20-11 in April to Losing 13 of 17: Sal Stewart Went Nuclear and Reds Fans Should Be Buzzing

Man, talk about a wild ride for the Cincinnati Reds! One minute they were sitting pretty, leading the National League Central with a sweet 20-11 record in April. The next? They hit a brick wall, dropping a mind-boggling 13 of their next 17 games. Just brutal. But hold up, because this week, they showed some serious life, grabbing two out of three against a hot Philadelphia Phillies team. They even crushed them 9-4 in the final game on Wednesday. This team, man, they are a puzzle, but maybe, just maybe, they are figuring it out.

The Rollercoaster Ride and a Rookie's Fire

Cincinnati's season has been absolutely perplexing. One month on top of the NL Central standings, the next stumbling hard. But you gotta love a team that fights back. Their bats woke up big time against the Phillies, racking up a total of 22 hits in the last two games. That is how you slow down a streaking opponent! Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott nailed it when he said, "We know we're a good team. We saw what we did the first month or so of the season. There's no reason we can't go do it again. I know we've been scuffling, but that's not an excuse to not show up and not be ready to play." That is the kind of attitude you need.

And holy smokes, rookie infielder Sal Stewart is suddenly on fire! He had been in a bit of a slump, but he busted out with seven hits, five runs, and two homers in that Phillies series. Dude went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and scored three times in that Wednesday win. Reds manager Terry Francona is not surprised, saying, "The really good hitters I've been around, when they're 0-for, they know they're going to hit. Sal knows he's a good hitter. He has been a good hitter since everywhere." Talk about a statement series from the young guy!

Pitching Puzzles and Cardinal Concerns

Now, the Reds are heading into a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals, who are starting a six-game road trip and feeling a bit of pain themselves. The Cardinals just lost two of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates, including a 6-2 beatdown on Thursday. They are looking to snap a two-game skid, getting outscored 13-2 in those back-to-back losses. Yikes. But here is the kicker: St. Louis has been pretty good away from home, with a 15-8 road record this season. What gives?

The Thursday pitching matchup is going to be interesting. Cincinnati trots out right-hander Chris Paddack (0-5, 7.07 ERA). Yeah, that ERA is wild, but he made a successful Reds debut last Saturday after being released by the Miami Marlins. He went five innings, allowed just two runs, and threw 56 of his 78 pitches for strikes in a no-decision against the Cleveland Guardians. He has got a 1-1 record with a 3.44 ERA in four career starts against St. Louis, but did give up five runs in 4 2/3 innings to them earlier this season while with Miami.

St. Louis counters with righty Kyle Leahy (5-3, 3.94). Leahy is coming off a gem, allowing just one run over a career-high six innings in a 4-2 home win against the Kansas City Royals. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol praised him, saying, "He had a really good feeling for all his pitches. I thought he did a phenomenal job. For him to be as efficient as he was and fill up the zone and do what he did was incredibly important." Watch out for catcher Ivan Herrera for the Cardinals, too. He is seeing the ball well, with homers in two of his last three games, including a walk-off shot in the 10th inning on Tuesday.

So, what is going to give tonight? The perplexing Reds trying to prove that recent Phillies series was not a fluke, or the road-warrior Cardinals trying to shake off their own slump? It is going to be a showdown, with both teams looking for some serious momentum. You know I will be tuned in to see which version of these teams shows up!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.