Houston Texas - Don’t look now, but the Cincinnati Reds are on fire. They have won eight games in a row and are showing no signs of slowing down. With their extra innings win versus the Astros on Father’s Day, they completed their second consecutive road sweep. The Reds have also won four series in a row and moved to 37-35 which puts them a half-game back from first place in the NL Central. In a division of mediocrity, the Reds have put themselves in a good position to possibly go out and add players for a playoff push down the stretch. Regardless, they have given their fans a reason to be excited about the future of the ball club. 

During the win streak, the Reds have gotten quality starts from Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott. However, it has really been the lineup and bullpen that have stood out. Out of the bullpen, they have gotten huge innings from Lucas Sims, Ian Gibaut, Buck Farmer, and closer Alexis Diaz. In the lineup, it is no coincidence that since Elly De La Cruz has been called up, the Reds are 10-2. He has brought a level of excitement to Cincinnati that we haven’t seen since the early 2010s when Joey Votto was the face of the franchise. 

Coming up, the Reds will return home for a three-game set versus the Colorado Rockies. After that, they stay at home for another three-game series versus a team who is just as hot as they are in the Atlanta Braves. While it has not been announced yet, it is likely that Luke Weaver will get the start on Monday night versus the Rockies where the Reds will look to extend their win streak to nine games and possibly move to first place in the division. In addition, the Reds are starting to get healthy with Nick Senzel and Jake Fraley returning to the roster, and Joey Votto and Wil Myers are expected to be back soon as well. Things seem to be looking up in Cincinnati as we get closer to the midway point of the season and the all-star break.