Your daily dose of Redlegs baseball

This season has provided more ups and downs than a rollercoaster at Cedar Point. But Whatever. As a Reds fan, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I repeat that very phrase multiple times in front of the bathroom mirror before I go to bed every night.

Here's the thing: We're 28-24 through 52 games--approximately one-third of the season--and only 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in a decidedly competitive National League Central Division; I could not possibly be more pleased.

I would have been pleased with a 28-24 record under the best of circumstances. That is, with everyone healthy and playing well. So, the fact this team has been thrown more curve balls than Jay Bruce and is still right in the thick of things, to me, is a very good sign.

Last night was the perfect example of what I'm talking about. The team probably played its best game of the season in a 9-3 beating of the Cardinals, and it did so without the services of Joey Votto, Edwin Encarnacion and Willy Taveras.

The problems don't stop there, either. Brandon Phillips has a broken thumb and Jay Bruce hasn't hit the weight of my dog Maggie in the last 11 games.

Andohbytheway, Edinson Volquez, our best starting pitcher from a season ago, has missed one start, lasted only an inning in another and just went back on the disabled list.

As Reds fans, we're left with a roster that looks like it should be competing against the Iowa Cubs instead of the Chicago Cubs, yet here we are.

28-24, 2.5 games out of first.

The reasons for this overachieving ballclub are many. I'll get to that later.

My point is that had you told me last March that Encarnacion, Votto, Volquez and Phillips would all have missed significant time with injury, and we would stand only 2.5 games out of first I would have probably checked your pulse.

We're doing it with smoke and mirrors. It's often gritty and ugly, but it sure is fun.