After today, the Reds, Padres and Twins will be the only teams with 50 games finished and still have two days off. Everybody else will need more innings from their pitching staffs.

24-23 - Phillies - 13 more games
21-21 - Cardinals - 18 more games - currently losing 17-2 to the Brewers
23-24 - Giants - 13 more games
-----------last playoff spot------------
24-26 - Reds - 10 more games . . . 0.5 games back . . . only 1.5 games behind Phillies for best 3rd place team
21-25 - Rockies - 14 more games . . . 1.5 games back
21-25 - Brewers - 14 more games . . . 1.5 games back
21-27 - Mets - 12 more games . . . 2.5 games back

Reds last 10 games
1 v Pirates
3 v White Sox
3 v Brewers
3 @ Twins

So, Reds need to win and Sweep the Pirates. THAT is about all we need to know right now.

If Reds SWEEP the Pirates they are 1 game under .500

Now The Cardinals AND The Giants are just ahead of Reds. If Reds catch either one, they move into play-off spot.

Covid complex gets more complex. Cardinals playing Brewers right on Reds rear end in this. Then Cardinals play Pirates this weekend and Pirates are pretty bad. Brewers still on Reds rear end. Now the Giants vs Seattle canceled due to West Coast Fire Bad Air. So if Covid wasn't enough, we now add monster fires and hurricanes into this crazy short season as USA having one awful year. So Seattle will go to San Francisco of fire orange skies also, and try to play these 2 games Wednesday and Thursday.

Complex, Crazy, Not Normal, You Bet....Reds are half a game behind Cardinals and Giants holding Play-Off Tickets....Reds need to catch one of them. OH WAIT, MAKE UP GAMES....Reds have 26 losses, Giants 24, Cardinals 22. Now MLB is going to TRY to get in all Make Up Games. So in losses, Reds are closer to Giants than Cardinals who were off long time with Covid, Complex, Crazy, Not Normal.

So back to REDS NEED TO SWEEP PIRATES. Reds can't control what Giants or Cardinals do. A SWEEP gets Reds to 1 game under .500 at 25 and 26. 26 is THE KEY NUMBER. With Make Up Games coming, Look to THE LOSS COLUMN. Reds went into Pittsburgh at 26 and need to leave at 26....Giants at 24, Cardinals at 22.

So, SWEEP PIRATES. This isn't icing on the cake sweep. They really do need the sweep to stay in this thing. The Reds are NOT in front of anybody. They are like a basketball team that was down by 10 and now down a point or 2, but time is running out. They need to keep the catching up run going and still have enough gas in tank to pull out ahead. SO SWEEP PIRATES.

I'd really like to see them complete the sweep tonight. They finish against 3 good teams.

I thought the Reds were dead. Looks like they gasp for more air. They are clicking now. Hopefully they get Gray back in time. I don't know how but they just signed Miller from Blue Jays.

Those games against the White Sox and Twins scare the hell outa me. reds don't do well against AL teams and those are two of the best. I would hate to see it come down to having to win those games to get in.

(09-16-2020, 03:08 PM)McC Wrote: Those games against the White Sox and Twins scare the hell outa me.  reds don't do well against AL teams and those are two of the best.  I would hate to see it come down to having to win those games to get in.

But are the Giants or Cardinals playing great. NO, they are not.   So If Castillo leads Reds to Win and Sweep tonight, one of these teams can be caught.  In THE LOSS COLUMN Reds are closer to Giants.  Reds at 26 losses.  Giants at 24 vs Seattle today and Thursday Reds off day.   Cardinals with 22 losses get to play Pirates this weekend.  

If they can beat the Pirates tonight and then win 6 of the last 9..... that just might do it ? That's what 1 game over .500

They've got a punchers chance.

Tyler Stephenson--thank you for saving our asses with that incredible pinch hit homer. Now, here's your reward. Go sit down, we'll call you in a week or two. We have a pair of .220 hitters who need that playing time.

Can somebody tell me the last time Winker got a hit? I'm drawing a blank.

Not getting my hopes up because the Pirates are terrible, but this streak is still pretty impressive. Should be an interesting finish.

So Reds SWEEP PIRATES and remain at 26 losses. Giants remain at 24 losses. Cardinals move up to 23 losses.

