6/13/13: As strong as the Reds have been this year, they just can't catch up to the one team they need to - the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds hosted the Cards for a three game series over the weekend with both trying to establish their spot in the NL Central. The Cardinals led the Reds by three games on Friday and left Sunday night leading by four. The Reds won the Saturday game 4-2 by rallying to win. However, on Sunday - in a nationally televised game, the Reds made several mental errors and generally played sloppily. The game went into extra innings tied at 4 apiece, but three quick runs followed by a Matt Holiday grand slam gave St. Louis the 11-4 win.

6/6/13: The Reds keep winning, but they are only keeping pace with the St. Louis Cardinals and their staff of rookie pitchers. Depending on the day, the Reds are between a game and three games back. The two teams combined for the best records in May, and along with Pittsburgh, are leading the MLB standings. But the Reds are getting a reputation as a dirty team. Johnny Cueto's kick to the face of a Cardinals' catcher a few years ago may have been the start, but now it looks like they are headhunting. It is unnecessary because the Reds have so much talent on their roster.

5/30/13: Cincinnati is living up to the hype for the season. They were pegged as the team to beat in the NL Central and figured to have a strong chance to make it to the World Series despite the obvious handicap of having Dusty Baker as their manager. The Reds are playing great ball right now, and had the best record in the month of May through Memorial Day. Unfortunately for them, the Cardinals have been playing just as well and keep winning. Pittsburgh is just behind the Reds, and the three teams, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh (in order) make up the three best teams not just in the division but in all of baseball.

5/23/13: For the first time since opening day, the Cubs are not in last place. Milwaukee's slide has dropped the Brewers into last, with a gleeful Chicago laughing at them. This is probably short-lived, but it gives the 1908 Club something to be happy with. The Cubs did claim Eduardo Sanchez off of waivers. Sanchez was a hero in 2011 when he helped solidify a Cardinals bullpen in the second half of the season. The Cardinals went on to win their 11th World Series title that year - most in the National League, and second only to the New York Yankees.

5/16/13: Reds' starting pitcher Johnny Cueto, he of the barrel chest, dreadlocks, and filthy left shoe cleat, will make his comeback to the Reds very soon. Cueto is scheduled to make a rehab start with the team's single A affiliate the Dayton Dragons soon. Cueto was scheduled to make an appearance in Pensacola, Florida earlier, but had soreness from his oblique - the same injury that limited him in the playoffs last year. Reds fans must be feeling pretty anxious about his return. The Reds are 2.5 games back of the Cardinals in the NL Central, and only have their toughest games ahead of them now.

5/9/13: Incredibly, the Reds' starting rotation did not miss any starts last season. That unprecedented health help lead them to a 9.5 game margin in the NL Central. That kind of luck cannot be expected every year, it is just too much to ask. Starter Johnny Cueto (aka: the kicker) strained his lat on April 15 and was placed on the DL. Aside from Cueto, several other players have been bit by the injury bug, including pitcher Manny Parra, catcher Ryan Hanigan, and left fielders Ryan Ludwick and Chris Heisey. The injuries may be the reason that the Reds are in fourth place in the NL Central.

4/25/13: The NL Central is already heating up, just as many suspected. The Reds, on paper, are the class of the division; they won the division by nine games last season. So far, all of the teams in the NL Central (except the Cubs) are still in the mix and over .500. The Reds have been able to build up eleven wins so far with the help of an easy early schedule - they have played the Pirates, Phillies, Marlins, and Cubs. Things should get a bit more interesting when they go up against tougher competition like the Nationals, Giants, and Dodgers later on in the season.

4/11/13: Leave it to the Reds to ruin a national institution - Opening Day in St. Louis. The Cardinals came home from a league mandated difficult start against the Diamondbacks and World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. They were rewarded by playing arguably the best roster in the National League. The Cardinals jumped out to a 4-2 lead. Then they apparently quit. The Reds broke open a 4-4 game in the top of the ninth by dropping nine unanswered runs on the home team. Relief pitcher Sam McClure took home the win, while Mitchell Boggs gets credit for the loss.

