Cincinnati Reds Stay Put in Wild Card Chase After Tumultuous Week

The Cincinnati Reds endured another roller coaster of a week as they played .500 ball in six games. The teams they are chasing for the NL wild card also had interesting weeks.

NEW YORK METS (66-58), 1.5 Games ahead of Reds

The Mets also went 3-3 on the week. They lost 2-of-3 to the Braves and took 2-of-3 from the Mariners. That Mariners series finished at the Little League Classic, where the Mets won 7-3. It was the second game in a row that they won and the second game in a row that their pitching held their opponent to three runs or less.

THIS WEEK, the Mets have six road games. They will begin the week with three in our nation’s capital against the Washington Nationals. The week will conclude in Atlanta against the Braves. The Mets are 5-2 against the Nationals this season but just 3-7 against the Braves.

SAN DIEGO PADRES (69-55), 4.5 Games ahead of the Reds

Talk about roller coasters, the Padres were on a wild ride this past week. They managed to 3-3 with a sweep of the San Francisco Giants while getting swept at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. That Dodgers series had to be particularly prickly as the Padres had pulled ahead of them for first place in the NL West before that series began.

THIS WEEK, the Padres play seven games at home against the same two teams. They host the Giants for four to start the week off and then the Dodgers for three to conclude things. The Friars are 7-2 against the Giants but 2-8 against the Dodgers.

CHICAGO CUBS (70-53), 6.0 Games ahead of the Reds

The Cubs also managed a 3-3 week. They lost two of three to the Blue Jays and then took two of three from the Pirates. They never scored more than four runs in any of these games, as the Cubs' pitching is what paced them.

THIS WEEK, the Cubs have a GAUNTLET. They play five games in four days (doubleheader Monday) against the Brewers. They then travel out west to face the Angels over the weekend. That’s EIGHT games in seven days. The Cubs are 4-4 against the Brewers this year and the Angels series will be the only one those two teams play.

No ground gained for the Reds, but also no ground lost. This week should give the Reds an opportunity to gain a game or two on the field, if they execute.