Reds schedule: Will the hits keep on coming in Motown vs Tigers?

Power-hitting first baseman crushes the Reds

Last weekend, in the Queen City it seemed like it was C.J. Cron versus the Reds. The right-handed slugger wreaked havoc on Cincinnati pitching by collecting four hits in 11 at-bats including a double and two home runs. His two-run blast in the 9th inning of Sunday’s game off Michael Lorenzen was the difference in that contest.

However, this is not the first time Cron has destroyed Redleg pitching. As a member of the Los Angeles Angels in 2016, he was even better than he was last weekend in Cincinnati. Throughout a three-game series in Anaheim that year Cron went a ridiculous 7-for-12 with three homers and seven runs knocked in.  Although he’s only faced Reds pitching in six games in his career he’s slashing .478/.520/1.127 with five homers and 11 RBIs. Mercy.

If the Reds are going to have any success this weekend against the 30-year-old Cron, their best bet is Saturday night. Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer has had Cron’s number in their head-to-head battles. In 14 at-bats, Cron has just two hits off the Reds right-hander and both of those were singles. Hopefully, Bauer will share his secrets with the rest of the staff.

For those who have followed his career, Cron’s power numbers are real and they’re spectacular if you’re a Tigers fan. He’s hit at least 16 homers in five consecutive seasons; much of the time getting little more than platoon duty. Cron averages a home run nearly every 20 at-bats for his career. To put it in perspective it’s similar to the rates of active sluggers such as Anthony Rizzo and Manny Machado.

I’m not saying Cron is ready to enter the same category of all-time Reds villains such as Lance Berkman and Albert Pujols, but he’s making life extremely difficult for the Reds pitching staff. For the sanity of all Reds Country, let’s hope C.J. Cron remains in the American League for years to come.