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10-5. That's what the Reds have to do to finish with 6 winning months this season (I'm combining Sept-Oct into one). That's also what they have to do to guarantee that the Cardinals can't catch them. It would also give the Reds 93 wins on the season, the second most wins by a Reds team since 1976. Only one time have the Reds won 93 games and made the playoffs and not gone to the World Series (1973). All they have to do is win each of the 5 remaining series and they'll go 10-5 in their remaining 15 games. Sounds like a good goal to me.
The Reds have a weird pattern against Wandy Rodriguez. Some days, he'll dominate them, like he did on July 25, throwing 7 innings of one-hit, shutout baseball. Other days, he'll get rocked, as was the case on May 28 when the Reds scored 8 runs 3.1 innings in a game they won 16-5. Most times out, he gets the better of the Reds, but every once in a while, they'll drop a 6-spot on him and chase him early. They may have already used this year's blowout on him, but I'm holding out hope for an offensive barrage by the Reds tonight.
The last time the Reds faced the Astros, they weren't a very good ball club, but they've 30-18 since then and have vaulted themselves up to third place, just 5.5 games back of the Cardinals. They've done it mainly with run prevention (3.3 RA/G vs. 4.3 RS/G in those 48 games), but that won't stop the Reds (unless it does). Two wins by the Reds in this series and the Astros will be eliminated from the NL Central race. Time to put the hammer down.
Go Reds!