Cincinnati Reds get off to a slow start in 2018 at bat and on mound

The Cincinnati Reds have fewer wins than series played so far in 2018.

The Cincinnati Reds have gotten off to a slow start in 2018.  They got swept in the opening series by they Washington Nationals.  Then the Reds beat the Chicago Cubs them in what turned out to be a one game series because of the weather.

The Washington Nationals are 1-5 since they left Cincinnati.  They are on a five game losing streak.  They lost two of three against the Atlanta Braves and then the New York Mets swept them at home.

The Chicago Cubs are a little better, going 4-4 away from Great American Ballpark.  They have yet to play a game at Wrigley this season.  They postponed their opening game due to snow.

The Pittsburgh Pirates were having a good season before the Reds came to town.  They were 4-1 and in first place in the National League Central.  Then they won three of four against the Reds to stay in first place.

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The Reds are a team that is in danger of having their season end in April.  Both the hitting and the pitching have been largely inconsistent this season.  Now, third baseman Eugenio Suarez appears to be out until at least mid-season with fractured thumb.

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The Cincinnati Reds rank near the bottom in MLB in batting and pitching so far in 2018.

The Reds are in the same place in the pitching rankings that they were most of the past two seasons.  They are dead last in MLB in ERA.  That’s right dead last, despite the fact that neither Amir Garrett, who has re-established himself as a major league pitcher, nor Wandy Peralta has allowed a single run over nine relief innings.

Of course, none of the starting pitchers have an ERA under 4.22.  The Reds only used four starters for the first eight games.  Cody Reed is going to fill in for the injured Brandon Finnegan in the number five spot in the rotation for now.

Offensively, the Reds are eleventh in batting average in the NL.  They are also the worst team in the NL Central with a slugging percentage of just .344.  The Reds and the Miami Marlins have the fewest steals to date in the season with just two, despite the best two base stealers in all of baseball in Dee Gordon and Billy Hamilton playing for them.

Next: Alex Blandino and three other prospects are ready to go!

The Reds are on the upswing talent-wise.  They have more depth in the batting order and in the rotation, than they have had in a while.  Unfortunately, the team isn’t playing that way right now.