With the Pirates loss to the Braves, the Reds are out of last place for the first time in a long time. The Reds are 9 games back of the NL Central leader. If that feels like a lot remember it is June.
There is plenty of time for the Reds to regain momentum and build upon some promising wins. Defeating their Ohio rival Cleveland Indians is a step in the right direction. While it may be extremely early to have any realistic hopes of the Reds making the playoffs, it is nice to be able to look at the Reds and actually picture the distance from first rather than already know the season is over in June.
For Reds fans, being even this close to contention is a bright spot given last year’s historic collapse.