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

The Reds conclude a tough road trip in the City of Brotherly Love.

To say it was a much-needed victory would be an understatement. After dropping three straight to open their seven-game road trip, the Cincinnati Reds (62-54) offense exploded on Thursday to capture the series finale in Atlanta. David Bell’s group avoided a three-game sweep and kept, for the time being, Reds Country from the brink of a nervous breakdown.

It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times for the Redlegs bullpen in Atlanta. In the opener, the Reds relief corps allowed just two hits in three innings of work; however, they walked three in the sixth inning, including the eventual game-winning run in a 3-2 defeat.

The loss in the second game was just as painful. Cincinnati battled back from a 5-0 deficit to force extra-innings on the strength of Joey Votto’s two-run bomb in the top of the ninth. Unfortunately, the first hit the bullpen allowed since the sixth inning just happened to be a two-out, three-run walk-off blast from Ozzie Albies in the bottom of the 11th off Lucas Sims.

Following an eight-game winning streak, the Philadelphia Phillies (60-55) momentum was slowed this week after dropping two of three to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Entering this week, the Phillies had been the hottest team in baseball and made an incredible run to seize first place in the National League East.

At the All-Star break, the Phils were 3.5 games behind the New York Mets, but a 9-2 mark to open the month of August coupled with a sweep of the Metropolitans last weekend, and the Phillies have turned from the hunter to the hunted within the division.

Throughout the last decade, the Reds have struggled mightily at Citizens Bank Park. Cincinnati has collected just one series victory in their last eight visits to Philadelphia and have lost five of six in the City of Brotherly Love since the 2018 season.