.500 doesn't matter, not how bad rest of National League is

Just as NFL bye weeks, keep your eye on the losses more than the wins.

So this half a game stuff is nonsense. There are no tie games in baseball. At seasons end there will be no half a game differences.

Castillo pitched a great game and 2 innings of bullpen for a 1-0 win.

Reds now have a Thursday off. They need Suarez wife to have a fine, healthy baby and Suarez to get back fast. The Reds need the proud Papa in the line-up if they are going to do this thing. You can't count on winning many games that you score 1 run only.

So my count is Reds are 2 behind Giants and 3 behind Cardinals. They both play on Reds day off, so one or both could lose and tighten this up. Maybe 1 game behind Giants or 2 games behind Cardinals when Reds hit the field again. With added play-off teams we may have NL teams in under .500 ball.

Much needed SWEEP to stay at 26 losses as Giants and Cardinals add to their losses.

Bengals vs Browns Thursday, GO BENGALS...and GO Mariners and Pirates Thursday.....No news yet on Suarez new baby and his return....No news on Gray back injury, except he hopes to return this season.

So hopefully Bengals beat Browns as Reds day off Giants go to 25 losses or Cardinals to 24 losses or both as Reds hold at 26.

This weekend Giants play Oakland so I'm going to be a real Athletic Supporter.

Reds vs White Sox and 2019 had no Reds mention of 100 years since Reds World Series. That is not fair because Reds had a good team beating out tough National League teams such as Manager John McGraw power New York Giants. The Reds won the National League against good teams. The White Sox of 1919 may have been like Oakland of 1990, upsets happen. If some White Sox took a dive, NO RED WAS KICKED OUT OF BASEBALL. So more respect needed for 1st Base-Jake Daubert, 2nd Base- Morrie Rath, Shortstop- Larry Kopf. 3rd Base- Heinie Groh, LF- Greasy Neale, CF-Edd Roush, RF- Rube Bressler, C- Ivy Wingo...Bench of Bill Pafiden-C and Sherry Magee-OF. ...Pitchers Slim Sallee and Hod Eller both of 20 wins. Dutch Ruether of 19 wins. Ray Fisher, Jimmy Ping, Dolpgh Luque...Manager Pat Moran....a starter in World Series was Pat Duncan in RF who must have won the job from Bressler....It looks to me like Chicago pitched Reds pretty good, except for Reds Neele who had 10 hits and batted .357....Also Duncan was right to play instead of Bressler as Duncan led team with 8 RBI's.....It could be Reds just out pitched them as Hod Eller won 2 games of 2.00 ERA and 15 K's.....It may be the NL 1919 NY Giants were better than AL Chicago. ..I have seen teams win World Series who sports writers never gave a chance, such as 1990 Reds. ...Reds Owner was Garry Herrmann....Reds Manger was Hall Of Fame Christy Mathewson who left the Reds late in 1918 season to enlist in World War I. He was poison gassed and developed T.B. and too sick to return, Pat Moran became 1919 manager. Let us stop to think that one of the greatest pitchers ever had coached up this great Reds pitching staff before World War I wounded before 1919 season.. ...So a lot more respect for the 1919 Reds is needed....and does anybody ever consider that the 1919 Reds won the NL season for Moran but with Mathewson in their hearts. ...AT LEAST GIVE 1919 REDS CREDIT FOR WINNING TOUGH NATIONAL LEAGUE, and maybe World Series Win, hey, Reds were a darn good team.

(09-17-2020, 02:23 AM)kevin Wrote: So Reds SWEEP PIRATES and remain at 26 losses. Giants remain at 24 losses. Cardinals move up to 23 losses.

.500 doesn't matter, not how bad rest of National League is

Just as NFL bye weeks, keep your eye on the losses more than the wins.

So this half a game stuff is nonsense. There are no tie games in baseball. At seasons end there will be no half a game differences.

Castillo pitched a great game and 2 innings of bullpen for a 1-0 win.

Reds now have a Thursday off. They need Suarez wife to have a fine, healthy baby and Suarez to get back fast. The Reds need the proud Papa in the line-up if they are going to do this thing. You can't count on winning many games that you score 1 run only.

