The Cincinnati Reds and the Quest for One Entire Actual Holy Run

A week has come and gone, and not a single Cincinnati Reds player has crossed home plate. Hell, I’m having a hard time remembering one crossing 2B, if I’m being honest.

Their offensive futility has shown up at the worst possible time, too, given that the trio of consecutive shutouts have come a) at the hands of their division rivals in Milwaukee and b) have coincided with a rather impressive run of form from their inexperienced, inefficient pitching staff. The end result of the futility is that the Reds have fallen out of 1st place in the National League Central altogether with today’s series finale against the Brewers a vital opportunity to stop the skid.

The Reds will turn to Ben Lively on the mound on Sunday, though again, that won’t matter a bit if the bats can’t find their way again. They’ll be up against Adrian Houser, a guy who sure seems like a get-right starter for an offense in dire need of a breakout.

First pitch is set for 1:40 PM ET.

Reds Lineup

Brewers Lineup