Reds down to 3 games back

Who could have predicted after the beating the Reds took at the hands of St. Louis that the team could bounce back so quickly and look to be playing the best baseball? The Pirates and Cardinals are beginning to take a fall mostly because of playing one another right now, and the Reds are taking advantage by beating the teams they should. The Reds have won seven of eight games, including a series win over San Diego on walk off Sunday fashion by Joey Votto and a sweep of the lowly Cubs. The Cubs never seem to have enough scoring prowess to beat the Reds, but they were able to battle for extra innings on Tuesday and the Reds were resilient enough to score two runs on a hit by Shin-Soo Choo and win 6-4.

The pitching has been absolutely incredible for the Reds lately. Bronson Arroyo and Mat Latos are easily noticeable in affecting the Reds in a positive way, but bullpen options like JJ Hoover and Jonathan Broxton have been pitching as well as anyone in baseball. Hoover's scoreless innings streak is starting to put him in elite Reds company. Broxton has given the Reds his classic closer stuff in a lesser role. Aroldis Chapman's fastball is still too tough to pick up for opponents and Sam LeCure is the best Red at getting out of tough spots. 

As the Reds head to Milwaukee, the team expects to continue to get stable pitching and use recent hitting spurts by Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart to guide them to more and more wins. Frazier is finally getting out of his deep slump with multi-hit games and even a homer in today's game. The three game deficit could become 2.5 with another Pittsburgh loss tonight. Watch out for a shift in the Central. This division could easily see the Reds looking down at St. Louis and Pittsburgh in a couple weeks. The team that plays best late in the season usually ends up with the best status in the standings. The Reds are defending champs of the Central and they are playing like they really don't want to give that crown up in 2013. 

Latos safest bet for consistent success in rotation

The Reds got an important opening series win by the score of 2-0 yesterday in Chicago behind the dominant arm of Mat Latos, the workhorse stud of the Reds' deep pitching staff. All Latos has done since he arrived in Cincinnati last season is win. Latos mixed all of his pitches, including two seem
fastballs with sliders and a 95 MPH four seem fastball. Latos is at his best when he is relaxed and focused on the hill.

The 6'6 twenty-five year old hard thrower is now 12-2 on the year and well on pace to surpass his career high win mark of fourteen set last season. Latos is also 4-0 with a 1.32 ERA since the All Star Break. Latos has been widely regarded as a second half pitcher throughout his career, so don't be surprised if he ends up with fifteen to seventeen wins on the year, which would make him one of baseball's elite pitchers.

There is no doubt that if the playoffs started today, Latos would be facing the St. Louis Cardinals in the one game playoff. He is the team's most talented pitcher, and the only other considerable option for starting that game would be Bronson Arroyo due to his veteran prowess in the playoffs.

The Reds relied heavily on Johnny Cueto during last season's run to the playoffs. Without Cueto, Latos has become the most notable option for Bryan Price and Dusty Baker. Latos, unlike Cueto, brings a little bit of attitude to the hill, intimidating hitters that haven't had success off of his pitches. The Reds took a gamble by trading top prospects Yasmani Grandal and Yonder Alonso along with an established starter in Edinson Volquez to acquire the young Latos, but the trade worked out extremely well for Cincinnati with Volquez continuing to show inconsistency and Grandal unable to stay on the field because of suspension.

Latos blamed the Reds' final disappointment of the season, a playoff loss to the Giants, on himself for not pitching as well as he has when he's at his best. If Latos gets another opportunity as the primary option to start games in the playoffs, he will use last season's disappointments as fuel to turn his playoff luck around.

After last night's victory, Latos also brought his ERA down to 3.04 with eight shutout innings of baseball along with nine strikeouts. Latos also threw less than one hundred pitches in the effort, setting himself up for plenty of rest and less fatigue for his next start against Milwaukee. Latos' 154 strikeouts lead all pitchers on the Reds. His 1.24 shows a better control over his location as his evolution as a pitcher continues under the tutelage of Price.

The sky is the limit for Latos over the next few years. That is why Walt Jocketty took a chance on the trade two years ago. Latos was a streaky pitcher as a kid with the Padres. He even let his temper get the best of him sometimes, which is probably why San Diego let him go. Now, Latos is more mature in his mid-twenties and is eyeing players like Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander to rival in the coming years. His pitching stuff is that good. If Latos finishes strong in the postseason, he will begin to get the national attention he deserves.

