Sounds lame, but that’s exactly what the Cincinnati Reds are doing right now until they can find some consistency. They aren’t playing awful, but the aren’t exactly playing the best baseball either.
They finish this month with a six-game West Coast swing before heading home for another six. Those “tulips” I’m referring to are the four teams the Reds will battle in those twelve games: Seattle, Oakland, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. Seattle and Cleveland aren’t very good, Oakland is barely above .500, and Philadelphia (which has had an awful time finding winning ways) is struggling to find the success of the past few years. Hence, they are ripe for the picking.
But that consistency bug has also bitten the Redlegs in the past week.
Looking ahead, it seems like a great chance to pick of some much-needed victories, but the West Coast has been a pain in the rear for Cincinnati the past few years. Last year, they were 2-7 on the W-C and are only 13-32 there during the last four seasons. The Reds need to focus and not play down to their competition. Otherwise it will be a big time struggle as the recent Kansas City series displayed.
I hate to think back to what might have been, which I tend to do, and it pains me to see all those losses that were pulled from the grips of victory. Though, I think Dusty Baker put it best after the recent 30 games in 31 days for the Reds, “I don’t think about whether I’m happy or not. I’m grateful, yeah. You think about the games you could’ve had—the ones that got snatched away from you. You never think about the ones you snatched away.”
Hear, hear manager man!
I’m hoping the Reds can tiptoe through this rough patch, known in the past as their mid-summer meltdown, and get back to playing like they had been. I’m not exactly sure what needs to be done to get their “A” game back, but I can say it will have to start with the veterans lighting a fire under their own rears (Arroyo did that in today’s win: pitching, hitting, defense).
Cincinnati is only 7-8 so far in June and that absolutely will not cut it when vying for the National League Central crown. Sure, the Cards are right there, but don’t look now. The Cubs are just 7 1/2 back and Milwaukee is 8 1/2 back. They may be under .500, but that means nothing. It’s only June and anything can happen.
I will be happy to see the Reds leave Great American Ballpark for a few days. This hot muggy weather allows anything with some air under it to glide into the Ohio River which has visiting teams salivating for a Queen City vacation. Cincinnati’s pitching staff could use the GABP break.
Well, here’s to pushing for a plus .500 June. That is if those tulips don’t turn out to be poisonous.
Oh, and as for the title to this rant..sorry. I can’t stand the song, but it does fit what Cincinnati is in the midst of.
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