That Didn't Take Long!

With another loss to the Pirates Thursday, the Reds hold on first place is over. It lasted five days. Of all teams, it appears the mighty Pittsburgh Pirates have the Reds number. That's what makes baseball a funny game. Like Jonny Gomes said after the Thursday's 5-3 loss, "Next year it will be some other team that has our number." But this year it is the Pirates. The Reds make the Pittsburgh starting rotation look like the Four Aces of the 1971 Baltimore Orioles. The Pirates have won 5 of their 6 games against the Reds this season, all of those games have been at Great American Ball Park. Charlie Morton has won 2 of those 5 games, allowing just 1 earned run in 18 innings. Kevin Correia was joined by James McDonald as the other two Pittsburgh pitchers to rack up quality starts against the Reds this season. Like they say, don't get mad, get even. But the Reds will have to wait a while for that to happen. They won't face Pittsburgh again until after the All-Star break. Plus, the final 9 games of the season series against the Pirates will all be played in Pittsburgh. That's right, the Pirates are through coming to Cincinnati in 2011 and can rest easy with a 5-1 record here.
Now it is onto the longest road trip of the season, and it is a doozy! Three games at Cleveland (first place in A.L. Central, best record in baseball), four games at Philadelphia (first place in N.L. East and best record in National League), and three games at Atlanta (5 games over .500). If the Reds come back with a 5-5 record on this road trip, I'll take it in a heartbeat. The offense certainly needs to find some consistency again for that to happen. But I feel this team is good enough to make it happen. Hang on for 10 days then the schedule softens up a little. Should the Reds roll on this road trip, great. But a .500 record will be plenty to let me know this team is once again built for the long haul.