Reds on the Road, Cincinnati Open Smashes Records
The Key for the week of August 19
Reds leave to hit the road…
And perhaps their last chance for the post season is leaving with them. As if it wasn’t enough that the Reds were swept over the weekend by Kansas City, the news came out over the weekend that the de facto ace of the staff, Hunter Greene, would be out two weeks (best case scenario) with a sore elbow. With Greene turning into the one consistent starter for Cincinnati, his loss is a nasty blow to the Reds late season wild card charge. Toronto and Pittsburgh are on the horizon as the Reds look to claw their way back to .500, if not the post season.
What we learned about the Bengals in Chicago…
Bottom line, not much, but that’s OK. Neither the Bengals nor the Bears gave away very much of the playbook on either side of the ball this weekend, with Chicago’s Caleb Williams perhaps with more on the line to impress the home fans in his first start at Soldier Field. The Bengals forced the Bears into three-and-outs in the first three Chicago possessions, but then Williams showed flashes of what’s to come with a deep pass and scramble that helped lead the Bears to a 27-3 win. Bottom line, Bengals fans shouldn’t panic and with the final exhibition matchup coming on Thursday night with Indy, expect to see the 2’s and 3’s on the depth chart battling for a roster spot while the starters take a breather.
And the Cincinnati Open winner is…
The fans, by a landslide. The rebranded Western & Southern Open drew nearly 40,000 fans over the first three sessions, a record for the 125-year-old tournament. Upgraded amenities and exciting tennis highlighted this year’s tournament, which will expand from 56 to 96 players next year over 12 days. Included in that expansion will be a new player facility, new courts and more improvements to make this stop a showcase on the ATP and WTA tours.
Ben’s Best Bet…
FC Cincinnati is back in action this weekend, on the road in Miami. Inter Miami and FC are still 1-2 in the Eastern Conference standings, with Miami spreading out the lead for the top spot with Columbus lurking behind the Orange and Blue. BetMGM has Inter Miami a slight favorite, but a lot depends on whether Leo Messi will be back on the pitch after his Copa America injury a month ago. He’s walking without a boot, but most observers do not expect him back on Saturday. Ben says FC has a great opportunity to make up some ground over the conference leaders this weekend, so don’t be afraid to take FC Cincinnati in this crucial on-the-road matchup.