Can The Reds Get Well Against The Lowly San Francisco Giants?

Jun 30, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Mat Latos (55) hands the ball over to manager Dusty Baker (12) during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Rangers won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY SportsThe Cincinnati Reds have now lost seven of their last 10 games. There is only one team in all of MLB who has lost more. That team, the San Francisco Giants will be in the Queen City for four games starting tonight.

The Giants have lost eight of 10, but they won yesterday, so they ride into town with a 1-game winning streak.

Doesn’t it seem like just a few days ago the Reds were just a game or so behind the front-running Cardinals?

Actually, a month ago today the Reds were still looking up at the Cards from two games down. Now, of course the Pirates are the best team in baseball. That’s right Reds’ fans just chill and own that fact.

I don’t just mean from a won-loss perspective. They are flat tearing it up.

What has happened to the Good Guys, other than the fact that their ace pitcher, Johnny Cueto is now on his third stint on the DL this season? And, hey it’s not even the All-star break yet. Do you think it may be time for him to stop using his Luis Tiant impression?

Who is really, really the ace now? Maybe Mike Leake?

I could reel off one statistic after another to start your month off badly, but we all know the Reds are really not playing their best ball right now (cough, cough).

What is the cure? Sure Tony Cingrani can take over Cueto’s turns in the rotation, but you know he is not really ready for that.

It is funny how that kind of thing works out. The Pirates have actually been without their ace (A.J. Burnett) and lefty Wandy Rodriguez for some time now and there have been no potholes in the road.

The left-field spot is, as it has been every year (except 2012) for awhile, a fly in the ointment. Not the third, fourth and fifth reserves haven’t done a decent job. Continuity, man, you need continuity. One day it’s Derrick Robinson, the next Donald Lutz, then Xavier Paul. Robinson seems to be the best choice to me, his OBP is decent and he has stolen like a million bases in the minors (sound familiar?).

Those guys do their part but none have the pop in their bat that Ryan Ludwick has. He has been on the shelf since his head-first slide into third base on opening day injured him big time.

Disappointments have been a thing to expect from the bullpen this year, all the way from Alfredo Simon to the end of it with Aroldis Chapman. None of them have been exempt. Everybody can point fingers at whom they choose, I will choose J.J. Hoover. Sure he has had some very good outings. He has also blown up more than a couple of times.

Jonathan Broxton has been shakier than most. I would hate to see where we would be had Chapman been in the rotation and Broxton left to put a ribbon on it in the end. Now, he is on the DL.

DL along with set-up man Sean Marshall and Nick Masset. Remember him?

The Reds are currently 5.5 games back of the Pirates and it is getting serious. We cannot assume that the Bucs will fall into the same slide they have the past two campaigns. I don’t see it happening.

If the Reds do not try to get a serious MLB starting pitcher, things may get worse before they get better.

I don’t see anything drastic, like firing Dusty Baker happening. However, if they choose to do nothing but wait until healing occurs, this will be the longest second-half we have seen in a while.