Reds @ Cardinals 6/7 - 6/9

[HammerDown]

You own us. Sucks, but it's true.

There's something to be said for not being in denial at least. We got half a game back tonight too.

 

[mutigers1fan]

This time last year the Dodgers had the best record in baseball. I've loved what I've seen out of my Cardinals this season but the division is far from won.

 

[JohnU]

NL coaching staffs and pitchers have not learned how to deal with hitters who attack the strike zone with the bat. The Cards hitters are the most efficient I have seen since there was actual talent in MLB.

That said, the Birds will score early and often and will challenge pitchers to throw strikes that aren't hittable. That will not work. It never did.

But ... if St. Louis intends to win this, they will be sore-pressed to expect this many rookies to get through the 162 unscathed. The only way that can happen is to space out the work and continue to score a bunch of runs. So far, they are doing that.

HOW it's working is that St. Louis clearly has more talent than at least 10 teams in the league, and maybe all 14.

Expect to win 100 this year.

Reds could win 90-plus and maybe get a wild card.

After that, it's no contest.

 

[bengaldoug]

There's something to be said for not being in denial at least. We got half a game back tonight too.

I've been a fan of Cincinnati sports teams as long as I've been old enough to care. The Bengals have trained me well in dealing with reality. There was a period during the era of the Big Red Machine that temporarily spoiled me, but I'm long over those days. I am trying to come to peace with the seeming fact that the Bengals will never win a Super Bowl during my life, but I'm still holding out hope for the Reds to win again. Right now that doesn't look to be very close, either.

 

[JohnU]

The old story about getting to the playoffs is the hard part. Getting through the playoffs is the next hard part.

Bengals aren't missing that by much these days.

NFL, you need one good game a week and you end up like ... the Ravens.

 

[bengaldoug]

The old story about getting to the playoffs is the hard part. Getting through the playoffs is the next hard part.

Bengals aren't missing that by much these days.

NFL, you need one good game a week and you end up like ... the Ravens.

The Bengals are no better off than the Reds in that Marvin Lewis is every bit as poor as Dusty. The Bengals also have committed to Andy Dalton for the future, and he'll probably never be any better than he was last year, which clearly wasn't good enough.

We're screwed.

 

[redsfan03]

We're essentially the Birds' bitches at this point. Nothing Dusty's blithering band of idiots can do will outmatch the superior fundamentals, depth, intelligence, and strategy of the Cardinals. It's a shame, too, because I truly believe that at the start of the season this Reds team was built for a possible WS run. I don't think I've ever seen someone do less with more than Dusty Baker. Yeah, we've had some untimely injuries, but the performance against playoff-worthy opponents has been pathetic. Can't bank on playing the Cubs, Marlins, and Mets in the playoffs.

Side note, how on earth do the Cardinals have such a stacked minor league system? It's not like they've had a ton of top 10 picks since they seem to win the World Series every other year...

 

[HammerDown]

Say it ain't so.

 

[Redsfan1507]

It's PR bullshidt saying getting to the playoffs is the toughest part, if you have playoff talent. It isn't single elimination, you know. Best TEAMS almost win, and that TEAM consists of players AND staff. The good teams use their good staff all year, to prepare the roster for post season. The Reds don't, especially Dusty, who always seems to try to make it harder than it has to be. If any motivation exists there, it's to hit enough that Dusty stays inconsequential. This team has to hit more, period.