4/4/13: Tough start for outfielder Ryan Ludwick. He injured his shoulder on opening day and now needs surgery that could keep him out for the next three months. For the fans who think they should bring up Billy Hamilton to replace Ludwig - Reds management does not agree with you. Hamilton hit only .192 in spring training and only has 175 at bats beyond Class A ball. So the Reds are going to let him work on his game before he gets called up. To make matters worse, the Reds lost the game to the Anaheim Angels 5-4 in 13 innings.

3/28/13: The Reds will open the 2013 Major League Baseball season as the favorites in the NL Central. Cincinnati's line up is stacked, thanks to the work of former Cardinals GM and current Reds GM Walt Jockety. The Reds easily won the division last season, coasting to a 9 game lead over the Cardinals - who made the post season as a wild card team. But there is unfinished business in the Queen City. The Reds won their first two playoff games on the road (which shouldn't happen because they were the second best team in the NL), only to drop three straight to the eventual champion San Francisco Giants. But this is a new year, and the team has championship on their mind.

3/21/13: It looks more and more like the Reds are going to make the smart decision regarding speedballer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman was brought up to be a starter, one that could hit 105 mph. He was moved into the bullpen last year, starting out as a set-up man and assuming the closer role. He took to it like a fish to water because he provided a major change of pace from previous pitchers and closed out games with ease. The Reds were expected to make him a starter this year, which would be a mistake. But Chapman wants to close, and it does look like he will get his wish.

3/14/13: The Reds have fully decided to move Aroldis Chapman from the closer role to the rotation, which threatens Mike Leake's spot as a starting pitcher. Chapman was dominant last season as the closer, bringing 100+ mile per hour heat in the ninth inning. The concern around Cincinnati is that Chapman does not have a full repitoir of pitches and will expend himself throwing fastballs as his primary pitch early in games. Word out of spring training is that Chapman's breaking pitches are improving, but it is unknown how he will fare in real competition during the regular season.

3/7/13: Since Tony LaRussa is no longer around, Dusty Baker had to find someone else to fight with. It appears that person is Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson. The two engaged in a heated discussion prior to a spring training game, apparently because Baker wanted to play with a DH and Gibson wanted standard National League rules. As the home team in the game, the D'Backs had the decision and Baker did not like it. Gibson did not fold, angering Baker enough to refuse to shake Gibson's hand after the game. It will be fun to see how this plays out in the regular season.

2/28/13: The Reds return stacked this year. Most of their core is back for another shot at the NL Central, and many experts expect they will repeat as division champions. The Reds won the NL Central by a whopping nine games last year. However, their regular season success did not translate into playoff glory. After winning the first two games (on the road) against San Francisco, the Reds dropped three at home to get knocked out in the first round. The biggest change so far is that Aroldis Chapman is scheduled to be a starter this year instead of the closer. Should be a good season for the Reds.

2/21/13: Cincinnati has all the ingredients to win the World Series this year. First, they should make the playoffs by winning the NL Central Division. Sure, St. Louis has a good team, but not nearly as talented as the Reds. Second, they return their core that won 97 games last sesason. The X-factor is Aroldis Chapman. He excelled as a closer this year, coming in late and blowing batters away with a 102 MPH fastball. The question is if he can be just as effective as a starter who is counted upon to go seven innings. If he can, then look out for the Reds.

1/24/13: Major League Baseball is finally rewarding the city of Cincinnati for building the Great American Ballpark by awarding the Reds the All-Star Game in 2015. It has become customary in recent times to reward cities and franchises who build new stadiums with premiere events, and now it is the Reds' turn. Cincy last hosted the All-Star Game in 1988, in a rain-hampered affair where Oakland Catcher Terry Steinbach drove in both runs in an AL 2-1 victory. If the Reds can hold on to their core for another few years, then the Reds may have four or more representatives in the summer classic.

11/29/12: The Reds continue to fortify their ranks and resign their own. This time the Reds have a contract for at least three years with releiver Johnathan Broxton, who was a trade deadline acquisition from Kansas City. Former reliever Ryan Madson is off to L.A. after he refused the Reds option offer. Where Broxton fits is a question mark, though. Aroldis Chapman filled in superbly for Madson last year, and could be the closer for years to come. But the team may want to put him in the rotation and give him the chance to be a top end ace.

