St Louis is showing the X factor that we aren't

[ILoveWilly]

And that's doing what they gotta do to win close games. Just in the past two weeks this is what they've done:

- Rallied from a 4-0 deficit with all of two innings left to beat the Dodgers 5-4

- Beat the Cubs 4-3 in the 11th inning on Sunday Night Baseball at Wrigley

- After blowing a big lead against the Mets on Wednesday Night Baseball, still win at Citi Field in 13 innings 8-7

- Beat the Pirates 1-0 in 10 innings to break a scoreless game last night

Meanwhile what are we doing? Lost an extra inning game last night to the Braves we should have won, blowing a 2 run lead. Lost a 3-2 game against the Brewers on Monday that we blew a 2 run lead. Lost a 1-0 game to the Rockies a couple weekends ago. And then the infamous Phillies series before the ASB where we lost 4 close games, with a major collapse thrown in.

Bottom line is, we have no one to blame but ourselves if we can't get into the playoffs. St Louis is doing what they gotta do and actually has a pair to survive pressure situations, unlike our team, who seemingly wilts under close game, low scoring pressure lately. :thumbdown

[sabometrics]

In April/May/early June we were the team that was getting all the clutch, come-from-behind wins. Can't do it every game all year, and you'll have your down periods. The Reds are still only one game worse than the Cards in July, so it's not the end of the word. Something can change and in a week fortunes could reverse again. We can only wait and see.

[mroby85]

And that's doing what they gotta do to win close games. Just in the past two weeks this is what they've done:

- Rallied from a 4-0 deficit with all of two innings left to beat the Dodgers 5-4

- Beat the Cubs 4-3 in the 11th inning on Sunday Night Baseball at Wrigley

- After blowing a big lead against the Mets on Wednesday Night Baseball, still win at Citi Field in 13 innings 8-7

- Beat the Pirates 1-0 in 10 innings to break a scoreless game last night

Meanwhile what are we doing? Lost an extra inning game last night to the Braves we should have won, blowing a 2 run lead. Lost a 3-2 game against the Brewers on Monday that we blew a 2 run lead. Lost a 1-0 game to the Rockies a couple weekends ago. And then the infamous Phillies series before the ASB where we lost 4 close games, with a major collapse thrown in.

Bottom line is, we have no one to blame but ourselves if we can't get into the playoffs. St Louis is doing what they gotta do and actually has a pair to survive pressure situations, unlike our team, who seemingly wilts under close game, low scoring pressure lately. :thumbdown

Another way to look at it:

St. Louis lost 2/3 to the struggling Mets, wouldn't really give them credit for blowing a 6 run lead, and winning in 13.


Lost 2/3 to the cubs, took 11 innings to avoid a sweep (a team the reds recently took 3/4 from at Wrigley)

It took 10 innings to beat pittsburgh, Reds hung iwth the Braves for 11 innings. Break here or there and they win that game. took 2/3 vs astros, 2/3 vs brewers 4-2 road trip.

Just sayin...

Since the break, split with Washington, 4-2 Road trip, I don't really think they're playing bad baseball right now.

[BurgervilleBuck]

I'd look at a third angle: the Cards have been there before. Outside of guys like Rolen and Cabrera, this is new territory for most of the roster.

[RedsFanInBama]

And that's doing what they gotta do to win close games. Just in the past two weeks this is what they've done:

- Rallied from a 4-0 deficit with all of two innings left to beat the Dodgers 5-4

- Beat the Cubs 4-3 in the 11th inning on Sunday Night Baseball at Wrigley

- After blowing a big lead against the Mets on Wednesday Night Baseball, still win at Citi Field in 13 innings 8-7

- Beat the Pirates 1-0 in 10 innings to break a scoreless game last night

And yet, in that span of time, they've gone from a half game up to ... a half game up. So regardless of how the wins are coming (or aren't coming), they are playing about like us right now.

[ILoveWilly]

I'd look at a third angle: the Cards have been there before. Outside of guys like Rolen and Cabrera, this is new territory for most of the roster.

Exactly why we should have been winning these close games and putting a buffer between us and St Louis. They have the veterans, they've been dominating the division, meanwhile 2/5ths of our rotation is a wild card with Leake going above and beyond any amount of innings he's ever pitched before, and Volquez just being plain wild coming off surgery. Oh and a certain individual named Francisco Cordero who is doing everything possible to destroy this teams chances.

We're the ones who are ripe for a slump, not them, and we need to be winning these types of games because it's giving us absolutely no margin for error. Instead, they're winning the close games they need to, to hang around, and we're not. We're blowing leads and losing games we shouldn't be losing, while they're winning the close ones.

[Rijo's Ghost]

I'd look at a third angle: the Cards have been there before. Outside of guys like Rolen and Cabrera, this is new territory for most of the roster.

Don't buy into that BS. Just about every year there are teams with guys "who have never been there." These guys are adult professional baseball players.

[Magdal]

Don't buy into that BS. Just about every year there are teams with guys "who have never been there." These guys are adult professional baseball players.That's very true. The Cards have lots of players that have not been there. In fact, many that have not been HERE. (the majors)

Freese, Jay, Green, Garcia are rooks. Molina, Pujols, Wain and Carp are the ONLY ones around from '06...everybody else that was on the team last year have ONLY last year of sucess, that ended in an LA sweep in the 1st round.

The reds have a decided advantage in hitting, defense and baserunning. Not just over the Cards, but the rest of the NL!

[texasdave]

Don't buy into that BS. Just about every year there are teams with guys "who have never been there." These guys are adult professional baseball players.

Dusty buys into it.


"He adds experience," said Reds manager Dusty Baker. "He's been in pennant races, World Series. We're young [in the bullpen]. We need a stabilizer to go along with Arthur [Rhodes] and [Francisco] Cordero."

[Caveman Techie]

Refresh my memory what is the Reds series record since the All-star break? 4-0-1, I'll take that. Keep winning the series and let the chips fall where they may. You can't win all of the games.

[bounty37h]

And yet, in that span of time, they've gone from a half game up to ... a half game up. So regardless of how the wins are coming (or aren't coming), they are playing about like us right now.

:beerme: