Guest TML: Reds' late-season rally into playoff contention is one Cincinnati hasn't seen

Morning, Mobsters, and happy Friday. Doc is back soon, but there's a lot going on as the weekend approaches ...

I realize there's never been an MLB season like 2020, and hopefully there never will be again. But the Cincinnati Reds' rally to position themselves to potentially reach the postseason has been impressive, and it's the latest in any season that a Reds team has done so. (Lookitup, as Doc would say.)

Way back on Sept. 12, the Reds lost 7-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals to fall to 20-26. Bobby Nightengale wrote (sorry, Bobby) that "the walls probably closed on their playoff hopes in the sixth inning Saturday."

Six days earlier, John Fay wrote after a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates that "the lights pretty much went out on the Cincinnati Reds season Sunday."

The Enquirer's Reds beat writers were definitely not the only ones to more or less declare the team's season over. The sports-talk hosts who are fawning over the Reds right now were pummeling them - and David Bell - just a couple of weeks ago on Twitter.

Now they enter their final series of the regular season against the mighty Minnesota Twins one game above .500 after going 9-2 in their last 11. They've somehow got a magic number, and tiebreakers over Milwaukee, Philadelphia and San Francisco. And Fangraphs.com gives them something like an 86 percent chance to make the playoffs.

Could they get swept and end up on the outside looking in? Sure. But barring that collapse, it would be a September rally Reds fans haven't seen before.

READY FOR ANOTHER Reds first in a season of firsts? How about Trevor Bauer as the Reds' first-ever Cy Young Award winner? Bauer might want the ball Sunday on short rest again, but you'd have to think the Reds are going to save him for the potential first playoff game. (Yes, I'm wishfully thinking they will clinch a spot and not need him Sunday.) And there's no way 5-4 with a 1.73 ERA, 0.795 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 73 innings isn't going to get him the award. Wednesday's win sealed the deal.

Can the Reds bring Bauer back? Who knows? Can we enjoy the season he's having and a shot at the first Reds postseason since 2013 before we a) worry about that or b) pretend to know what he wants?

I'M LOOKING FORWARD to Bengals-Iggles. Geno Atkins' absence and the inconsistent offensive-line play have hurt Cincinnati, but it's interesting that Philly was +7 early in the week and it's down - last I saw - to 4.5. Some people apparently are feeling kinda good about the 0-2 Bengals at least keeping it close despite their issues. Given Philly's issues, I wouldn't be surprised if the Bengals steal a win up there. (Full disclosure: I also thought they'd beat Cleveland.)

Might be time to let the rookie quarterback sling it - if, of course, he's given the protection necessary to sling. Three keys to the Week 3 showdown from The Enquirer's Tyler Dragon.

CHRIS MACK HAS delivered candid remarks over the past week or so about what happens with Louisville-UC and UofL-Kentucky with the predicament involving scheduling. From courier-journal.com's Shannon Russell:

“Let’s be honest, when you have a game that you’re possibly looking at playing in their arena with no fans, then I’m going to ask him a year later to come back to the Yum Center in front of 22,000 fans — if you’re John Brannen, you don’t feel very good about that,” Mack said. “I want to do what’s best for our program, but at the same time, I’m not going to put other guys’ programs in a tough way. We’re all trying to work together to get the best non-conference schedule we can. I don’t know if that’s going to include Cincinnati this year or not.”

Mack added this the other day:

“I don’t know because, again, you’re dealing with a limited calendar," Mack said. "For instance, the University of Cincinnati, we were supposed to play our second game of the season against those guys at their place. Talking to John Brannen, how fair is it for us to play their home game in front of literally no fans and then have him return the game? And I think the same thing holds true for the Louisville-Kentucky game. Where is the equity of Kentucky coming here in front of no fans and then having to go back to Rupp Arena in front of 21,000 fans?

“But I recognize and we recognize, man, the best rivalry — I know I’m biased — in all of college basketball. If there was somehow we could do this at a neutral site, again, that’s without talking to Kentucky and what their scheduling holds.”

Congrats to the C-J, by the way: SRuss covering UofL hoops is a great fit.

COULD STILL BE because we went awhile without live sports, but I'm enjoying the NBA Playoffs more than I usually do.

This was just absurd:

And in fact, Jamal Murray himself has been absurd. I can't think of anyone who's been more fun to watch over the past month or so. 

Tyler Herro in Game 4 of Heat-Celtics: also absurd.

TAKE IT AWAY, Imbiber Dave:

Got to meet up with a few teammates this week at our office in Nashville. We scored condo like room at Bode, which is newer hotel concept that I hope finds it way to Cincy in the near future. Completely separate bedrooms with a common living area where you can work, enjoy the foosball table, and of course enjoy some local beers.

Even though the check in process is 100% virtual, and you use keypad codes instead of keys, Bode does have a lobby with fully stocked bar and kitchen. These are extremely scaled back right now, so we tapped into the many local craft cans they offer to go.

Check out these easy drinking starters- Hap & Harry’s Tennessee Lager, WISEACRE’s Tiny Bomb Pilsner, and Pep Talk Pilsner, from Bearded Iris, who make tons of great beers.

We did try a Montucky Cold Snack Lager from Contract Brewing in Bozeman, MT. Worth a try, but I was hoping this well named beer would bring more to the party.

We rounded out the night with a Blackberry Farms Classic Belgian, which was delicious. Our final final was the completely odd but delicious Jackalope Brewing Chaiwalker Brown, which incorporates berries into an Ale. Jackalope makes a ton of awesome beers too.

Another fun week of getting out in a new way. Cheers! cincybeerguydave@gmail.com

AND MORE FROM Funmaster Brien:

Fall is officially here and this weekend’s Country Applefest is the perfect way to usher in the autumnal season. This is a two-day arts and crafts festival that is being held at the Warren County Fairgrounds, up in Lebanon – spotlighting the few remaining orchards in the area.

There will be over 300 sales booths, offering a huge variety of handmade crafts. These range from pottery and primitive decorations to wooden toys, quilts and stained glass. 

It would not be a festival without food and there will be plenty of it. As a fun curveball, every vendor is required to have an apple-related product, but there will be BBQ, brats, metts, kettle corn, ribs, and so forth; in addition to the requisite apple fritters, tarts, caramel, etc.

Country music is scheduled throughout both Saturday and Sunday. The Grand Opry Show, Beauty and the Beast, and the David Baker Band (among others) will be doing sets; all sponsored by The Lebanon Grand Opry House, which delivers the “best classic country music this side of Nashville.”  

The weather looks to be amazing for this harvest tradition. Admission is $1 per person, over the age of 13. For more information, please head to www.countryapplefest.com.

It's been years, sadly, since I've been to the apple festival, but I'm remembering how good the food and cider are and wondering if I can find some time this weekend. 

TUNE O' THE DAY:

Do I have a favorite involving apples? I'm sure I've used a couple of tunes from Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies (definitely "Nutshell") as tunes o' the day before, but it's such a great album - leading off with the underrated "Rotten Apple":

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