11/22/12: No question the Reds had a great season in amassing 97 wins and the NL Central crown. The first round playoff meltdown to the eventual World Series Champion Giants is still a raw subject, but the Reds are in good position moving forward. The pitching situation is enviable. The team has both Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey under contract for three more years, and both are only 26 years old. The team also has Latos (age 24) for four years, and he may have Cy Young Award talent. The Reds could choose to lock up all three for a longer term, ensuring dominant pitching for the better part of the next decade.

11/15/12: Cincinnati Reds youngster Todd Frazier finished third in National League Rookie-of-the-Year voting this week. Not surprisingly, Washington Nationals wunderkind Bryce Harper took the award (equally unsurprising, Anaheim Angels star Mike Trout won in the American League). Harper beat out Wade Miley by just seven votes, with Frazier finishing a distant third. Since Scott Rolen will likely not return to the Reds next year, Frazier will probably be the starting third baseman. The infield of Joey Votto, Brandon Phllips, Frazier, and a shortstop to be name later will easily be among the tops in the National League next season.

11/8/12: In unsurprising moves, both outfielder Ryan Ludwick and pitcher Ryan Madson declined their options to rejoin the Reds next season, opting instead to test the free agency waters. Madson missed the entire 2012 campaign due to Tommy John surgery, and received a $2.5 million buy out from the club. After Madson suffered the injury, Aroldis Chapman was named as the closer, and has cemented his position. Madson is looking for a team in need of a closer. Ludwick had a great second half and could sign a lucrative deal for anyone seeking outfield depth and a strong bat.

11/1/12: The Scott Rolen era with the Cincinnati Reds, and pro baseball, may be over. The 37 year old third baseman had a wonderful career, but injuries and age are catching up. The Reds may not resign him, or if they do, it may be to a cheap, bench player deal. The Reds have Todd Fraizer ready to take the position, but they may opt to trade for Mets third baseman David Wright instead. Wright is a career .300 hitter who will also smack 20-30 home runs a year. But before Reds fans get excited, Wright will be expensive and the team did sign Joey Votto to a $250 million deal last year.

10/18/12: The Reds have to be wondering what happened. After taking the first two games with ease in San Francisco, the team returned to the Queen City and the forgiving confines of Great America Ballpark only to be swept in three straight games. Cincinnati had the second best record in the National League (behind the Washington Nationals) and were easily the best team in the NL in the second half of the season. The loss wiped out a highly anticipated matchup against the rival Cardinals and leaves the team wondering what they must do to improve next season.

10/4/12: The Reds head into the playoffs as the National League Central Champions, while finishing second overall in the NL in wins. Manager Dusty Baker survived a scary medical episode, and spent most of the last two weeks in the hospital. He returned the final week of the season against the Cardinals, and is expected to be able to manage in the playoffs. The Reds will face the Giants in the opening round in a best-of-five series. Cincinnati will travel to San Francisco for the first two games (starting Saturday), with all other games being at Great American Ballpark.

8/16/12: Now that the Garage Sale signs have been taken down in front of Wrigley Field, now that several overpaid, underachieving veterans have been shipped out (as well as a few good ones), and now that the Cubs have accepted their fate for for the 104th straight year, Starlin Castro is clearly the best player on the roster. The star shortstop is reportedly in negotiations with club on a longterm deal. In a rare move, the Cubs are acting like an intelligent front office and trying to lock up a great young talent before he hits arbitration. In related news, Alphanso Soriano and his mammoth contract is still on the team.

8/2/12: Any talk of the Reds slumping after Joey Votto got hurt is completely unfounded. Cincinnati has been almost unbeatable since the All-Star break (17-3), and even ran off 10 consecutive wins. The Reds have built a comfortable lead in the NL Central, leading Pittsburg by 3.5 games and St. Louis by 7.5 games. Johnny Cueto notched another victory, improving his record to 14-5. The Reds took three of four from the Padres, capping it off with a 9-4 win. They are 23 games over .500, own the best record in the majors at 64-41, and show no signs of slowing down.

