The Reds Against the Pointy End

 

Here's the truth of the matter. The Reds have to play three games against the Dodgers starting tomorrow. The Dodgers are very good. They've dropped some games here and there, but they're very good, just re-bolstered their infield, and are looking to reestablish themselves as a first-placer to be reckoned with. The Reds, for this series, will be starting Brandon Williamson, Luke Weaver and Graham Ashcraft. Williamson's the only one with an ERA lower than 5. 

This is what happens when the majority of the rotation gets hurt. You wind up stuck in a win-or-sink situation where Luke Weaver has to pitch competently, and...I mean, what do you think's gonna happen? 

The weirdest part is that two of these guys, Ashcraft and Weaver, have been in the rotation since the start of the season, and the ones who've been the most helpful in the absence of Greene, Lodolo, Overton and Gutierrez, namely Williamson, Andrew Abbott and Ben Lively, have been the called-in reinforcements. And while it's nice that the people they've called up have been so reliable, it's at the point where once those guys have pitched around, you're stuck with the less savory options and you kinda have to hope the offense and bullpen come through. And while the Dodgers are similarly fighting rotation injuries at the moment, they're putting up Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan, and they're the product of a slightly more ironclad farm system. 

The good news is that the lineup is a ton less worrying, especially against a competitor like the Dodgers, because of the rise of guys like Spencer Steer, Elly de la Cruz, T.J. Friedl, Will Benson and Matt McLain, who are all playing super well right now. McLain's hitting .300 with 35 RBIs in 62 games, and might somehow nab more ROY votes than de la Cruz or Steer. Benson has also emerged as a secret weapon this month, hitting .282 with 42 hits in 56 games, plus 10 steals and a team-leading .909 OPS. I am loving how this infield has come together, though while I hear rumors that Jonathan India could be shopped, I honestly think Nick Senzel is the more economic option to cut seeing how well India gets on with these three rookies. 

The Reds are a game and a half out of first and are still embedded within the wild card race. I am proud to say these guys are competitors, and might even bulk up a bit in the next few days, and I'm overjoyed that this is a possibility. After losing Castillo and Mahle last year, the Reds now could snag some cool players to bolster their playoff case, and possibly make the playoffs with almost an entirely different mindset than the 2020 team. I'd absolutely love to see it. The first step might need to be a loaner starter, though, as starting Luke Weaver every 5 days is not how you get to October.

Coming Tomorrow- Out of all the homegrown Mariners starters from the last few years, the one I didn't expect to break the biggest this year.