The Cincinnati Reds reportedly have made two moves — a shocker and not a shocker.
They have placed both Eugenio Suarez and TJ Friedl on waivers, meaning any of the other 29 teams can claim them as their own over the next 48 hours.
The shocker is Suarez, who hit the grand slam during the Reds seven-run ninth inning comeback to beat the San Francisco Giants, 10-9.
But Suarez has not been the consistent power bat that the Reds paid $15 million to sign.
He has hit only 19 homers and often with men on base he is a strikeout waiting to happen.
Friedl? It is surprising it hasn’t happened sooner. He is 1 for 34 and batting .154. And with the Reds overpopulated with outfielders he was a trinket not needed.
That was a fun afternoon in Oracle Park for the Reds Wednesday afternoon, a type of victory that is bestowed upon a major league baseball team once a decade, if that.
However, if no team claims either one they could remain with the Reds, but it is obvious either will be with the Reds next year. 
For the Reds, it had been 70 years since they came from six runs behind in the ninth inning to win a game.
They did it Wednesday turning a 9-3 deficit into a 10-9 win over the San Francisco Giants.
As Reds manager Tito Franco said after his Reds avoided being the first team swept by the Giants this season, “It’ll make a heckuva better flight.”
The Delta charter flight carried the Reds to Chicago, where the start of a major reality check begins.
After Thursday off, the Reds open a three-game series Friday in Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs.
And if they are brave enough to check the rest of the games on their schedule, they’ll wonder, “Who hates us enough to assemble a schedule like this for us?”
They have 29 games remaining and every one of them, except the last three of the season, are against teams that pretty much have clinched post-season spots.
They have two series against the Cubs, they have two series against the Milwaukee Brewers, they have two series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, they have a series against the San Diego Padres and a series against the Atlanta Braves.
Their final three games are against the Toronto Blue Jays, the American League’s World Series team last year but unlikely to make the playoffs this year.
So what is the manager of a last place team to do with a club that is 19 1/2 games out of first place and nine games removed from the last wild card spot?
First of all, it is probably time to shut down pitcher Chase Burns. After a Cy Young-type start, Burns is beyond the number of innings he has ever pitched in a season.
In his last start against an incredibly bad San Franciso team loaded with a lineup full of minor league call-ups, Burns lasted only 3 2/3 innings and gave up five runs and nine hits.
Clearly he is fatigued and when a pitcher’s arm is fatigued injurie occur. The Reds already lost Hunter Green for all of next season after Tommy John surgery.
What a catastrophe it would be if it happened to Burns.
And it is time to turn outfielder Hector Rodriguez loose. Manager Tito Francona is playing him only against right-handed pitchers because he bats left-handed.
He had a breakout game Wednesday in San Francisco with two homers and a single, one of the homers covering 423 feet and drowning in McCovey Cove.
Rogridguez has the talent and the tools to be an every day player and it is time to make him an every day player, give him at bats against left-handed pitchers, too.
How else is he going to figure it out and how else can he become an every day player?
And maybe it’s time to give Elly De La Cruz days off in September. Other than when he was on the injured list, he has played every day.
He is off-and-on with his offense and even he said recently, “I’m tired. I’m really tired.” And when a player is tired, injuries happen.
Another guy who plays every day is Sal Stewart and probably he should keep plauing most days. He is on a mission to win National League Rookie of the Year.
His number indicate he should be a shoo-in for the award, but there still is some support out there for St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt.
With 28 home runs and 100 RBI, Stewart’s numbers dwarf Wetherholt’s, but it is probably imperative that Stewart keep playing, keep piling up the numbers, keep his face in the eyes of the Rookie of the Year voters.
Friedl was a huge mystery. This is a guy who a year ago looked as if he would be an outstanding leadoff hitter for several years.
He was an outstanding contact hitter, took his walks with a discerning eye and was adept at dropping bunts.
What happened? He is 1 for 34 and his batting average is .154 and he continued to try to bunt but hasn’t been successful. Instead of leading off, when he did play, he usually batted ninth.
And now he is up for grabs.
Then there is Matt McLain. Two years ago he was a solid hitter, but his offensive decline has been swift and abrupt.
Was it the shoulder injury that cost him so much time? Maybe that’s why he, like so many of the Reds, are hitting below the Mendoza Line.
McLain is hitting .194, but if it is due to his shoulder issues, it doesn’t show on defense. He is at 108 consecutive games without an error, breaking Brandon Phillips’ record for Reds’ second basemen.
And it isn’t because he doesn’t make sensational plays and doesn’t have wide range. He does and he does.
These are just a few observations as the team that has been mostly frustrating to its fan base begins the final month with nothing to play for except the cliche, for pride and for personal accomplishments.
That’s never good.