The Ohio Cup is an annual interleague series that takes place between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians (soon to be Guardians).
The 2021 series will have six games, five of which have already been played. They finish the series on Monday, August 9, in Cleveland. The August 9 game is a makeup game for the May 9 matchup that was postponed.
The Revived Era of the Ohio Cup began in 1997. The Reds and Indians have battled in the Ohio Cup in every season since then, except for the 2002 season. Results have gone back and fourth as each team has shown some of their best baseball in each year, in the Ohio Cup. That leaves the question to be asked: Who is the better Ohio baseball team?
The Cleveland Indians currently hold the all time series lead with a record of 68 wins and 54 losses. The 2021 marks the 24th year that they have played a series. The Reds have taken just five series from the Indians. Seven of the series have ended in a tie, either being split two or three games a piece. That means that the Indians have won the series in 11 of the years.
In the history of the revived Ohio Cup, it has seen baseball stars such as CC Sabathia, Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Deion Sanders and Johnny Cueto. Each of these players have played great baseball in their careers and each has left their respective mark on the history of the Ohio Cup.
Besides potentially winning the 2021 series, the Reds have not taken a series from the Indians since 2014. The history of the Cup belongs to the Indians, but as the Reds begin to trend upwards and the Indians begin to trend downward, the Reds look to flip the script.
Image Courtesy of Ken Blaze
Through five games this season, the Reds lead the series three games to two. The Reds also currently hold a better record than the Indians. The Reds are 10 games above .500, holding a 61-51 record. The Indians sit at 54-55, 10.5 games back from the AL Central lead.
The Reds took two out of the three games that took place from April 16-18. That series was highlighted by an exciting game two, where the Reds tied the game in the bottom of the ninth and went on to win the game in the bottom of the 10th on a Tyler Stephenson single.
The real excitement took place in the second series, on May 7. That day, the Reds won by a score of 3-0. But the exciting part? That was the game in which Wade Miley threw a no-hitter. Miley was dominant from start to finish as he only allowed two base runners, both in the 6th inning, one on an error and one on a walk.
The Reds look to take the season series for the first time in nearly seven years. The Reds will send out their most dominant pitcher as of late, Luis Castillo, to do battle with the Indians starter, Sam Hentges. They look to continue their winning streak, that has placed them right in the middle of the NL playoff hunt.
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