Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers meet in key series before All-Star break

The Cincinnati Reds faced 100/1 odds of winning the World Series when Pete Rose made the first legal sports bet in Ohio on Jan. 1. He, of course, bet on his team to win it all.

The Reds faced even worse odds, 350/1, according to BetOnline.ag, when the 2023 season began and saw their odds fall to 400/1 on June 2. Now they’re at 35-1.

On the field, in the standings and at the sportsbook, the Reds have made a remarkable turnaround. They recorded their 20th victory in their last 24 games Thursday by beating the Washington 5-4 in 10-innings. The Reds won their fifth straight game and swept a four-game series at Nationals Park for the first time.

“Today it took everything,” Reds manager David Bell told reporters in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. “It really did. Guys just continue to make plays and stay with it, no matter what happens. It’s what you have to do. We talk about it, but our players are living it and getting it done.”

To put this stretch in perspective:

• The Reds won 20 games in a 24-game stretch for the first time since 2012 when they were 21-3 in a stretch that spanned from July to August. The 1975 Reds were the only other team in franchise history to win 21 games in a 24-game stretch, while only the 1995 and 1940 Reds matched the 20-4 mark.

• The Reds have won seven consecutive road series in a single season for only the third time in their history. They won eight straight road series in 1976 and 1923.

• The Reds are 19-3 in their last seven road series. They are 26-18 overall on the road. That’s the fourth-best road record in baseball.

Now the Reds (49-39) prepare for their last series before the All-Star break, and it’s an important one. They start a three-game series on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers (47-41) on Friday. The Reds own a two-game lead over the Brewers in the National League Central Division.

The Brewers lead the season series 3-1. They beat the Reds 5-4, 10-8 and 5-1 from June 2-4 and then lost the last game of the series 2-0 on June 5 at Great American Ball Park.

The Brewers were a half game behind the first-place Pittsburgh Pirates after the first series against the Reds and had a five-game lead over the Reds.

Andrew Abbott made his first career start in that 2-0 victory and threw six scoreless innings. The Reds were 26-33 before that game. They are 23-6 since.

Abbott (4-0, 1.21 ERA) will start at 8:10 p.m. Friday against Corbin Burnes (6-5, 4.00), of the Brewers. Luke Weaver (2-2, 6.72), of the Reds, will oppose Colin Rea (5-4, 4.40) at 4:10 p.m. Saturday. As of Friday morning, neither team had named a starter for a 2:10 p.m. Sunday game.

TODAY’S GAME

Reds at Brewers, 8:10 p.m., Bally Sports Ohio, 700, 1410