The Reds have a big series this weekend against….the Pirates? Yes, the Reds finished April with an 11-10 record and while they sit in a tie for third place, this is hardly the train wreck that things could have been considering the Reds are hitting a meager .235. Right now, it’s the Cardinals then everyone else but that doesn’t mean the Reds can’t jockey for position. That’s why a good weekend against the Pirates, who are also tied with us at 11-10, could go a long way towards pushing the Reds further into contention.

What about Joey Votto? I know he has just the three home runs but that .979 OPS is nice to look at. Throw in the 20 RBIs and 21 games and it makes for a nice success story. You wonder why this guy was held back for so long.

And then there’s the pitching. While the Reds are second to last in baseball in hitting and slugging, they’re fifth in the NL in ERA. That’s what it’s getting it done. It also helps that they’re outplaying their Pythagorean W/L by two games but that could even out over time once the offense heats up (gulp).

Tonight, we’ll have Bronson Arroyo going up against Zach Duke. It’s the battle of the 3-1 hurlers. Of course Arroyo has a 6.48 ERA and Duke has a 2.43 mark so hopefully those two numbers start to come together after tonight’s game.

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