The remaining schedule.....

[bengaldoug]

Reds have 18 games left, 9 at home and 9 away. 12 vs teams with losing records. 6 with Parrots.

Birds have 19 games left 12 at home and 7 away. 16 vs losers, 3 with Washington.

Parrots have 20 games left. 11 at home and 9 away. 11 vs losers, 3 with Texas and 6 with Reds.


We definitely get a good shot at the Parrots, but it's going to be tough to catch the Birds imo, they have the home edge and just don't play anybody.

 

[Redsfan1507]

THEY don't play anybody ? The Reds have the Cubs, Brewers and Lastros before the Pirates. The Reds did most of their heavy lifting with the Cards and Dodgers...the way they finish now, with the exception of that important Pirates stretch, is going to be about how many games they can win against some of the worst records in MLB. I just hope there aren't too many lineups with Reds scrubs in them.

 

[bengaldoug]

Problem is the Birds have 16/19 vs losers. Hard to catch them if they win every day.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Well, maybe they get stymied by the dregs of MLB sometimes, just like our Reds. We may indeed need help even playing against the helpless.

Hey, nothing against Travis Wood, or the Cubs, but if they had any pitching or offense, they wouldn't be half a million games out of first. Our guys are only like 34-38 against plus .500 teams, but the ridicularity is it may be their inability to win against 90 loss teams late, that put them in that 1 game play-in game. A couple of games margin over a 162 game season draw a lot more attention late, but a few of those "meaningless" losses in May seem to count just like the important ones in September.

 

[bengaldoug]

It really isn't surprising tonight. They've been intense for a week now, playing the best ball they have played all year vs the Birds and Dodgers. A letdown was almost inevitable. They really sleepwalked through this one. Maybe they'll wake up tomorrow and get back to business.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I have a different perspective on what intensity needs to be 2 games behind I suppose. It isn't a time to take a break, rest players or look past the team you play tonight. The Braves could take a 2 week nap, and be ok...the Reds, not so much. The Cardinals aren't playing at their previous pace, but they aren't going to go away either. The Pirates have dropped off a lot, and are in Texas right now...NOW is the time for the Reds to avoid that pending one game playoff loss excuse...

 

[Ryanballa]

Cardinals do have a easier schedule no doubt. But this is baseball anybody can win on any given night. The Reds have a easy schedule too, Our Reds will win this division.

 

[WvuDieHard]

Well we are inside 20 games now and losing 2-0 to the Chubs don't impress me at all. Urgency? Urgency is when Dustmop has to rush to the can after eating a gallon of prunes. Hey, how can anybody expect a late season run by Reds? It is not likely; yet, as you say Ryan--"anything can happen". This team appears to be turning it around but they obviously still aren't there. What do you think it is gonna take to get the division? I say with 17 games to go a record of 9-8 wont cut it. To catch the Cards, it is going to take a 14-3 run. You have to catch up 2 games and I would think the Cards will finish 12-7 or better. If that scenario plays out, the Reds win the Division by 1 game. This is a long tough road to hoe without help from the Cards.

 

[Redsfan1507]

You know who has a tough schedule ? The Reds media. Last night they had to excuse the outstanding pitching of Travis Wood...tonight ? Tougher...Edwin Jackson ? a laugher...

The Cubs SUCK. To blow the good work against the Cards & Dodgers, to go right back to 3-4 back by taking a 3 day nap against the Cubs makes me want to hurl.

Those big bullies the Brewers are next, and that AL juggernaut Astros after that. It is IMPOSSIBLE to play an easier schedule than that 3 team trifecta of terrible...but we're starting 0-2 so far..Then we may get to play 6 against the Pirates, with any luck, by then we wont be 6 back and have to win out...

 

[Redsfan1507]

I can't believe I forgot the Mets. The Reds play 4 series against the Cubs,Brewers, Astros and Mets...and 2 against the Pirates. How could the Cards possibly have an easier schedule ? They have a AA team in there somewhere ? The Reds should finish losing about 3 of those games.

 

[WvuDieHard]

This is clearly a matter of focus and concentration on behave of the entire ball club, Is it not? Who is responsible for Urgency and Fire in that clubhouse? Somebody needs to take a leadership roll. The toothpicker sure as hell aint gonna do it. Bruce/Votto/ or Hannigan need to get vocal and get the younger guys more involved in the game by making them understand the importance of these last 16 games. There is clearly ZERO excuses in losing 2 games to the Chubs. This is the very reason why the Reds are vulnerable in a one game playoff. You never know when the bats decide to take the day off.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I don't know...the pulse of a team is a complex thing- they played with a lot more urgency against the Cards and Dodgers. A manager should know when to pat players on the back and when to kick their ass...I get the impression neither happens much here...it's ALL up to the players. I do believe, especially on a team with younger players, that playing with some kind of emotion tends to play better. This team has problems other than just Dusty, but it's his orchestra, and they do play to the music he directs. I don't like it much, that's why I don't have any confidence in a 1 game playoff- it's made for a Dusty failure.

