By MIKE ROBERTS
Another mediocre week for the Cincinnati Reds. They lost two of three to the Miami Marlins and are tied 2-2 in their current series with the St. Louis Cardinals, heading into today’s rubber game. In the National League Central, the 61-66 Reds fell back to last place in the division and now trail the Milwaukee Brewers by 17 games.
Meanwhile, the Reds’ playoff odds per Fangraphs have dwindled to 0.1%. So you’re telling me there’s a chance… OK, probably not.
Here are three takeaways from this past week of Reds baseball.
Chase Burns Continues to Shine
The Reds don’t show any sign of shutting down Chase Burns (14-2, 2.51 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) like we suggested. On the bright side, Cincinnati fans get to see their star pitcher on the mound every few games.
On Friday night, in Cincinnati’s lone win of the Marlins series, Burns gave up just four hits and struck out eight in seven innings of action. He also didn’t give up a walk and allowed just one runner to reach second base. He received support from slugger Eugenio Suárez (.206 AVG, .699 OPS, 18 HR, 50 RBI), who hit an RBI double in the sixth inning as the Reds squeaked by Miami with a 1-0 victory.
Then in Wednesday night’s 5-4 win over St. Louis, Burns looked good again, again striking out right batters and allowing six hits and two runs in a no-decision (reliever Sam Moll earned the win).
Burns has developed into one of the game’s best young pitchers, and he should be a Red for a long time after signing a seven-year, $105 million contract extension earlier this season. He also should finish high in balloting for the NL Cy Young Award.
Dane Myers Has Been a Bright Spot
Back in December, the Reds made a trade that didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, as they sent Ethan O’Donnell to the Marlins for fellow outfielder Dane Myers (.260 AVG, .724 OPS, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 8 SB).
Turns out this was one of the better moves made by Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall. No, Myers is no superstar by any stretch of the imagination. Yet, he possesses the ability to hit left-handed pitching and is an above-average defender in center field.
The Reds have had success this year with Myers in the lineup, posting a 53-37 record, and they’ve gone 26-17 in his 43 starts.
Myers was at his best on Monday against the Cardinals, hitting a home run in both games of a doubleheader. He has recorded at least one hit in six of his last seven games.
Plus, Myers is under team control until 2029, which means he could be a valuable piece in Cincy for years to come.
The Noelvi Marte Era May Be Over For Good
It’s an understatement to say Noelvi Marte (.189 AVG, .550 OPS, 6 HR, 15 RBI, 7 SB) has had a rough season. On Tuesday, the Reds gave the young outfielder a demotion as he was optioned back to Triple-A Louisville while catcher Will Banfield was promoted to the active roster.
This wasn’t the first time this season that the Reds have found themselves needing to option Marte. The former top prospect was also sent down to the minors back in April.
Marte has struggled mightily and hasn’t found any sort of consistency. The former top prospect also has a 24.7 % strikeout rate since being recalled in early June.
It remains to be seen what Marte’s future is in Cincinnati, with a chance he could be non-tendered this offseason.
Looking Ahead
After closing out their series with the Cardinals today, the Reds travel west. First they have three games with the Arizona Diamondbacks starting Friday, and then head to San Francisco for a three-game set with the struggling Giants that begins on Monday.
Here’s a look at the upcoming schedule, including TV information and probable pitchers:
- Thursday, 8/20: 12:40 PM, Reds.TV/MLB.TV, Michael McGreevy (STL) (5-9, 3.48 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) vs. Brady Singer (CIN) (5/11, 4.66 ERA, 1.44 WHIP)
- Friday, 8/21: 9:40 PM, Reds.TV/MLB.TV, Nick Lodolo (CIN) (3-2, 4.52 ERA, 1.42 WHIP) vs. Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) (12-4, 2.71 ERA, 1.21 WHIP)
- Saturday, 8/22: 8:10 PM, Reds.TV/MLB.TV, TBD (CIN) (4-8, 5.17 ERA, 1.49 WHIP) vs. Michael Soroka (ARI) (8-3, 2.93 ERA, 1.11 WHIP)
- Sunday, 8/23: 4:15 PM, Peacock/NBCSN, Andrew Abbott (CIN) (6-8, 4.07 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) vs. Mitch Bratt (ARI) (1-2, 4.17 ERA, 1.47 WHIP)
- Monday, 8/24: 9:45 PM, FS1/Reds.TV/MLB.TV, TBD (CIN) vs. TBD (SF)
- Tuesday, 8/25: 9:45 PM, Reds.TV/MLB.TV, TBD (CIN) vs. TBD (SF)
- Wednesday, 8/26: 3:45 PM, Reds.TV/MLB.TV, TBD (CIN) vs. TBD (SF)