4th in MLB, 1st in NL with 252 Runs
4th in MLB, 1st in NL with 454 Hits
3rd in MLB, 1st in NL with 61 Home Runs
4th in MLB, 1st in NL with 242 RBI
3rd in MLB, 1st in NL with .346 On-Base Percentage
2nd in MLB, 1st in NL with .452 Slugging Percentage
4th in MLB, 1st in NL with .274 team Batting Average
2nd in MLB, 1st in NL with .798 OPS

So they lead in the NL in almost every offensive category. Not the Cardinals, not the Dodgers, not the Phillies, the Cincinnati Reds. The funny thing is, despite PITCHING being their strength lately, they still rank near the bottom in a lot of pitching categories. A bad April will do that to you.

Jonny Gomes is now 5th in the NL with a .316 BA

I think we all knew pitching would be a strength, but you can't tell me anyone expected this kind of offensive output. They are just flat out knocking the cover off the ball most days. They're getting contributions from everybody on any given day. Even guys like Miguel Cairo. Jay Bruce still hasn't hit his offensive stride, and Brandon Phillips is typically a 2nd half kind of guy. If they can combine this great offense with the pitching they've been getting, they will contend all year long. Right now they are on pace for 96 wins, which would surpass all expectations.

I looked last night and only 9 of the Reds' losses were by more than 2 runs, which means that they are playing with pretty much every team. If the bullpen can somehow get better either by improving who we already have, or by addition (or subtraction **coughNickMassetcoughMikeLincolncough**) I think this team can be great all-around. The Reds may be good in winning in their last at bat, but they have lost 7 games where the bullpen gave up the winning run/runs in the 8th or 9th inning. If our bullpen was only slightly better, and we win lets say 4 out of those 7, we have a nice 5 game cushion over the Cardinals (oh yeah, and we'd be tied with the Rays for the best record in baseball).

Is it maybe time to start thinking about converting guys like Travis Wood, Matt Maloney, Sam LeCure, or Aroldis Chapman over to relievers? Not permanently, definitely not, but to bolster this bullpen to help keep the team in the hunt/division lead? We have an abundance of talented starting pitching and sooner or later Homer will be back in the rotation, Volquez will be back from Tommy John, and we will have 5 rotation spots with 8 or 9 realistic candidates. Perhaps we trade a guy like Aaron Harang, but that still leaves a considerable logjam at Louisville. Mike Lincoln is garbage. Carlos Fisher is garbage. Masset is talented but has issues. Even Cordero scares me. I mean if we're lucky enough to get to October, are we really gonna trust these guys in the later innings to get out guys like Jason Werth, Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, Chase Utley, or Manny Ramirez? With the game and possibly the series on the line?

Excuse my giddyness, this whole first place thing is new to me.

FYI, Votto out of the lineup again tonight. On Joey Votto figurine night no less!

Cabrera 6

Cairo 3

Phillips 4

Rolen 5

Bruce 9

Gomes 7

Stubbs 8

Hernandez 2

Harang 1

vs. RHP Brian Moehler (0-1, 4.42)

Dusty will find a way to fuck this up

Can we get a split of all those rankings since Phillips started batting 2nd and Rolen, Gomes and Bruce were all bumped up with Stubbs going down.

The construction of a lineup is critical but for years on the huddle few agreed....it's right on how it should be and it's working far better.

We will need bullpen pitchers after the all-star break and maybe before as Dusty will wear them out.

Yes! Go Reds!

game time

Miguel Cairo! My new favorite! By the way I'm in the Kroger bleachers right now.

Scotty!! 4-1 .... Okay I am starting to love watching this team b/c normally these games against teams where when we are going well we tend to lose ... But we a win today and 30-20 record and 2 game lead..... Lets Go Reds

BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!!! COMPLETELY CRUSHED IT!!! 3 RUN BOMB 7-1 REDS

Ramon goes deep!!! 8-1 Bottom 3

this guy is up there throwing BP

this is getting unbelievable...... Cairo goes deep

Cairo plays long ball too.. 9-1 Bottom 4th

Drew Stubbs get in the action as well!!! 10-1

Ramon AGAIN!! Bruce & Ramon w/ 2HR ... 11-1 REDS

Jesus-- the Astros might as well put a batting tee out there. I don't think they could do any worse.

Wow....... Corky Miller has been around forever

And this one belongs to the REDS ... 12-2 FINAL and a 2 game lead in the Division

Big time win. Miguel Cairo continues to make me eat my words. I'm not sure how it is happening, but it is, and I am cool with it.

In other news Massett is still an emergency use only reliever. Hopefully Dusty realizes this by now. I'm not saying he won't get back to where he was last year, but as of late he has been scuffling

2 game lead over the shitty Cardinals! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!

Pujols with 3 HR today......if Holliday gets it going like he did last year the Reds better add something of worth

Ironman92 wrote: Pujols with 3 HR today......if Holliday gets it going like he did last year the Reds better add something of worth

Holliday went 4/5 today... He hasn't been hitting for power per se, but let's not get carried away here. I believe that coming in to today's game he was hitting .293. That's nothing to sneeze at

Holliday has to be a slugger behind Pujols.....293 is solid for sure....but he's not being Matt Holiday

HOlliday's numbers thus far are SCARY like last season in Oakland.....avg OK but everything else low by his standards


His career OB% is way higher than it is this year and is Slug % is down.....WAAAY down.....OPS is down .90

He has to be at worst a .875 OPS guy for the Cards to win....he's at .811