Major League Baseball

How to win $1,000 on Reds vs. Phillies for free

Published Aug. 14, 2021 12:09 p.m. ET

By Kevin Cooney
Special to FOX Sports

Perhaps the sight of the jerseys doesn’t stir the passions of the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers or Giants.

But there is an undeniable truth that both the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies have deep baseball roots running through them. The Reds and Phillies each have more than 130 years of competition under their belts, with some incredibly successful campaigns through the years.

The 2021 season has reawakened the passions in both towns. The Reds have an incredible lineup that has been highlighted by Joey Votto’s second-half surge and Nick Castellanos' All-Star form. The Phillies' big three of Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura has gone through a post-All-Star-break surge to grab the lead in the National League East.

As mid-August arrives, both teams are looking to make a push for the postseason. But first, they battle each other this weekend in a three-game set.

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Here are six things to keep in mind for Reds and Phillies this Saturday.

1. Bryce is right

You wouldn’t expect someone who has fewer than 50 RBIs in mid-August to be a serious contender for the National League MVP award. But Harper’s moderate RBI numbers have to be put into perspective; he has been injured at times. Heading into Friday, he is hitting .328 with eight homers, 23 RBIs and 28 runs with an on-base percentage of .444 since July 2. The Phillies are 23-13 in that span. That’s how you get into the MVP race.

2. Pal Joey

Votto will have a strong case for the Hall of Fame when his career is over. He will likely earn his 2,000th career hit this weekend — he enters Friday at 1,997 — and the 37-year-old is currently on quite a stretch. Since July 2, Votto has hit .341 with an OPS of 1.218. He has hit 15 of his 25 homers in that time, including nine homers in seven games at the end of July.

3. Finding relief?

One of the reasons the Phillies did not make the playoffs in 2020 was an all-time awful bullpen that had a 7.06 ERA. For most of the 2021 season, the bullpen’s improvement has been slight, with an ERA that hovered close to 5.00. But something has clicked at the back end of Philadelphia’s bullpen since the trade deadline. In the 15 days coming into Friday, the Phils' bullpen is 9-4 with an ERA of 3.82. Ian Kennedy is the new closer, and while he has struggled at points, he has also shown the ability to get the job done.

4. Cin City

The Reds are currently just out of the playoff race — 3.5 games behind San Diego for the second wild card — and should the postseason rally fall short, it will likely be the bullpen that dooms them. Cincinnati’s bullpen ERA entering Friday was 5.14, fourth-worst in the majors and ahead of only those of Baltimore, Arizona and Colorado.

5. Home and road

The Phillies are a decidedly different team at Citizens Bank Park (35-23) than on the road (25-32). However, the differences offensively for the Phillies are not that vast. The Phils' OPS at home is .727. On the road? It’s .724. The pitching is where it’s different. Philadelphia's home ERA is 4.03, while on the road, it’s 4.79.

6. Playoff perspective

The Reds would be leading the National League East entering the weekend, and they could be a dangerous team if they get into the playoffs. Yet that would appear to be a long shot, given the sizable gap between Cincinnati and Milwaukee. If the Reds pull off a surprise and reach the postseason, however, watch out.

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