Hatches still battened?
That'd be .500 again. A vaguely ominous 66-66. If it looks unfamiliar that's because July 6 was the last time the team did not have a losing record. And if the achievement seems a little hollow, that's probably because there's been an endless procession of economic and natural mini-disasters over the last month and a half. That, and it's almost September. I really should be getting back to school.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy the Reds are back in the land of the living, just 2.5 games back of 2nd place, with the fourth-best run differential in the NL. That says to me that things look OK for next year. They're still a playoff-capable team, even if they're not going to the playoffs in 2011. They just haven't put together an 18-20 game stretch on great baseball, one which convinces us all 2010's success is susceptible only to bad luck.
Jordan Zimmerman held the Reds scoreless last time in Washington, though he wasn't dominating, going six innings, with one K, a hit batsman and only 63% strikes. If healthy, I have no doubt he'll be a force in the Nationals rotation alongside Stephen Strasburg next year. But especially with Cueto on the mound, the Reds have a very credible chance at a sweep. Cueto threw entirely too many pitches in his last outing, walking a season-high 6, but he only gave up 9 balls in the air (and 4 hits) to 10 groundballs . Hopefully, the control problems were a partially ump-driven blip, the Reds can be winners again and that Bad Wind can bugger off into the Atlantic.
Lineup, apres-jump.
LINEUP:
Phillips 2B
Lewis LF
Votto 1B
Bruce RF
Frazier 3B
Stubbs CF
Hanigan C
Janish SS
Cueto RHP