Aristides Aquino and the Reds seek their 1st victory vs. the NL West as the Giants visit Cincinnati

Reds fans, is Aristides Aquino going to do this to us again? As Michael Corleone said in The Godfather Part 3, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." I'm sure most of the Cincinnati faithful feel a similar way when they watch Aquino launch towering blasts all over GABP in the span of a few at-bats.

We haven't even reached June, and it's already been a roller coaster ride of a season for Aquino. When he was designated for assignment on April 30th, The Punisher was hitting an embarrassing .049 with 23 punch outs in 43 at-bats. However, since clearing waivers, Aquino has tapped into some August 2019 magic.

During a stint in Triple-A Louisville to open the month of May, the right-handed-hitting slugger crushed minor league pitching as he slashed .314/.405/.743 with four homers and 10 RBIs in just 35 at-bats. As a result, Aquino found himself back in Cincinnati on May 20th.

Since returning to the big league club, The Punisher has been just that. Going 5-for-14 with two majestic round-trippers, Aquino has, once again, teased Reds Country with his undeniable power. Granted, it's a very small sample size, but you can't help but wonder "what if..."

Prediction

Following a horrifying April, the Reds have played pretty much as we expected in May going 11-12. However, can the Reds finally break the hex the NL West has over them?

The answer is yes. Not only will the Reds win one game this weekend, but they'll take the series as they win two of three from the Giants and enjoy the silence of a rare holiday off on Memorial Day.