Let’s recap today’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Cincinnati 3
San Diego 4
W: H. Bell (6-0)
L: A. Chapman (1-2)
BOX SCORE
—–
–The Reds dropped to 9-14 in September, and I’m in no mood to discuss all that is wrong with this team right now. Let’s just leave it at this: the magic number dropped to two, the Reds could conceivably clinch the division tomorrow, and nothing that is happening right now means that the Reds won’t be successful in the playoffs. (See 1990, and countless other years.)
Believe. Even when it’s hard to believe. Especially when it’s hard to believe.
Goat Braces!
As much as you don’t want to think it’s true, these games mean a lot more to the Padres than they do to the Reds. They probably wouldn’t admit it, but it’s obvious. And I can’t really blame the Reds, either.
We, as fans, tend to live and die with each game. But the guys actually playing know that it’s a long, long, long season, and few individual games mean much; it’s the big 162. So yeah, I’d like to clinch tomorrow, and maybe we will, but let’s not forget, the Padres are playing for more than we are at this point.
Nothing that happens in the playoffs could shock me. Baseball is such a random game, anything can happen. Johnny Freakin’ Gomes could catch fire for a few games and carry the team to the NLCS, and I wouldn’t be shocked.
@mike: Yes, but aside from two of the games in in San Fran series, we played everyone really closely. The 4 game sweep at Philly could have easily been 2-2, or even 3-1 in our favor. Atlanta beat us in two fluky games when we went there. Both SD games this weekend were by 1 run.
My point is, I don’t know if you can draw any conclusions from those 30 games, since many of them were so close. Baseball is fluky. We have scored the most runs in the NL and yet been shut out like 10 times. That’s a fluke stat. And so is that 10-30
@Dave Lowenthal: Believe whatever you wanna believe, Dave. No one is going to convince you of anything.
As we have said many times, a team is never as good as they look when things are going great, and they aren’t as bad as they look at their worst.
The point is that there is absolutely no reason to believe the Reds are gonna be run out of the playoffs just because they are playing poorly now. Just like there was no reason to believe they were gonna sweep right through to a world championship just because they were the best team in the majors ONE MONTH AGO.
The playoffs are a crapshoot. The Reds are going to be in the playoffs. Therefore, they have a chance. Good grief.
People are way too eager to draw conclusions based on recent events, rather than looking at the big picture.
@Mark in cc.: You make good points, but as someone who has suffered from a killer sinus infection in the past year, I can confidently say that I would be shocked if any baseball player could go out and play effectively until the worst of it had subsided. Frankly, I’d rather have a badly bruised hand.
@mike: As the old adage goes, a manager can’t win you any games but he sure as hell can lose you one.
Still, I’d rather have Dusty than LaRussa.
@jdarts: I don’t understand negativity towards this team at all. I mean, we weren’t even expected to contend this year at all, and here we are, virtually clinched a playoff spot.
Yes, there are some frustrating things about this team, but that’s true of every single team in the history of baseball. And most of those teams didn’t go to the playoffs.
@Dave Lowenthal: You’re too sensitive. None of my post was directed specifically at you, except for the first paragraph.
And you know how good they’ll be in a playoff series HOW? Because, evidently, you know that they are going to be worse than their season numbers, according to your statement above.
I have this crazy idea that their season numbers are a much better indication of how they might play than the stats of the last week, or month.
There isn’t a boogeyman around every corner, you know.
If that’s what you say you meant by that question, I’ll take you at your word. You have to understand why someone may not have thought that’s what you meant at all.
You’ve been predicting this team’s collapse for six months. Your “question” above sounds an awful lot like the same drumbeat you’ve been hammering ALL SEASON LONG.
I am ECSTATIC over the Reds right now. Absolutely, positively, ECSTATIC. I never expected the Reds to be in this place. I don’t care if they don’t win another game the rest of the season, or if they get swept in the first round of the playoffs.
They are going to be in the playoffs, so they have a chance. I never imagined I’d get to enjoy this in 2010. I can’t believe that everyone isn’t enjoying it.
@Dave Lowenthal: So that’s what some imaginary person who might happen to be analyzing this team in some unidentified locale…that’s what THAT PERSON would say. But it’s not what you’re saying? Just so I understand and don’t put words in your mouth. Because either you are backpedalling at a Lance Armstrong pace, or I can’t read.
And you’re the one who told me to lay off the caffeine, when I wasn’t even directing any particular argument at you.
This is not directed at Dave, or anyone in particular…
I am very serious about this: I do not understand how any Reds fan could not be very happy about where the Reds are relative to our pre-season expectations of the team. I do not understand why anyone would be down or upset or in a negative frame of mind just because the Reds aren’t the best team in the league in 2010 or because they’ve played poorly for three weeks or because there are problems with the team (i.e., the team isn’t perfect).
Because if you aren’t happy with where the Reds are right now, or if you are upset over the fact that they may not advance past the first round of the playoffs…I just don’t get it. I just can’t understand. I’m too dense, I guess.
The Reds are playing the best baseball overall since I’ve been alive this season. San Diego needs these games to get in the playoffs, while the Cards look like they’re mailing it in. Our only goal right now SHOULD be to finish second in the division and not have to worry about Filthadephia. Hey, if we win tomorrow, and I bet the Cards will lose tomorrow, I would hope we lose our remaining games, provided Rolen doesn’t play in any of them. Right now, we seem to be the closest to a sure thing in October, regardless. Colorado, San Diego, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Philadelphia are all playing playoff roulette.
A 6 1/2 game lead on Sept. 26th…I’ll take it….4-6 over their last 10 games? Not really the way you’d like to finish out the season, but it’s not the end of the world. {BTW, The Yankees and Braves are also 4-6 in there last 10 games.}
The Reds are going to win the NL Central and be in the playoffs…That’s more than most expected of this team. Any success they have in the playoffs are a bonus. Others have said it – All it takes in the playoffs is for a couple of guys to get hot and all bets are off(like Hatcher/Sabo in ’90).
…just be happy the Reds aren’t in the AL East – The Red Sox have the same record as the Reds and they aren’t going to the post season.
Just for the record – That Goat and that Chimp both give me the creeps.
Here’s a look at our record against the potential playoff opponents. So far this season, we are 2-5 against the Rockies, 3-4 against the Giants, 2-5 against the Phillies, 2-3 against the Braves, and 1-4 against the Padres with 1 game left. That’s 10-21 against post-season opponents with 1 road game left. And if you throw in the Cardinals, which we are 6-12, we are 16-33. Not good, my friends, not good!!! Anyone nervous over this? One final thought, the final 6 home games are against Astros, who we are 8-4 against and Brewers, who we are 9-2 against.
@redsntn: Not worried at all. As I stated above, baseball is all about luck. The Reds lost a lot of one run games against those teams, and had a couple fluky losses as well. We could just as easily be 21-10 if things had broken differently.
Today’s lineup
Stubbs 8
Cabrera 6
Votto 3
Rolen 5
Gomes 6
Phillips 4
Heisey 9
Hanigan 2
Bailey
Rolen really needs a day off.