Ludwick's return comes with team's best chance

Even though it is still only August with over a month of regular season baseball left to play, there are few chances like the upcoming seven games for a team to feast on lower level opponents. The Reds have a chance to get on a roll against the Cubs and Brewers, two division rivals with just over fifty wins. The Pirates and Cardinals are faltering right now, and the Reds find themselves within five games of the first place mark. The Reds have had trouble getting over fifteen games above .500 this season, but they have a good chance to do so by executing in two winnable series.

The Reds are going to insert Ryan Ludwick back in left field tonight in the sixth spot in the order. Ludwick is an explosive bat even when he is not necessarily hitting well. Even the threat of a power hitter like Ludwick will change the way pitchers approach the Reds' lineup. Ludwick will probably need multiple at bats to hit like he did in the second half of last season, but he allows the Reds to shift their order to benefit the top of the lineup.

The Reds are now rejuvenated by the likes of Ludwick, Jonothan Broxton, and Ryan Hanigan, three players who are now ready to insert their veteran sway into the clubhouse. Broxton provides another security blanket for Aroldis Chapman to help close out tight leads. Hanigan is just the ideal catcher as a pitcher's best friend. He hasn't hit all season long, but that's not why the Reds need Hanigan. Hanigan just provides a comfort level that is unmatched behind the plate. Homer Bailey will benefit most from having his no hit catcher back in action.

The Reds came up with an extra inning win against the Padres on Sunday. The Reds haven't had clutch victories really since the beginning of the year when Shin-Soo Choo and Todd Frazier were hitting the cover off of the ball. Yes, that was a long time ago. However, Joey Votto is starting to find the gaps in his hitting once again, rather than accepting walks. Brandon Phillips is also regaining his stroke after a forty plus game slump. All of these factors are contributing to the Reds now having a final chance to make a push for the division. Things are really starting to come together nicely for the heavily favored Reds, a team that was expected to break through and dominate in 2013.

The Reds get to turn to their best stretch of the rotation against the Cubs with Mat Latos, Homer Bailey, and Bronson Arroyo all taking the hill. Latos and Bailey are the two hard throwers of the staff, and both have been impressive against Chicago. Latos is 4-2 with a 3.28 ERA against the Cubs, while Bailey has collected seven wins against Chicago. Bronson Arroyo is the best of them all against the Cubs with twelve wins and a 3.04 ERA with over one hundred strikeouts.

6-man rotation could help Cueto

The Reds last year went 162 games without having to use a starter besides the pitchers in the opening day rotation. The ability to keep pitchers healthy has been more of a struggle this year for Cincinnati, as starter Johnny Cueto has been bothered by a strain in a back muscle since his playoff start last year. When Cueto pitches, opposing hitters struggle. The 19-game winner in 2012 is 3-0 with a 2.17 so far this season. He has 34 strikeouts, and opposing batters hit .157 against the righty. Cueto is also the best pitcher the Reds have on their home field. The bottom line is Cueto is a top 5 starter in the majors, but if he can't stay healthy, he is no use to the Reds.

A rotation with six pitchers may be the solution to Cueto's health concerns. It seems that Cueto can make a few starts in his normal schedule, but after those consecutive starts, he gets hurt again. Cueto labors at times on the mound, and may lack the ability to throw over 100 pitches on a consistent basis. Adding an extra pitcher to the rotation would give Cueto an extra day to recover from his previous outings on the hill.

Who would represent this extra pitcher in the rotation? Tony Cingrani, of course. Cingrani is another pitcher who could benefit from an extra day of rest. The hard throwing left hander can widen fans' eyes with his speedy fastball. Cingrani is certainly a fastball pitcher, but can mix in an occasional off speed pitch. He is also a strikeout pitcher, and runs up pitch counts because of his propensity for getting hitters to swing and miss.