7/26/12: The Reds continue to torment the rest of the National League. Cincinnati does not seem to miss Joey Votto at all, and has stretched their lead in the NL Central to 2.5 games over the Pirates and 6 games over the Cardinals. The trade deadline is approaching, and the Reds will be buyers if they do anything. They did acquire AAA pitcher Todd Redmond from the Braves as an emergency fill-in down the stretch, but have been quiet otherwise. However, GM Walt Jockety has a history of staying under the radar and making a big move at the last minute to help with the playoff run.

With two outs in the ninth inning, it looked like the Cincinnati Reds win streak would come to an end and the Houston Astros would end their losing streak. Reds centerfielder' Drew Stubbs had other ideas though. Stubbs delivered a two-out, two-run double that rallied the Reds past Houston 5-3. He came on with the Reds trailing 3-2 and down to their final out. Jay Bruce added an RBI single later in the ninth. Reds closer Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth for his 19th save of the year. With the sweep, the Reds extended their win streak to a season high seven games and the Astros extended their losing streak to nine.

The Cincinnati Reds will rush head-first into a big three-game series this weekend against the New York Mets at Citi Field. The Reds are coming off of a three-game sweep of their in-state interleague foes, the Cleveland Indians, and are one of the hottest teams in baseball at the moment, with a record of 35-27 and a firm hold on first place in the NL Central with a three-game lead over the Pirates and Cardinals. The Mets are also coming off of a three-game interleague sweep of their own, as they vanquished the AL East's Tampa Bay Rays this past week.

The first-place Cincinnati Reds, at 31-25, had a chance to really put some distance between themselves and the second-place Pittsburgh Pirates this week, but they dropped two out of three games in that series and their lead over the Pirates has dropped to only 2 games at the top of the division. The Reds' star closer Aroldis Chapman suffered his first loss of the season on Thursday night and gave up his first earned run of the year in a 5-4 10th inning loss to the Pirates. The Reds will open up a three-game interleague series against the struggling Detroit Tigers on Friday night at the Great American Ball Park and they will send Mat Latos (4-2) to the mound against the Tigers' Rick Porcello.

The Cincinnati Reds have opened a three game lead in the National League Central. The Reds have been on fire winning 12 of their last 17. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce have been big reasons why. Votto is leading the National League in walks (46), slugging percentage (.610), and OPS (1.084). His .348 batting average is third in the NL. Jay Bruce's 12 home runs lead the team and are sixth in the NL. The Reds can increase their division lead as they play the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians at home during baseball's annual interleague play.

At 28-22, the first-place Cincinnati Reds have won 7 of their last 10 games and are one of the hottest teams in the National League heading into June. They are fueled by their solid pitching staff led by Johnny Cueto who is 5-3 with a 2.54 ERA and their flamethrower of a closer, Aroldis Chapman. Jay Bruce leads the team with 11 home runs and 32 RBI and Joey Votto has a team-high .325 batting average. The Reds will open up a series with the 5th place Houston Astros on Friday night and will look to keep their hot-streak alive and stay atop the division.

5/31/12 - The Cincinnati Reds have taken control of the National League Central. Despite being in the middle of the pack offensively, the pitching of the Reds has led them to the division lead. Johnny Cueto has been fantastic, while Bronson Aroyo and Homer Bailey have consistently gone out and pitched good games The Reds play their next six games against division rivals Houston and Pittsburgh, creating an opportunity for the Reds to increase their division lead. The Reds hope offensive players, like Todd Frazier, can step up, who apparently doesn't even need a bat to hit a home run.

5/23/12: The Cincinnati Reds are giving the rest of the league a glimpse of a dominant future with the deadly duo of Johnny Cueto and Aroldis Chapman. Cueto outdueled CC Sabathia through seven strong innings - improving his record to 5-1 and a 1.97 ERA. Chapman entered the game in the ninth, his fourth appearance in five days. He faced four batters and earned the save, including buckling Andruw Jones with a 98 MPH fastball. The Reds won 5-2, and took two of three from the New York Yankees. The Reds continue to chase the faltering Cardinals, who are trying to avoid a sweep from the Dodgers.

