The Reds are heading into the stretch run with a road trip that starts in a tough place and ends with even more questions.
Cincinnati closed out its home schedule with a lopsided 9-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs, and that result also gave the Cubs the final series win over the Reds. Now there are six games left in the season, and both of Cincinnati’s last two series will be played away from home.
That next test begins Tuesday against the National League East champion Atlanta Braves, and the matchup comes with a simple question hanging over it: can the Reds slow down a team that is already headed for the postseason?
Cincinnati will open the series with Brandon Williamson, who is 4-4 with a 5.56 ERA. The Reds turned to Williamson after Chase Burns was placed on the injured list on Sunday, ending his season.
Williamson had already been filling in for Burns after the All-Star pitcher was put on an innings limit during the final month of the year. His most recent start came in a win over the San Diego Padres on September 2nd.
Atlanta will counter with JR Ritchie, who enters at 1-3 with a 5.03 ERA.
Wednesday’s game two brings a more eye-catching pitching matchup. Andrew Abbott, now 6-11 with a 4.70 ERA, gets the ball for Cincinnati against Braves ace Chris Sale, who is 14-9 with a 2.18 ERA.
Abbott’s season has gone nowhere near the level he reached a year ago, when he made the All-Star team. Over his last five starts, he has completed six innings only once and is 0-3.
Sale, meanwhile, has been a force. The left-hander earned his 10th All-Star selection and will be trying to keep Atlanta rolling into October.
First pitch Wednesday is set for 7:15 p.m. ET.
The series wraps up Thursday night, when Brady Singer takes the mound for the Reds against Tyler Mahle. Singer is 6-15 with a 5.67 ERA, and this could be his last outing in a Cincinnati uniform. In his last five starts, he has given up 28 runs.
At the trade deadline, the Reds appeared to be betting on Singer as part of their future. After what’s happened in the second half, that outlook has changed in a hurry.
The finale is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
Reds Are Quietly Testing Two New Pieces For A Bigger Role
The Reds have spent the stretch quietly sorting through some less-heralded additions, and Juan Brito has already started to stand out as one of them. Cincinnati claimed Brito and Oswaldo Cabrera off waivers, bringing in two versatile pieces who fit the kind of roster flexibility teams often prize long before a bigger opportunity opens up. Brito has been getting regular run lately, and the early returns have shown a player who looks more comfortable at the plate while also giving the club some defensive options.
Cabrera brings a different kind of appeal, one that can matter to a manager trying to cover a lot of ground with a limited bench. The switch-hitter can handle seven positions and spent most of the year in Triple-A before arriving in Cincinnati, which makes him the sort of depth addition that can quietly grow into something more if the bat follows the glove. Terry Francona has sounded encouraged by both players, and the Reds at least appear willing to see whether either can become part of the bigger picture by 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Head Into The Offseason With Two New Injury Concerns
The Reds offseason checklist got a little longer with two more medical appointments on the calendar. Spencer Steer is set to have right wrist surgery next Wednesday in Phoenix, while Tony Santillan is lined up for left hip surgery Thursday in Nashville to repair a labral tear, adding another layer of uncertainty as Cincinnati shifts from the seasons finish into winter.
For a club already mapping out its next steps, the news is a reminder of how quickly roster plans can get complicated at this time of year. Steer and Santillan are both now focused on recovery after injury setbacks during the season, and the Reds will have a clearer sense of their near-term depth only once those procedures are behind them and the long rehab process begins. [Read more 🡒]
Elly De La Cruz Is Closing In On Rare Reds History
Elly De La Cruz kept adding to an already eye-catching season with another reminder of how much he can impact a game in different ways, swiping a base and leaving the yard in a recent contest. The burst pushed him closer to a rare Reds benchmark, one that only a small handful of players in franchise history have reached, and it comes during a stretch in which he has been one of the best all-around performers in the sport since the All-Star break.
The numbers have placed De La Cruz near the top of the conversation in WAR and batting production, but Terry Francona has kept the focus on the broader picture rather than the milestone chase. For the Reds, that balance matters: De La Cruz is putting himself on the verge of special history, yet the emphasis inside the room remains on playing the game the right way and letting the rest sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]