The only two pitchers to worry about in a six man rotation are Bronson Arroyo and Mike Leake. Arroyo and Leake don't throw pitches at high speeds, so they don't need as much rest as Cueto, Mat Latos, Homer Bailey, and Cingrani. The best part about Arroyo and Leake, however, is their ability to adapt to situations and adjust to things being thrown at them throughout their careers. Both have maximized their talents by pitching smartly and not trying to overpower hitters. Leake has survived moves to the bullpen and to Triple A in his early history as a Red. Arroyo has managed to never miss a start, and has been the consummate professional since first entering the league with the Pirates in 2000. I think once again, in a six man rotation, Leake and Arroyo could adjust to a different situation.

Reds vs. Cardinals Series Preview

This weekend's 3 game set at Great American Ballpark features two of the best teams in the entire MLB. The series has huge implications in the NL Central Division race. The Reds are currently 3 games back of St. Louis, so a sweep is necessary to even the division standings. The Reds are reeling a little bit right now. They just lost a series to the Rockies, an
d could have locked down a sweep against the Pirates if the bullpen closed the door last Sunday. Instead, the Reds fell back to 12 games above .500 at this point and need to prove that they are legitimate contenders for the pennant. The team has a record against winning teams well below .500, so Cincinnati needs to pick it up against the teams it might face in October.

Cardinals at Reds Game 1: Mike Leake will be going up against Adam Wainwright in tonight's opening game of the series. In his last 3 starts, Leake is 2-0 with a 0.44 ERA. He has been as good as anyone in the majors over the last few weeks. Wainwright has consistently been one of the best pitchers out there, and he is 3-0 in his last 3 starts. Tonight is shaping up to be a pitchers duel, but with Brandon Phillips returning to the lineup after dealing with a bruised forearm, the Reds could have the edge.

Cardinals at Reds Game 2: The Cardinals will send one of their young pitchers on the hill in lefty Tyler Lyons. Lyons is 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA. He has made 3 starts this season and suffered his first defeat in his last start. He will be opposed by Mat Latos. Latos should have earned the win in his last start against the Pirates, but the Reds blew a lead and lost in 11 innings. Joey Votto is 1 for his last 12 at bats and 3 for his last 23, so it will be vital for the Reds' best and number 3 hitter in the lineup to get going in this series.

Cardinals at Reds Game 3: Lance Lynn will go up against Bronson Arroyo on Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN in the best and probably most underrated pitching matchup of the series. Lynn came on the scene last year for the Cardinals in the rotation, proving to be a plus starter in the league. Lynn has only lost once this season and is tied for second in the majors in wins with 8. Bronson Arroyo can be dominant or awful on the mound against the Cardinals, depending on if his breaking ball is spinning well. Arroyo glided through 8 innings against the Rockies in his last start, and if he pitches close to the way he did against Colorado, the Reds should have a chance to take the series.

All Star Conversation: Pitchers

The Reds have a number of pitchers that have impacted the team's successful 2013 campaign thus far. The starting rotation is among the best in baseball, and the staff as a whole is 4th in team ERA in the majors at 3.34. The Reds are behind both the Cardinals and Pirates, NL Central foes, in that category. The team ERA would be much lower without the likes of Manny Parra, Jonathan Broxton, and Logan Ondrusek having inflated ERA's this season. There are a number of pitchers on the Reds who warrant All Star consideration. Aroldis Chapman was the only Reds pitcher to make the NL team last year. There could be a few more pitchers representing Cincinnati than just Chapman this time around. Here are the players that Reds fans could see in an NL uniform in July:

Mat Latos: Latos is still unbeaten on the year at 5-0, and when he has pitched over the last 2 years, the Reds seem to find a way to win. Latos has great stuff. He features a 95 miles per hour fastball and a nasty slider. Latos is second in the team's current rotation with a 2.90 ERA, and he would surely welcome his first All Star appearance.

Mike Leake: Surprisingly, the Reds' fifth starter has had the best year of any starter on the team. Leake is a crafty pitcher who models his game after his peer, Bronson Arroyo. He gets hitters out by outwitting them, not by overpowering them. Leake is 5-2 with a 2.75 ERA, and if he continues to earn wins, he will certainly warrant votes.

Aroldis Chapman: Chapman is a virtual lock to make his second straight All Star appearance. Fans would love to see the 100 miles per hour fastball on display against the league's best hitters, and Chapman has the numbers to back up his unbelievable pitches. Chapman stands at 3-2 on the year as the Reds' closer with a 2.42 ERA. He also has 15 saves in 17 opportunities, and has struck out 46 batters, which is fourth on the team.