Reds vs. White Sox: Pitching preview, prediction, and more

The Reds’ final road trip of 2021 begins with a visit to the South Side.

So you’re telling me there’s a chance? Much like Lloyd Christmas in Dumb & Dumber, the odds may be one in a million, but mathematically the Cincinnati Reds (82-75) playoff hopes are still alive, albeit on life support.

Cincinnati staved off elimination yesterday with a 13-1 pummeling of the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates in the season finale at Great American Ball Park. However, with a subsequent Reds loss or win by the St. Louis Cardinals, the Redbirds will clinch the second and final Wild Card berth in the National League.

But let’s focus on the positives from the last week. For the first time since 2013, the Reds have secured a winning record in a full season of play and notched back-to-back winning campaigns, which they haven’t accomplished since the 2012-2013 seasons.

While it’s a little too late, the Redlegs have won five of their last seven games and are playing their best baseball in well over a month. Additionally, kudos to left-hander Reiver Sanmartin who picked up a victory in his MLB debut yesterday by tossing 5.2 innings of one-run baseball in the dismantling of the Pirates.

Even though the Chicago White Sox (89-68) clinched the American League Central title last week, there’s still some incentive to finish strong. The Sox will be facing the AL West Champion Houston Astros next week in the postseason, but the question of home-field advantage in the series is yet to be determined. Currently, the Astros hold a 2.5 game lead over the South Siders for the second seed in the junior circuit.

The Reds and White Sox split a two-game set in the Queen City in May; however, Chicago has dominated the series between the two clubs. Lifetime the South Siders hold an overwhelming 19-9 advantage over the Redlegs, including a 6-2 mark at the ridiculously named Guaranteed Rate Field.