After another down year, the Cincinnati Reds are leaving fans with a lingering thought.When are we going to be contenders again? The last 7 out of ten years the Reds have been Sub 500 and as a Reds fan it’s disappointing to see your team not live up to its potential. The Reds made a move everyone saw coming at the trade deadline by dealing Jay Bruce, and they added youth to their roster.
The Reds roster is a very young one, but age doesn’t mean anything as the Reds are showing their true colors as the 2016 seasons winds down. They have six players batting over .300 after the All-Star break. They are catching fire at the end of the season. They could be a team’s worst nightmare if they are fighting for a playoff spot the Reds are out to spoil some playoff hopes and dreams this year. The Reds are basically out of playoff contention, but that doesn’t mean they can’t spoil someone else’s season.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have several match-ups left with the Reds. Being three games out of playoff contention the Reds have a golden opportunity to knock the long time rival Pirates out of the wildcard spot. The rivalry between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati is a heated one. One of the best things about it is you never know who is going to win when these two teams meet up. These two teams are bitter rivals for many years, and the fact that the Reds have a chance to put Pittsburgh farther behind in the playoff race is the best thing that could happen to Reds fans this year.
The St. Louis Cardinals currently have a 1.5 game hold on the second wild-card spot, but the Reds can play a huge role in their destiny as well. The Reds have a four-game series at St. Louis later this year that could directly impact the playoff race.
Cincinnati and St. Louis are rivals as well as being in the NL Central together, so they face each other quite often. However, these last four games are going to be the Reds best opportunity to destroy the hopes of the Cardinals’ season.