5/15/12: With Ryan Dempster's ERA ballooning from 1.02 to 1.74 over the course of a day's work against St. Louis, Johnny Cueto makes his claim to the lowest ERA in the big leagues, with a miniscule 1.12. Cueto has allowed only six runs all season, and only 1 in his last three starts, contributing towards 12 consectuvie scoreless innings (and counting). The Reds have a two game series at Atlanta this week, as they try to continue closing the gap between themselves and the first place Cardinals. The Cards five game slide allowed the Reds to move 1.5 games back, and set up a season-long battle for the pennant.

5/11/12: The Cincinnati Reds have rebounded from a shakey start to the season and now sit only 2.5 games behind division leading St. Louis. After starting out 4-8, the Reds are 11-5 since. The Reds are in Milwaukee this week for a three-game stand against the struggling and injured Brewers. Cincinnati looks for its third win in a row while the Brewers try to avoid a fourth straight loss. The Reds are showing some offense of late, having scored at least five runs in three of their last four games, or as Jay Bruce put it "We can hit as a team".

5/3/12: Cincinnati battled back to 500 and trail the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals by only three games. Perhaps the biggest news of the week was Jay Bruce being named the National League Player of the Week. Bruce hit .476 with home runs in four straight games, hit two doubles, walked three times against only five strike outs. Johnny Votto, fresh off of signing a massive extension, hit his second homer of the season as well as five doubles. But the season is still very young, and the Reds, Brewers, and Cardinals will likely be in a fight all season.

4/24/12: Cincinnati has won 3 of its last 5, including two at Wrigley to move to 7-9 on the season, 3.5 games behind the Cardinals and a half game below the Brewers. The Reds open a 9 game homestand against the Giants, followed by the Pirates and Cubs. The team overcame three errors and stranding 13 runners on base to beat Chicago on Sunday 4-3, or as manager Dusty Baker called it "winning ugly". Of course, it all looks the same in the standings, and a division road win counts just as much in April as it does in September.

4/17/12: Cincinnati was the darling of the National League in 2010, shocking the league by winning the Central handily over the favored Cardinals. The team fell back to earth in 2011, and that makes handicapping the team for 2012 quite difficult. The Reds stand 4-7 after 11 games, and have not shown any real consistency thus far. Only Zach Cozart and Joey Votto are adding any offense. Speaking of Votto, the biggest news is Votto and the Reds agreeing to a 10-year/$225 million extension, showing the league they too will overspend for a power-hitting first baseman (and will have trouble affording him any help).

Cincinnati Reds Tickets - The Players

Legends such as Ken Griffey Jr. may be gone, but the modern day Reds have Joey Votto and Jeremy Horst providing hits, Jay Bruce smashing home runs, and Edinson Volquez striking people out, helping these Reds of the 00s score some victories.

Cincinnati Reds Tickets - Team History

Cincinnati Reds tickets allow fans the opportunity to experience one of baseball's most storied franchises. The Reds, based in Cincinnati since 1882, have won five World Series championships to go along with nine NL pennants. The Reds play at the Great American Ball Park right next to the Ohio River and have called it home since the park opened in 2003. Grab some Reds tickets and enjoy a game this season!

Cincinnati Reds Tickets - Season Info

The Cincinnati Reds come into the 2011 season with high expectations carrying over from their 2010 campaign. After finishing first in the division last season and breaking a 15-year-long streak of missing the postseason, the club has extended skipper Dusty Baker for two more years. The Reds finally have a great mix of leadership and young talent and were spared any major losses in free agency. The Reds have all the pieces in place to take the NL Central again this season.

Cincinnati Reds Tickets - Ticket Information

Cincinnati Reds tickets ensure that fans see the Reds playing top contenders throughout the entire MLB season. With matchups with great teams like the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals and non-divisional meetings with the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants throughout the season, the Reds will have plenty of opportunity to test themselves against top talent in 2011. Be a part of this great tradition and don't miss the action!

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