Is 10-Game Stretch “Make or Break” For Reds?

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The young Cincinnati Reds are a hanging tough at 26-20.

They are currently 1 1/2 games behind the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central.  They also trail the Milwaukee Brewers by a half game.  The Reds are leading the preseason favorites, the Chicago Cubs, by three games.

They play all three in the next ten days.

Is this a “make or break” stretch for this young club so early in the season?  Time will tell.

The Reds begin by traveling today to Milwaukee to open a three-game set with the Brewers.  Following the series in Milwaukee, they travel south to face the Cardinals for four games.  They finish the crucial ten games with three at home against the Cubs.

It’s ten games in ten days against your closest division rivals.  Do these young, no-name Reds have what it takes to separate themselves from the pack?  Will this be the beginning of a “June Swoon,” or will the Reds come out of these ten games no worse for the wear?

Reds fans have to be impressed up to this point at the staying power of Dusty Baker’s squad.   While there is no superstar, there is a group of hungry young players who go out each and every day and battle opponents until the final out is recorded.

The poster boys for the Reds are first baseman Joey Votto and right fielder Jay Bruce.  Votto is one of the league leaders with a .360 batting average.  He has battled illness over the last couple of weeks, which has caused him to miss a few games and had him leave a couple others early.  He eventually was diagnosed with an inner-ear infection.

Bruce started the season slowly, but has 14 HR’s and his average is climbing.

Veteran second baseman Brandon Phillips has been on fire in the month of May.  He has a NL-leading 27 RBI for the month.  He has raised his average from .188 to .275.

Phillips suffered a hairline fracture on his right thumb during the Cleveland series while fielding a ground ball off the bat of Grady Sizemore.  He hopes to play with the injury. 

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