It’s a four-game set on the banks of the Ohio River.
It may be a slight exaggeration that the Cincinnati Reds could, in effect, bury the St. Louis Cardinals in a series that will begin in the month of April.
It may also very much be the case that the next four games could seriously alter the course of both teams’ seasons, with the front offices of the respective clubs already showing their hand for the direction in which they anticipated this season would go.
The new-look Reds led by future Hall of Famer Terry Francona clearly were looking for their young core to emerge into contention this year, the acquisitions of Brady Singer, Jose Trevino, Gavin Lux, and Austin Hays meant to augment burgeoning superstar Elly De La Cruz and his band of merry McLains. Meanwhile, the Cardinals let future Hall of Famer Paul Goldschmidt walk in free agency over the winter while openly shopping the likes of Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray in a clear indication that they’re looking to strip down payroll and rebuild for their next run.
The 15-13 Reds have won four games in a row entering Monday night’s series opener in Great American Ball Park, while the Cardinals sit at just 12-16. With a four-game home series staring them in the face while posessing the most momentum they’ve had all season, this very well could be the time when the Reds press on the gas pedal and accelerate straight past their NL Central rivals in a way that could push them into white-flag waving mode earlier than they’d already anticipated.
The Reds currently sport a +41 run differential that’s not only the best in the NL Central, it’s the third best mark of any MLB club. Only the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers (both +42, respectively) have a better differential so far. That’s the kind of groovin’ that shows just how well the Reds have been playing (or just how bad the Colorado Rockies are at everything), and that’s the big momentum the Reds are riding into this series.
Go Reds. Do the dang thing!
Probable Pitchers
Monday, April 28th (6:40 PM ET) – RHP Nick Martinez vs. RHP Andre Pallante
Tuesday, April 29th (6:40 PM ET) – RHP Brady Singer vs. RHP Miles Mikolas
Wednesday, April 30th (6:40 PM ET) – LHP Andrew Abbott vs. LHP Matthew Liberatore
Thursday, May 1st (12:40 PM ET) – RHP Hunter Greene vs. RHP Sonny Gray
How to Watch
Monday’s game between the Reds and Cardinals will be available to watch on MLB Network, though all four games between these two division rivals will be available on FanDuel Sports Network, too. You can watch FDSN in-market through cable packages, though it’s also available to be streamed in-market with no blackout restrictions.
Per usual, you can view this game from outside the Reds TV market by catching the FDSN stream through MLB.tv.