Reds Bounce Back with Sweep of D-Backs Ahead of Showdown with Brewers
CINCINNATI — After suffering a demoralizing four-game sweep at the hands of the Brewers leading up to the All-Star break, the Cincinnati Reds could have seen their postseason hopes fade away. However, they have turned their misfortune into a rallying cry, winning their fifth consecutive game with a 7-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
“Astronomical. It’s huge,” remarked Reds’ right fielder Jake Fraley. “Having stretches like that, I feel like, makes a little fork in the road for us. Which way are we going to take?”
The three-game sweep against the Diamondbacks at Great American Ball Park has now put the Reds in a prime position to challenge the Brewers for the top spot in the National League Central. With a record of 55-46, the Reds trail the Brewers by a mere half-game after Milwaukee dropped two out of three games against the Atlanta Braves over the weekend.
Left fielder Nick Senzel, who hit a crucial two-run homer in Sunday’s game, emphasized the significance of the upcoming series against the Brewers. “I think every series now is so important. I feel like that’s the team we’re going to be battling with until the very end. They’ve beaten us up. We’re excited to play them. We’re excited to kind of get back at them. We want another crack at them. It’s going to be a big-time series.”
The Reds have struggled against the Brewers this season, going just 2-8 in their previous matchups. Nonetheless, manager David Bell expressed confidence in his team and their ability to compete with the best. “There’s no question our players want that opportunity. They want to be in that moment. They want to play the best teams. They worked hard to put us in a situation where these games are important. There’s nothing better than playing games when they matter like this.”
Interestingly, each time the Reds have faced the Brewers this season, they have rebounded strongly, often going on winning streaks after losses to their division rivals. After losing three of four games to the Brewers in June, the Reds immediately won two of three against the Los Angeles Dodgers, kickstarting a 12-game winning streak.
Following their recent string of defeats to the Brewers, the Reds managed to regroup and split a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants before sweeping the Diamondbacks for the first time since 2012.
“A lesser team might have crumbled under the pressure,” Fraley said. “If you want to be where you want to be at the end of the year — winning a division, going into the playoffs, making some noise in the playoffs — I feel like you have to have some adversity throughout the season.”
In Sunday’s game, the Reds found themselves tied with the Diamondbacks at 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning. A crucial RBI double from Jake Fraley gave the Reds a lead they would not relinquish. Cincinnati would add three more insurance runs, securing the victory.
The Reds had previously taken a 3-0 lead in the early innings, with Elly De La Cruz hitting a leadoff home run and Nick Senzel adding a two-run homer. The Diamondbacks fought back to tie the game, but the Reds’ resilient performance ultimately sealed the win.
The Reds’ success this season has been a surprise to many, particularly after finishing with a 62-100 record in 2022. Despite a rebuilding phase, the young team has come together with a hunger and fearlessness that has seen them compete with any team in the league.
Since their low point in April when they were eight games under .500, the Reds have gone 48-31. The team’s recent 5-2 record since their last meeting with the Brewers has been a turning point in their season thus far.
“More important than how you respond to winning is how you respond to the failures,” Bell noted. “I couldn’t ask for our team to handle that any better. It all happened in one homestand, really. Now we just have to keep going. We crawled our way out of that, fought our way out of it and that’s all you can ask for. That goes a long way.”
The Reds will now look to continue their winning streak as they begin a crucial three-game series against the Brewers on Monday at American Family Field. With both teams neck and neck in the standings, fireworks are expected as the Reds seek redemption and a chance to surpass the Brewers in the NL Central race.