
The Reds face a must-win series versus the visiting Marlins.
We can only hope the just-concluded series against a terrible Chicago Cubs team doesn’t come back to haunt the Cincinnati Reds (65-57). Facing a club that had dropped 12 in a row following Monday night’s defeat, the lowly North Siders fought back and took the final two games of the three game-set as the Cubbies auditioned successfully for the role of spoiler.
If there’s a silver lining, the Reds actually gained a game on the San Diego Padres in the race for the final Wild Card berth as the Colorado Rockies completed a three-game sweep of the Friars at Coors Field Wednesday afternoon. But, on the other hand, it’s painfully clear that the Reds’ only path to the postseason will be as a Wild Card.
The first-place Milwaukee Brewers have opened up a nine-game advantage over Cincinnati in the National League Central. As a result, with only three games remaining this season against the Beer Makers, even a sweep won’t provide a realistic chance of grabbing the division title.
It’s no secret as to why the Reds dropped the final two contests versus the Cubbies. After exploding for 14 runs in the opener, the Redlegs dented the plate just twice over the final 18 innings of the series and were taken to the woodshed yesterday in a 7-1 drubbing at the hands of the North Siders.
This weekend’s opponent, the Miami Marlins (51-70), are occupying the basement of the National League East. Miami is a miserable 21-40 outside of South Beach while posting a 12-20 since the All-Star break.
This will be the first meeting between the two clubs since the 2019 campaign. However, they will make up for the lost time by facing each other seven times over the next 10 days.
In the last decade, Cincinnati holds a 16-10 advantage over the Marlins at Great American Ball Park, including a three-game sweep of the Fish in their last visit in April of 2019. However, Miami has captured two of the last three series when visiting the Queen City.