Reds once again prove they’re worthy of help in thrilling 11-7 win in Baltimore

Luke Weaver entered play on Wednesday night having been shelled to the tune of a 1.026 OPS by all batters over his last 5 games started. Luke Weaver started on Wednesday with a 40-pitch Bottom of the 1st in which he surrendered a 3-0 lead staked his way.

And still, the Cincinnati Reds won.

The Reds battled back from the surrendered 3-0 lead - a 4-3 lead taken by the Baltimore Orioles - and surged to an eventual 7-4 lead. Buck Farmer, dependable as he’s been all year, was tasked with getting that lead from the 8th inning into the 9th, only for Adam Frazier to surprisingly salt the wounds with a 2-run homer that leveled the score and, for many teams, would’ve taken the wind out of their sails.

And still, the Cincinnati Reds won.

This club has no starting pitching, and the bullpen is breaking after bending so much to support their starters. The full-fledged, all-hands-on-deck approach has been enjoyable to watch and, I’m sure, enviable by many employed to play this game, but it’s taxing them to a level that just may not be sustainable for a full 162 game season. That today marked the exact half-way point of the season and the game featured the entire roster once again laying it on the line to win a big road series should serve as almost the perfect metaphor for a first half that has show this team to have much greater character than, I believe, most any of us ever imagined.

They need help. They won tonight, 11-7, and they have an off-day tomorrow, but they need help. They’re spending half of their time bailing buckets in a leaky canoe when they deserve to be simply running right past their peers, as their victory tonight once again left them in first place in the National League Central.

Help them, Krallbi-Wan. Find a damn way.

Tony Graphanino

[Link to interactive WPA chart and box score, via FanGraphs]

Other Notes

• TJ Friedl had 3 hits, 3 ribbies, walked, stole 2 bags, scored 3 runs, and capped this game off with a homer in the Top of the 10th to ice it all. He’s a deserving All Star, and I sure as hell hope he gets that honor. He’s tonight’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game.
• The Reds have the day off tomorrow. After this series in Baltimore, man, they sure as hell deserve it.
• The Reds welcome the San Diego Padres to town on Friday in a series that will feature a team with their backs firmly against the wall. After doling out a handful of gargantuan contracts and trading their entire farm for Juan Soto, the Pads surely expected to be better than 6 games under .500, but that’s where they are. Not only would a series win by the Reds cement their own legitimacy before the All Star break, it might well put a nail in the coffin of San Diego’s, something that could well unlock a potential SP trade partner should the Padres then turn into sellers. Man, that’s a lot to process!
• Tunes.