Don’t overlook the Cincinnati Reds’ upcoming series against the Colorado Rockies.
On its face, a three-game set in steamy July against 21-win Colorado, the team with the worst record in baseball, might not seem like much of an attraction. It should be for Reds fans and observers as the team looks to position itself as well as possible for what already looks to be a viable platform to launch a second-half bid to contend for the postseason.
The Reds went from a season-high four games over .500 to an even .500 over eight days through Tuesday, July 8. The club went 2-4 on its road swing through Boston and Philadelphia, and then fell flat at home to a Miami Marlins team that’s given Cincinnati trouble in 2025.
All told, the combined 2-6 record against the Red Sox, Phillies and Marlins brought the Reds to 46-46. Even with the respite of the All-Star break in sight, it looked like Cincinnati might not make it to that threshold in respectable fashion.
“We knew it coming in,” Reds’ Thursday starter and winner Nick Lodolo said. “It was a big homestand. Definitely not the way we wanted to start the first two games.”
Things changed quickly in the four-game set against the Marlins. After being out-scored 17-3 on Monday and Tuesday, the Reds returned the favor in its two wins to split the series. Cincinnati out-scored Miami, 13-2, and was back to 48-46.
“Good response,” Lodolo said. “Offense yesterday got going early and (Andrew) Abbott did his thing, and (I) just tried to go out there today and give us another chance at it like that. The boys swung it well today, played great defense all around.”
Reds manager Terry Francona usually avoids sweeping judgements about the Reds’ overall progress and position in the standings, often choosing instead to focus on that day’s game and only that. But even he made note of the team’s series split with Miami, and how the team needed to power through the Rockies series.
Of managing the split, Reds manager Terry Francona said: “I thought it was really, really important.”
“We worked so hard to kind of get where we were, and then to give it back and now we’ve got to push,” Francona said. “We’ve got to really push and then they’ll get a really well-deserved break.”
The Reds weeks ago reached the official halfway point on their schedule, but the unofficial, ceremonial halfway point is the break for the All-Star Game, and Cincinnati can head into that with some real momentum if they take advantage of a Rockies team with the worst record in baseball.
The Reds are scheduled to send out probable starters Chase Burns (0-1, 8.10 ERA), Brady Singer (7-7, 4.32 ERA) and Nick Martinez (6-9, 4.85 ERA) against Colorado on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The Rockies’ probables are German Marquez (3-10, 5.84 ERA) on Friday and Austin Gomber (0-2, 5.92 ERA) on Sunday, with Saturday’s starter still to be determined.
A sweep of Colorado would allow the Reds (48-46) to max out their first-half record as things stood Thursday. A sweep would see the club into the break with a 51-46 record. The club posted a 47-49 record heading in the break in 2024, and a 50-41 mark 2023.
The Reds are already within striking distance in the National League Wild Card race, trailing the San Francisco Giants, who own the third wild-card spot, by three games. A strong weekend against the Rockies could go a long way to setting up an exciting second half of the season.