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

Legendary Reds first baseman, Joey Votto, is a one-man wrecking crew.

What more can you say about Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto? By now, you would have thought we’ve seen everything Votto has to offer; however, he continues to astound in his 15th season wearing the wishbone C.

The National League Player of the Month for July simply refuses to give in to father time. Since returning to the lineup following a month on the shelf with a broken thumb, Votto looks like the player who won the NL MVP at age 26 in 2010.

Entering play yesterday, the 37-year-old slugger has 20 homers and 55 RBIs over his last 56 games with a slash line of .315/.410/.665 with a remarkable 1.075 OPS. In other words, it’s been vintage Joey Votto since his June 8th return.

We should know better than to be surprised by anything he does but the former MVP, and six-time All-Star has three multi-homer games in the last three weeks, and his 25 round-trippers and 72 ribbies on the season are his most since the 2017 campaign.

Will Joey Votto win a second MVP award? No. But for a player at his age producing the second-highest slugging rate of his career at  .583, it’s obvious he will not go gently into that good night.

Prediction

The Reds have an opportunity to salvage a road trip that teetered on disaster just a couple of days ago. However, can the Redlegs cool off a Phillies team that has won eight of their last 10 contests?

Yes, they can. Look for the Reds to take two of three in Philly before returning home to battle the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins during a seven-game homestand as the playoff chase continues.