Call to the pen
Fansided

5 reasons why the Reds can overtake the Brewers

By Bill Felber

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 11: Omar Narvaez #10 of the Milwaukee Brewers blocks Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds after being hit by a pitch in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on July 11, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 11: Omar Narvaez #10 of the Milwaukee Brewers blocks Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds after being hit by a pitch in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on July 11, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /
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Jesse Winker, Jonathan India and Nick Castellanos, the core of Cincinnati’s superior offense. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Jesse Winker, Jonathan India and Nick Castellanos, the core of Cincinnati’s superior offense. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /

The Reds can actually hit

Milwaukee’s performance to date has largely been constructed on its solid pitching. But the Brewers have a decided weakness as well, and it’s at the bat.

At the break, Milwaukee stands seventh in runs scored per game and 10th in OPS (.694, 17 points below the league average). Meanwhile, they have struck out a league-worst 880 times, identifying the Brewers as a team with a large potential weakness.

The Reds can hit. At 4.85, they are third in runs per game, trailing only the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. They are fourth in OPS (.745, trailing the Giants, Dodgers and Atlanta Braves). And the Reds make contact, having struck out 788 times. That’s below the league average of 794.

They’ve driven in 412 runs, 38 more than the Brewers, and their .248 team batting average ranks second behind only the Washington Nationals. The Brewers, for the record, are dead last in batting average at .220, a figure of historically low proportions.

The Brewers are living on home run power. Yet the Reds have 1,243 total bases, 110 more than the Brewers. They’ve also out-scored the Brewers by 39 runs.

A key element in any team’s sustained success is the ability to hit the ball. The Reds are simply superior to the Brewers in that respect.

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