How The Cincinnati Reds Blew Open The NL Central Race
The Cincinnati Reds are riding high in the NL Central, with an 84-56 record and the 9.5 game lead they hold is the highest of any divisional leader. If this were a political campaign, the networks would be calling it and you’d see the image of Dusty Baker next to the division standings with the check-mark next to him indicating a race that was over. It’s a remarkable achievement for a team that lost its closer (Ryan Madson) in spring training, it’s best setup man (Nick Massett) about the same time and pulled away from St. Louis and Pittsburgh during a period when their best player (Joey Votto) was on the disabled list. Let’s take a look at how the Reds did it.