Reds vs. Mets: Pitching preview, prediction, and more

The Reds look to rebound as the struggling Mets visit.

There’s no way to be subtle about it; this past weekend has a disaster for the Cincinnati Reds. Unfortunately, it’s become a recurring nightmare since the 2018 season as the Milwaukee Brewers marched into Great American Ball Park and waxed the Redlegs (48-45), sweeping the three-game set.

Cincinnati dropped seven of nine to the Brewers this year in the Queen City, and over the past four seasons, the Brew Crew is an astonishing 22-10 at GABP. If there’s a positive to take away from the weekend, it’s the fact the Beer Makers will not be appearing in the visitor’s dugout again during the 2021 campaign.

In all honesty, two of the three games this past weekend were winnable, but twice when the Reds’ bullpen was handed a lead, it was surrendered immediately. Although bullpen implosions are nothing new for the Reds relief corps, the weekend meltdown may very well be the most significant damaging in the Reds season.

Entering play today, the Redlegs have fallen seven games off the pace in the National League Central race and 5.5 games behind the San Diego Padres for the final Wild Card spot. Cincinnati could find themselves as sellers instead of buyers as the July 30th trade deadline approaches without a quick turnaround.

The start of the second half of the 2021 campaign has been nearly as cruel to the National League East-leading New York Mets. Yesterday’s ninth inning come from behind victory salvaged the final game of the three-game set with the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates in the Steel City. Their division lead has shrunk to two games over the charging Philadelphia Phillies.

Over the past decade, the Mets (48-42) have found GABP to be one of the more hospitable visiting ballparks for the New Yorkers. Since 2012 the Mets are 16-9 in Cincinnati, and you have to go all the way back to the 2013 campaign to find the last time they dropped a season series to the Reds.