 

[eburg5000]

Washington is only 5 1/2 games in back of the Reds right now, and are on a role. Its not likely they can catch us, but if the Reds start losing these 3 game series. It's possible they could catch the Reds. If they stay hot.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Reds are 2-1/2 games back now. As I said a week ago when they were 3 back with 3 weeks to go, it's hard to gain a game a week, and that pace would just tie.

The Reds play the Brewers, who are already eliminated. They're 4-6 the last 10, the Reds 6-4. Best of the rest are 7-3, so you can see how little standing changes without a sustained losing streak, less likely when the teams ahead in the standings are playing similarly "weak" competition...the bigger point is, like the Reds losing a series to the Cubs, or Cards losing games to the Brewers, these teams aren't going to lie down and give games away. There just aren't going to get losses back easily. In order for the Reds to have tied for the NLC lead by now, they had to go 10-0. They may have to do that to be even over the next 10 days, and to be honest, the Nats probably couldn't catch a 5 game wildcard deficit if they went 10-0...unless of course our Reds pull a 5-5 at the same time, not at all impossible, regardless of who they play.

All this should have instilled a sense of urgency beginning done time ago for the Reds, but I haven't seen any sustained such appearence. I have to believe it's the attitude that they are no worse than a one game playoff team, and they're ok with "taking their chances" in post season where "anything can happen"...Personally, I don't like those cliches, because it postures the equivilent body language to leave "destiny" as the fall guy in failure, instead of playing like they are already IN a back to the wall kind of situation. It may not be true, or ultimately make any difference, but I get the impression these guys aren't always playing at full effort.

 

[eburg5000]

I 100% agree!! 1507

 

[JohnU]

If this team tanks the season and finishes out of the playoffs, I would not be surprised.
I am also not even sure I'd be disappointed by that.
If they can't play better than this, they deserve to stay home.
Wild card, my ass.

 

[eburg5000]

I agree John the Reds has done nothing to make me think they deserve to be in the playoffs. The Nationals are only 4 1/2 back of us now. They have won 7 in a row, and 9 out of they're last 10. Most against bad teams , but they're still on a roll. Reds need to pick it up.

On another point I'm interested in what the Reds will do against this pitcher today who has a 8+ ERA.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Unless there were real injuries, a team that played under .500 until after the A-S break, on a winning steak late, is no more deserving than a team that played well all year, and trailed off at the end... They all count no matter when you play them. I think the Reds consistent theme this year is underperformance...early they just couldnt beat anyone over .500, and late they're a 50/50 proposition (or less) against losers.

Like 2011, I just never saw much urgency from the start this year. The Reds are on pace to win more than 90 games, a successful season by most Reds standards...it's probably not going to be good enough to earn more than a one game playoff..and for Dusty, that means he might only be able to step in his own shite one time, instead of 3 in post season. At least BP is in the 2 hole, and the offense has a chance that way. The pitching and D has been good. The baserunning and baseball IQ, however, are strictly beer league at best.

This team has the tools to go a long way. Im skeptical of swimming upstream successfully in the post season, and Dusty simply requires that to win. It's old.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Unless there were real injuries, a team that played under .500 until after the A-S break, on a winning steak late, is no more deserving than a team that played well all year, and trailed off at the end... They all count no matter when you play them. I think the Reds consistent theme this year is underperformance...early they just couldnt beat anyone over .500, and late they're a 50/50 proposition (or less) against losers.

Like 2011, I just never saw much urgency from the start this year. The Reds are on pace to win more than 90 games, a successful season by most Reds standards...it's probably not going to be good enough to earn more than a one game playoff..and for Dusty, that means he might only be able to step in his own shite one time, instead of 3 in post season. At least BP is in the 2 hole, and the offense has a chance that way. The pitching and D has been good. The baserunning and baseball IQ, however, are strictly beer league at best.

This team has the tools to go a long way. Im skeptical of swimming upstream successfully in the post season, and Dusty simply requires that to win. It's old.

 

[Redsfan1507]

My phone may be smart, but obviously it stutters.