KSReds: Cincinnati Reds Win Four in Washington D.C.

When the Cincinnati Reds went on their recent 12-game winning streak it seemed like things couldn’t possibly get any better. However, just a couple of weeks later, the season just keeps trending upward. The Reds have built a five game winning streak, have won 20 of their last 24 games, and now won eight of the last nine series. With a 49-39 record, Cincinnati sits two games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central standings.

That lead over the Brewers will prove very important beginning Friday night. In fact, the Reds next six games are against their division rival. Ahead of the All-Star break, Cincinnati will head to Milwaukee for the a three-game weekend series. Then, the teams will open the second half with three games at Great American Ball Park next weekend.

Rookie sensation Andrew Abbott is set to pitch on Friday night in Milwaukee with an 8:10 p.m. Eastern Time first pitch. Luke Weaver will pitch on Saturday at 4:10 and Sunday’s 2:10 game does not have a designated starter yet. The National League Central standings could look very different after these next six, very important, games.

Joey Votto Home Run Lifts Reds to Victory

No disrespect to Luke Weaver, but you wouldn’t expect a pitcher’s duel to break out when he is on the mound. However, on Monday night, neither offense could get a whole lot going on against the opposing starter. Then, both bullpens dominated to keep the score right where it was at. Luckily for the Cincinnati Reds, Weaver left the game with a 3-2 lead.

Tyler Stephenson got the Reds on the board first with a RBI single in the second inning. Joey Votto proved to be the hero though as he sent a two-run home run the other way in the top of the fourth to make it a 3-0 ball game. Jeimer Candelario answered with a solo shot of his own in the bottom half of the inning, but the Washington Nationals were struggling to get to Luke Weaver. That would be the case until Weaver came back out to start the sixth inning. He proceeded to issue a leadoff walk to Candelario and then a single to put runners at first and second with nobody out. At that point, David Bell called to the bullpen and brought in Ian Gibaut. Gibaut mostly did his job, but one single to right field off the bat of Keibert Ruiz made it 3-2.

That would be as close as the Nationals would get. Buck Farmer and Derek Law pitched perfect seventh and eighth innings respectively. Then, closer Alexis Diaz came in to shut the door in the ninth. He did allow a hit, but the runner was promptly caught stealing second base. Diaz notched his 24th save of the season as Cincinnati came away with a 3-2 win.

Reds Rookies Dominate at the Plate

Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, and Spencer Steer all reached base four times on Tuesday. That is a feat that hadn’t been accomplished by a trio of Cincinnati Reds rookies in nearly 80 years. However, somehow, none of them would be considered the MVP of the game. That honor would have to go to Jonathan India who went 3-6 at the plate with a pair of home runs, three RBI, and three runs scored. Nick Senzel also drove in three runs with his third inning home run that busted the game open for the Reds.

Played on July 4th in the national’s capital, this game had an unusual 11:05 Eastern Time first pitch. That didn’t keep Cincinnati from coming out hot though. By about 11:15 they had already built a 2-0 lead on RBI singles from India and Steer. That would set the tone for Senzel’s third inning blast and then India’s two bombs that came in the fourth and sixth innings. De La Cruz capped off the Reds scoring with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

On the mound, Brett Kennedy was the beneficiary of early, and consistent, run support. The 28-year old went five innings in his spot start allowing four runs on five hits. That isn’t the best line, but it got the job done for the Cincinnati Reds when they needed to fill a spot in the rotation. Behind Kennedy, who earned the win, the bullpen was excellent once again. Fernando Cruz, Alex Young, and Daniel Duarte bridged the gap to Lucas Sims who earned his first save of the season in the ninth inning. The Reds won 8-4 to clinch at least a share of the series in Washington D.C.

Offense Carries the Day Once Again

Early on, it looked like the Cincinnati Reds were going to need a big day at the plate. Graham Ashcraft walked the leadoff batter and then allowed a single. A double play erased some of the early damage, but Ashcraft simply couldn’t find his control in the first inning. Another walk followed by a hit by pitch loaded the bases with two outs. He then proceeded to throw a wild pitch that scored a run without the Washington Nationals even having to swing the bat. It looked like Ashcraft was on his way to struggling once again.

However, the Reds starter settled in and ended up pitching six innings to earn the victory. Ashcraft allowed just the one run on seven hits to move to 4-6 on the season. The run support certainly helped him pitch with more confidence as well. That started with a two out rally in the second inning. Joey Votto squeaked a home run over the high fence in right field to tie the game. Then, a couple of Nationals errors proved costly as Tyler Stephenson and Will Benson each had RBI doubles to make it a 3-1 game.

Wanna see it again?@ellylacocoa18 pic.twitter.com/KUokmWJAlt

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 6, 2023

Cincinnati would keep tacking on runs including Elly De La Cruz’s 455-foot bomb in the fifth inning that became somewhat of a viral sensation on Twitter. After a four-hit game on Tuesday, the star rookie backed it up with a 3-6 night on Wednesday. In total, the Reds collected 16 hits on their way to a blowout 9-2 victory. The win clinched their eighth series win in the last nine opportunities.

SWEEEEEEEEP!!!

It seems to be said every KSReds article, but we are running out of ways to hyperbolize what this Cincinnati Reds team is doing at this point. After Thursday’s 5-4 victory in 10 innings the Reds have now won five straight and 20 of their last 24 games. Additionally, they hit the 10 games over .500 mark and remain two games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central standings. America’s Team keeps taking over baseball one game, and one win, at a time.

Thursday marked the Reds 49th victory, but also their 32nd come-from-behind victory. That ratio is truly incredible. Despite having to ultimately comeback, the Reds did get on the board first in this one against the Nationals. Kevin Newman delivered a RBI single in the third inning to make it 1-0. The Nationals drove in a pair in the fifth, but Elly De La Cruz answered with a RBI double in the top of the sixth to tie it back up a 2-2. Alex Call hit a home run in the seventh to retake a 3-2 lead for the Nationals. That would prove to be their final time on top.

Joey Votto, in a pinch hit role, singled to right field scoring Will Benson to make it 3-3 in the eighth. Then, once the game was forced to extra innings, Nick Senzel sent one 402 feet to left centerfield making it 5-3. Washington would get one back in the bottom half of the 10th, but Alexis Diaz eventually shut the door for a 5-4 victory. His 25th save of the season secured a four-game series sweep in the nation’s capital.