So my count is Reds are 2 behind Giants and 3 behind Cardinals. They both play on Reds day off, so one or both could lose and tighten this up. Maybe 1 game behind Giants or 2 games behind Cardinals when Reds hit the field again. With added play-off teams we may have NL teams in under .500 ball.

Much needed SWEEP to stay at 26 losses as Giants and Cardinals add to their losses.

Bengals vs Browns Thursday, GO BENGALS...and GO Mariners and Pirates Thursday.....No news yet on Suarez new baby and his return....No news on Gray back injury, except he hopes to return this season.

So hopefully Bengals beat Browns as Reds day off Giants go to 25 losses or Cardinals to 24 losses or both as Reds hold at 26.

Actually the Reds are .001 percentage point ahead of the Cardinals putting them in 2nd place and in the playoffs currently.

I don't want to get my hopes up (since we can't ever have nice things), but maybe they are getting hot at the right time.

(09-17-2020, 12:16 PM)Earendil Wrote: I don't want to get my hopes up (since we can't ever have nice things), but maybe they are getting hot at the right time.

Scoring one run against the Pirates screams they aren't really there yet.

25-22 - Marlins - 13 more games . . . 1.5 games ahead of the 3rd place Phillies
24-24 - Phillies - 12 more games . . . just saw that Brian Price is their pitching coach on a visit to the mound then the pitcher gave up the winning run
24-24 - Giants - 12 more games
22-23 - Cardinals - 15 more games
25-26 - Reds - 9 more games . . . 0.5 games behind the Giants for last spot . . . tied with Cardinals for 2nd . . . only 0.5 game behind Phillies for best 3rd place team
-----------last playoff spot------------
23-26 - Brewers - 11 more games . . . 1 game back
22-26 - Rockies - 13 more games . . . 1.5 games back . . . lost today, now host the Dodgers
22-27 - Mets - 11 more games . . . 2.0 games back


Let's see where things settle after today . . . Giants already beating the Mariners 1-0.

(09-17-2020, 05:18 PM)McC Wrote: Scoring one run against the Pirates screams they aren't really there yet.

I'm hoping the Reds are finally getting it together and can really make a push here late. But having said that I'm with ya, I'm not getting to excited because they swept the worst team in baseball.

(09-17-2020, 05:18 PM)McC Wrote: Scoring one run against the Pirates screams they aren't really there yet.

(09-17-2020, 05:52 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I'm hoping the Reds are finally getting it together and can really make a push here late. But having said that I'm with ya, I'm not getting to excited because they swept the worst team in baseball.

True, but they did score 9 against them on Monday. Even the best teams have 1-0 games. How many of those did they lose last year?

(09-17-2020, 05:59 PM)Earendil Wrote: True, but they did score 9 against them on Monday.  Even the best teams have 1-0 games. How many of those did they lose last year?

Last year Mahle lost 1-0 games two starts in a row.

25-23 - Marlins - 12 more games . . . 1 game ahead of the 3rd place Phillies . . . doubleheader with the Nationals Friday
25-24 - Giants - 11 more games . . . play the A's Friday
24-25 - Phillies - 11 more games . . . doubleheader vs the Blue Jays Friday
25-26 - Reds - 9 more games
-----------last playoff spot------------
22-24 - Cardinals - 14 more games . . . 0.5 game back . . . doubleheader Friday . . . Pirate Steve Brault with a two hitter for his first complete game.
23-26 - Brewers - 11 more games . . . 1 game back . . . play the Royals Friday
23-27 - Mets - 10 more games . . . 1.5 games back . . . play the Braves Friday
22-27 - Rockies - 13 more games . . . 2 games back

Grown man series vs the Chi Sox this weekend. If they can sneak in and take 2, it will be a massive momentum builder.

Reds off day Giants won, but Cardinals lost to Pirates.

Reds 26 losses. Giants and Cardinals now at 24 losses

and WHY am I looking at losses. Just as NFL bye weeks, Some teams have missed Covid games or missed Fire or Hurricane games to make up. MLB plan is to male up all missed games and Cardinals missed a bunch.

So Cardinals 2 losses in a row takes them from 22 to 24 losses and that is a huge swing.

This stuff that the Reds have to win all of their games left is not true. They need Giants or Cardinals to take some losses. Reds are only 2 games behind each of them in loss column. They need Giants or Cardinals to fall apart down the stretch.