CINCINNATI —The Cincinnati Reds will play their last game of May on Tuesday with a chance to finish the month with a winning record — no small accomplishment for a team that was 3-18 in April.
The Reds (16-31) fell to 13-13 in May with a 6-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. After an off day Monday, they start a two-game series against the Boston Red Sox (23-25) at Fenway Park on Tuesday. It will be the Reds’ first appearance in Boston since 2014. The Red Sox lead the all-time regular-season series 12-1.
The Reds still have the worst record in baseball, and their .340 winning percentage would be the worst in franchise history if it stands up, but it has been steadily climbing since the 3-22 start. The Reds are far from contending — 13 1/2 games back in the National League Central Division and 9 1/2 back in the wild-card race — but also seem a safe bet to not rank among the worst teams in baseball history at the end of the season.
Here’s how the Reds of May compare to the Reds of April:
Batting average
April: The Reds hit .204 in the first month of the season. That was the second-worst mark in baseball. Only the Arizona Diamondbacks (.181) hit worst.
May: With one game to play in the month, the Reds are hitting .244. That’s tied for the 16th-best mark — ironically with the Diamondbacks.
Joey Votto hit .129 in April and is hitting .242 in May, though he’s been limited to 10 games because of a stint on the injured list.
Runs scored
April: The Reds scored 66 runs in 21 games, or 3.1 runs per game. They outscored 122-66.
May: They have 133 runs in 26 games, or 5.1 runs per games, and have outscored their opponents by one run.
Brandon Drury has 19 RBIs in May (tied for 13th in baseball) after driving in seven in April. Right behind him is Tyler Stephenson, who’s tied for 18th with 18 RBIs. Stephenson was limited to 11 games in April after suffering a concussion April 19.
ERA
April: The Reds had a 5.97 ERA, the worst mark in baseball by almost a run.
May: The Reds have a 5.15 ERA, which is much improved but still ranks 27th in baseball.
The return of Luis Castillo (1-2, 4.35 ERA) to the rotation on May 9 helped. He made four starts in May. Before going on the injured list, Connor Overton was 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA in three starts in May.
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