Cincinnati Reds: Cody Reed pitched his best against the best

Cody Reed stepped up big for the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday afternoon. The lefty struck out a career-high 10 batters against the best team in the NL.

Cody Reed is showing the Cincinnati Reds that he can be a starting pitcher in next season’s rotation. The lefty had a phenomenal showing on Saturday and struck out a career-high 10 batters.

For the second game in a row, a Reds starter pitched lights out against the Chicago Cubs. Unfortunately, for Cody Reed, Saturday’s matchup against the Cubbies was the second game in a row in which the bullpen gave up what would be the winning run.

While a loss is never a good thing, Reed performed admirably for the Reds. In front of a raucous crowd at Wrigley Field, Reed had to dig deep on several occasions to get out of a jam. Reed displayed a strong show of emotion as the left-hander exited the game following his third strikeout of former MVP Kris Bryant.

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Reed gives the Reds an added dimension when pitching. He’s left-handed. The Reds barely a left-handed arm in the bullpen, much less in the starting rotation. If Reed is able to put together a performance like he did on Saturday at Wrigley, it may be tough to keep Reed out of the starting rotation.

Cody Reed’s biggest problem has been walks. He had his moments again today with 2 walks and a hit batter. However, Reed was dealing today, and more times than not, he was getting ahead in the count.

When Reed has 0-2, 1-2, or even a 2-2 count, it opens up his repertoire of pitches, and you’ll see him use his slider more and more. Reed was attacking both the inside and outside corners of the plate today, and the Cubs hitters were all over the place.

Reed went 5 innings, threw 91 pitches and only allowed 2 hits. A performance like this is sure to get him another start and may put him in the mix for the rotation going into 2019.

Let’s face it, the Cincinnati Reds need at least two of their young pitchers to step up and be counted on next season as part of the starting rotation. Anthony DeSclafani and Luis Castillo have essentially assured a spot next season, but the other five spots are up for grabs.

The Reds will likely spend some money on a free agent starter next season, and may even bring back Matt Harvey. Michael Lorenzen will get a look as a starter on Tuesday in Milwaukee, and who knows what the future holds for the Reds and Homer Bailey.

One thing is for sure; Cody Reed showed today that he can pitch, and not just against some mediocre team. The Cubs have the best record in the National League and boast one of the most potent offenses. Cody Reed played up to the competition. He pitched his best against the best.