Ignited by Sal Stewart’s power and a revitalized rotation, Cincinnati has surged to a 13-6 post-break record, defying trade deadline skepticism to emerge as a legitimate postseason threat.
The Cincinnati Reds have won four straight games, a four-game series 3-1 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, before sweeping the Athletics in a three-game series. After seemingly botching the trade deadline, the Reds' roster has made the front office look very good over the past three days.
Cincinnati has the third-best record in baseball since the All-Star break at 13-6, winning 10 of its last 14 games. The Reds have lost just one series since the break, dropping two out of three to the Cleveland Guardians after the first game of the series was postponed because of weather.
The Reds have been led offensively since the All-Star break by Rookie of the Year candidate Sal Stewart, who has six home runs, 21 RBIs and an .808 OPS. Elly De La Cruz has quietly put together an impressive stretch, hitting .284 with a .931 OPS and seven stolen bases in his last 19 games.
Tyler Stephenson had one of the best months of his career in July. Since the All-Star break, he is hitting .319 with four home runs, nine RBIs and an eye-popping 1.120 OPS. His increased offensive production made many believe he was a sure bet to be traded, but the Reds held on to him.
However, the story is not just about the offense. Chase Burns has been outstanding, which has become almost expected at this point. The Reds have won four of Burns' last five starts. Andrew Abbott and Rhett Lowder have also put together several strong starts.
Abbott has a 3.04 ERA since the All-Star break, allowing eight earned runs in 23⅔ innings. Lowder has posted back-to-back quality starts and owns a 3.18 ERA, allowing six earned runs in 17 innings over his last three starts. He also has a 12-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio during that stretch.
Brady Singer has also been a key contributor, both by eating innings and giving the Reds a chance to win. However, his ERA took a hit after an official scoring change from his July start against the Cleveland Guardians charged him with four additional earned runs. Singer is 2-2 over his last five starts with a no-decision.
The Reds have several difficult series coming up that will test them, especially with Hunter Greene sidelined. Terry Francona said Greene has only a slim chance of pitching again this season. Cincinnati will play the Washington Nationals and Chicago White Sox on the road in consecutive series before returning home for a seven-game homestand against the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.
Cincinnati is currently four games out of the NL Wild Card race and have leapt the Pittsburgh Pirates for fourth place in the NL Central.
