Reds can't let wins over the Yankees and Mets go to waste now

The Cincinnati Reds just won back-to-back series against two of the teams with the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball. Cincinnati went 4-2 this past week against the New York Mets and the New York Yankees, but now the true test comes as the Reds get set to battle two of their toughest opponents over the next 10 days.

On Monday night, the Milwaukee Brewers come to town. The Brewers are one of the best teams in MLB this season and sit atop the NL Central standings with a record of 46-29.

After the Brewers leave town, the Reds will leave the Queen City and begin a six-game trek that could define the rest of their season. Cincinnati has three games on tap this weekend against their arch rival, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and will then travel to Milwaukee early next week to play four games against the Brewers.

Reds upcoming stretch vs. Brewers and Pirates could define their season

The Reds win-loss record against NL Central opponents this season is rather abysmal. Cincinnati is just 2-13 in their own division, and that could ultimately be their undoing. The Reds have been swept by the Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs at various points this season, and their lone win against the Pirates came all the way back on March 30. Tuesday's visit from the Brewers will be the first time the two teams play against one another this season.

The Reds' recent history against the Brewers is not good. Last season, Cincinnati went just 5-8 against Milwaukee and were 4-9 the year prior. The Reds were an embarrassing 3-10 against the Brew Crew in 2023 and haven't had a winning record against Milwaukee since the pandemic-shortened season in 2020.

More peculiar, however, is Cincinnati's lack of success against Pittsburgh. The Reds were just 7-6 against the Buccos last season despite a vastly superior roster. Cincinnati is a woeful 17-28 against Pittsburgh since 2022.

After Sunday's win over the Yankees, the Reds are 37-39, and while catching the Brewers in the NL Central seems untenable, Cincinnati is just 2½ games back in the chase for the final NL Wild Card spot that's currently held by the Cubs.

Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall recently told reporters that the organization will take a wait-and-see approach at the upcoming trade deadline. In other words, if the Reds want to avoid a fire sale before August 3, they need to start piling up wins. This week's matchup against NL Central opponents is a great place to start.

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