'We can’t stop doing what we’re doing': Reds keep making progress towards the playoffs

NEW YORK –– According to Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto, the entire team had a meeting last October after the Reds were swept by the Atlanta Braves in the 2020 playoffs.

Knowing that most of the team had the potential to return for 2021, the Reds set a high standard for themselves entering this season.

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“Our attitude was we’re going to do it this year,” Votto said. “We’re going to go further, we’re going to do big things. And we feel that way.”

While the Reds are only on the periphery of the playoff picture following Sunday’s 7-1 win over the New York Mets, they ended their road trip to Chicago and New York 5-2 after having just finished their best month of the season. The Reds were buyers last week at the MLB trade deadline, and several starters are on the verge of coming off the injured list.

Over the next two months, the Reds will have their chance to make it to the postseason.

“I think confidence is a good word for it," Reds manager David Bell said. "The more success we’ve had, there’s a growing confidence, a growing expectation I think that any good team any of us have been a part of, it just exists where you expect good things to happen. Because you believe in yourself, you believe in your teammates."

The Reds had the best record in the National League in July at 16-10, and they had two of the best hitters in baseball. Votto had the most home runs in the NL in July with 11, and shortstop Kyle Farmer led the league with a .395 batting average. 

In July, the Reds had their best batting average and their best OPS of any month this season. This week, the Reds have won three consecutive series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Chicago Cubs and the Mets.

"I think it just goes back to us being ourselves and (Bell) letting us kind of take over and be ourselves," Farmer said. "Guys are just stepping up at the right time and hopefully we can set another record in August.”

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In the first game of August, that momentum carried over. While Votto got an off day on Sunday, Farmer hit an RBI triple. Max Schrock, Votto’s replacement in the lineup for the game, gave the Reds an early lead with a line drive home run to right field.

Schrock had a career-high five hits, including four singles. Over his last five starts, Schrock has a .579 batting average.

"It was a really good last couple series," Schrock said. "It’s always good to get series wins, and that’s what we need to keep doing."

Reds starter Vladimir Gutierrez had one of the best starts of his career. He executed his goal to locate his fastballs lower in the strike zone, and he carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning. Gutierrez allowed just one run in seven innings, and he pitched at least six innings for the seventh time in his 12 MLB starts.

"We know we still have to keep going and we can’t stop doing what we’re doing," Gutierrez said via interpreter Jorge Merlos. "Especially us starters ... We have to be ready for anything."

Following Sunday’s win, the Reds were still seven games back of the Milwaukee Brewersm who beat the Atlanta Braves Sunday,  in the NL Central. Since the Brewers also had a great July, the Reds only picked up 1 1/2 games in the division standings.

Cincinnati gained much more ground in the wild card race. After the San Diego Padres went 11-14 in July and lost All-Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. to the injured list, the Reds are now just 3 1/2 games back of the second wild card spot, pending the Padres' late Sunday game.

As the Reds pulled closer in the playoff race, three of their best hitters got closer to returning to the 26-man roster. Right fielder Nick Castellanos, who still leads the NL in batting average, took batting practice on the field on Sunday for the first time since he went on the injured list with a right wrist injury.

Bell has said Castellanos’ timeline to return could change “really fast” once he shows he’s ready to play. Castellanos sprayed home runs around the ballpark at Citi Field on Sunday, and he made a significant step forward.

At the same time, center fielder Nick Senzel and third baseman Mike Moustakas continued their rehab assignments in Triple-A.

Even though Baseball Reference gave the Reds only a 19% chance to make the playoffs entering Sunday’s game, the Reds have several pieces moving in the right direction.

"We got to go out and play our game, keep our head down, keep our blinders on," Farmer said. "We’re going to have some guys coming back here soon, so that’ll be fun to have them back on the squad. (We'll) just keep working hard."