The Reds would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those meddling Brewers

The Cincinnati Reds have defeated the Milwaukee Brewers this year. Twice! They’ve beaten them twice!

They’ve also lost to the Brewers so often, in such painful fashion, as to have it threaten to derail their entire plans this season. Nine times that’s happened, with five of them coming in the form of one-run losses, Milwaukee’s elite bullpen putting the final nails in the coffin each and every time.

Yeesh.

Yeesh, yeesh, yeesh.

The Reds and Brewers play again today, play again tomorrow, and then get to just check the standings every day from there on to see what the other is up to. This is the final time they’ll go head to head against one another all regular season, and the Reds, quite frankly, are running out of chances to steal games from the team they’ve been chasing all year.

Now, they’ll have to do so against Corbin Burnes, the former National League Cy Young Award winner who has rounded back into his usual incredible form. In four starts dating back to the first of July, he has yielded just 4 ER in 27.0 IP (1.33 ERA), allowing just a .328 OPS to opposing hitters in that span. And yes, you’re correct in your recollection that a pair of those starts came against our Cincinnati Reds.

Third time’s gotta be the charm, right? RIGHT?!

Andrew Abbott will get yet another chance to dazzle on the mound opposite Burnes, fresh off his 8.0 IP one-hit masterpiece against the San Francisco Giants. I don’t think I’m out of my lane in suggesting that a start of that caliber tonight might vault him into 1A discussion for National League Rookie of the Year talk.

First pitch in tonight’s game is set for 8:10 PM ET once again. Go Reds.

Reds Lineup

Brewers Lineup