cueto, who is on the 15-day DL with an arm injury. Filling in for Cueto, has been a young guy, named Tony Cingrani, who in just two starts has strikeout 17 batter's. The rest of the rotation has been solid, but it is important that Cueto comes back healthy and back to form, for the Reds to have continued success this season. As well as, the starters have pitched, this latest home stand, they were only credited with four of the team's eight wins, due to the fact the Reds have already played in a number five extra-inning games this season (with four of those five going past the 10th inning). The Reds can't be wasting quality starts from the rotation, that's why guys like Choo, Votto, Bruce, and Phillips, along with the rest of the line-up need to generate more runs per/game (although the Reds are 2nd in the NL in scoring, 114 runs thus far this season, due to a a handful of lopsided wins), because these extra-inning games will take a toll on this team over the season, if they continue to play in them.
Todd Frazier's 480-feet HR, in yesterday's 1-0 win vs. the Chicago Cubs
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| Michael Brantley is high-fived, after scoring the go-ahead run, in the Indians 3-2 victory Monday night in Chicago. |
The Indians took a trip down to Texas, and took on their newly named AL foes the Houston Astros (MLB's whooping boys). The Indians gotta out of there with a series win, taking the final two games over the weekend, following a loss in the series opener, which marked a season-high five-game losing streak. Once again, the Indians clashed with their division rivals, the Chicago White Sox this week up in the windy city, and came away with a 1-1 split, with the middle game PPD due to, you guessed it rain. At 8-11, with three games PPD thus far this season, the Indians know travel out to Kansas City for a four-game series, against the Royals this weekend. The Indians begin the month of May with a 10-game home stand, with a series vs. the Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, and a four-gamer vs. the Oakland A's.
Hopefully, this team can have some success in the upcoming week's, at 8-11, the Tribe just sit 2.5 games behind AL Central leaders, the Kansas City Royals.
