Great American Ballpark | Photo by Adam Campbell | The Wright State Guardian
The 2023 Cincinnati Reds have taken Major League Baseball and the entire country by storm after securing its 12th consecutive win, a franchise best since 1957.
During this stretch, Cincinnati claimed series wins against the Cardinals and swept the Royals, Astros and Rockies.
Revival
As the season has progressed, the Reds have seen many new faces of explosive rookie talent. Included in this list is the highly touted 21-year-old Elly De La Cruz. Entering his debut, De La Cruz was voted the No.1 prospect in all of baseball, according to ESPN.
Upon being called up to the MLB, De La Cruz met the Reds sitting at 27-33 on the season and trailing in the division. The rookie phenom has helped propel the Reds to a 14-2 record since he made his debut on June 6.
While the team has seen a new wave of players, some familiar ones have also re-emerged. On Monday, Joey Votto, the franchise star for the Reds, made his return after having his 2022 campaign cut short from a torn labrum.
Votto would immediately gel with the new team and find ways to add more production, as he homered in his first game back while collecting three RBIs against the Rockies. Although the former Most Valuable Player has been with the club since 2007, he has noticed a major difference in this year’s team compared to those of the past.
“It’s a new era of Reds baseball, and it’s the players, the faces that you see on a nightly basis, that everyone should be excited about,” Votto mentioned in a press conference prior to his season debut. “I love that I am joining a team that is doing so well that I have to be a value add. It’s the type of ball I want to play.”
Aside from Votto and De La Cruz, the Reds have seen a wide variety of production throughout the club that has resulted in most of the roster playing a hero role in one way or another.
Streaks clash
After sweeping the Rockies at home, the Reds welcomed the Atlanta Braves to Cincinnati for a three-game set. Coming into the series, Atlanta posted a record of 48-26, leading the National League while riding an eight-game winning streak and holding serious World Series aspirations on the year.
The series opener marked the seventh time in MLB history where two teams opened a series with both having won eight consecutive games.
The first game did not disappoint. Cincinnati took the field Friday night in front of a sellout crowd at Great American Ballpark, looking to claim its 12th consecutive victory.
After the first inning, Cincinnati trailed 5-0 and had its back against the wall.
The game was highlighted by the performances of Votto and De La Cruz. Votto, in his fourth game back with the club, clubbed two home runs that resulted in four RBIs. De La Cruz, in his 15th professional game, hit for the cycle while claiming four RBI’s and stealing one base. The cycle performance by De La Cruz is the first for the Reds since Eric Davis in 1989 and is the seventh in franchise history.
The Reds would claim 11 runs and go on to win the game 11-10. The win marked the 27th comeback win for the Reds, a league best.
“It’s just an honor and privilege to be with this team and organization,” De La Cruz stated after the historic performance.
Perspective
Just one year after the Reds lost 100 games and the fans were clashing with ownership—resulting in the lowest attendance in stadium history—the Reds have now won twelve consecutive games and currently sit atop the National League Central Division. The Reds have not held first place in the division this deep into a season since 2012 when they finished in first.
A new buzz is gravitating around this club, as they appear to be buyers rather than sellers in this year’s all star break.
The Reds have captured the hearts of fans all throughout baseball, and it appears to just be getting started.
The Reds will return to GABP on Saturday for game two against the Braves at 4:10 p.m., where the Reds will look to claim their 13th consecutive victory, a feat that has not been met by the Reds since the 1899 season.
