KSReds: Cincinnati Reds Lose Sixth Straight Series

The Cincinnati Reds have lost yet another series. Despite the favorable schedule, the Reds have dropped six straight series with an ugly 6-12 record during that span. That is not what you hope to see in the month of September while squarely locked into a National League Wild Card race.

A primary reason for the losing skid has been a regression to the mean from the offense. Cincinnati still sports a .249 team batting average, good for sixth in Major League Baseball, but have hit just .220 since the six series losing steak began. That is back to the historically bad numbers of a season ago.

Now, for a dose of positivity. If there is anything that can break a team out of a slump and losing streak it is playing the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Reds will take Monday off as they travel out to Pittsburgh to wrap up their nine-game road trip. Wade Miley is scheduled to pitch game one at 6:35 p.m. ESR on Tuesday evening at PNC Park.

Additionally, as we’ve continued to discuss in KSReds articles, all that matters are those wild card standings. The losses are frustrating and the Cincinnati Reds have definitely let a golden opportunity to take control of the playoff race slip through their grasp, but at the end of the day you just have to make the playoffs. Pending the outcome of Sunday evening’s Dodgers vs. Padres game, the Reds will be either still be tied or at worst one game out of the playoffs. Keep it in perspective.

Offensive Struggles Continue

As already mentioned, the Reds bats are the primary cause for the recent inability to win baseball games. After being one of the MLB’s most potent lineups for months, Cincinnati is hitting just .220 over their last 18 games. Unsurprisingly, their record is 6-12 during that span.

On Sunday afternoon, Sonny Gray allowed a first inning two-run home run to Nolen Arenado but then settled in to throw an absolute gem. Gray pitched seven innings of three hit baseball and allowed just those two runs. However, with zero run support, he would suffer his seventh loss of the season as the Reds fell 2-0.

The amount of zero or one run performances are starting to really pile up. It has been over a week now since the Reds scored more than four runs in a game. As the franchise experienced last season, that just puts overwhelming pressure on your pitching staff and leaves almost no room for error.

Jose Barrero Lifts Reds to Victory

One of the Cincinnati Reds top prospects, shortstop Jose Barrero, came through in the clutch on Friday night to lift the club to their lone victory of the series.

With the score at 2-2 in the ninth inning, Barrero doubled to deep centerfield, driving in the go-ahead run. He would end up scoring himself on a fielder’s choice to set the final score of 4-2. The late inning heroics kept yet another strong pitching performance from potentially going to waste.

JOSE BARRERO!

Get used to seeing this, Reds Country. pic.twitter.com/kCiz0jwMs1

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 11, 2021

Tyler Mahle continued his consistently strong season by allowing two runs on four hits in six innings of work. The bullpen trio of Lucas Sims, Michael Lorenzen, and Mychael Givens were nearly perfect in their three innings as well. Those three combined to strike out six batters on their way to closing the door shut.

Moving On

I’ll keep on preaching perspective so long as the Cincinnati Reds are in serious playoff contention. It doesn’t need to be pretty. If they can just reach that Wild Card playoff and get their foot in the door then they have as good of a shot as anyone else in baseball. Again, the worst case scenario is going to bed Sunday night one game behind the Padres. It is September 12th with 18 games to go and the Reds are squarely in the hunt. That is fun.

Looking ahead, exactly half of the Reds remaining games are against the Pittsburgh Pirates. There also four with the Washington Nationals. That means that 13 of the final 18 games are against teams with a combined record of 111-186. Three with the Dodgers and a quick two-game pair with the White Sox round out the Reds final schedule. Beat the teams you are supposed to beat and then scrape together a couple wins against the good teams and the Cincinnati Reds will be in the playoffs.