Game 32: Braves 14, Reds 7

The Reds lost their fifth in a row as the Braves completed the sweep Sunday afternoon at Turner Field. With the loss the Reds are now 12-20, headed back home for a brief three-game homestand against the Chicago Cubs. After that it's on to New York to meet the Mets. Right now these games feel almost like late August, like the season's already lost. This team was 6-4 at one point and now they've lost 16 of 21, and that's with a three-game winning streak in the middle of that stretch. Now even the previously-somewhat-acceptable bullpen looks to be falling back to earth. I'm afraid what intrigue will exist for this team as the rest of the 2008 season unfolds will be more a result of off-field decisions than it will on-field play.

Reds management has to decide on what to do with Dunn and Griffey, first and foremost. The way both are going right now they wouldn't be good trade bait anyway. Griffey, as a 10-5 player, has the right to refuse any trade. Dunn has a no-trade clause in his contract that would have to be waived if he is to be traded before June 15, and then can name ten teams he doesn't want to be traded to. If they trade both guys, obviously the haul they get will go a long way in determining the future of the team. It just comes down to how close management thinks this team is to competing. Castellini seems to think it's ready now, but the results on the field would suggest otherwise.

There are, however, 130 games left in the 2008 season, plenty of time to make up some ground. The Reds and Cubs kick off their three-game set tomorrow night at Great American. Johnny Cueto starts for the Reds and his performance will be even more interesting than usual, given that Reds brass brought mentor Mario Soto on the road trip to work with him. His last few starts have gotten off track, so we'll see how he does against the Cubbies. For Chicago Ryan Dempster gets the ball. He started the 4/15 game against the Reds in Chicago, earning the victory and going six innings and allowing four runs, five hits and five walks. That game was during the "Reds get runners on but can't drive them in" time period, rather than the "Reds never score any runs or get any baserunners" funk we're in now. The results against Glavine on Sunday were fairly encouraging, though, so you never know. Maybe they'll get hot and win a few.

Game time is 7:10 Eastern, 4:10 here in Padreland. Peace!