KSReds: Cincinnati Reds Swept in Atlanta

It didn’t take long for the Cincinnati Reds’ season to come back down to Earth.

A 3-1 start to the year was fun and brought some excitement to a beaten-down fanbase. Dominant starts from young stars Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft flashed high hopes for the future. However, six losses in the last seven games are more in line with the low preseason expectations.

The Reds were very competitive during their three-game series in Atlanta. In fact, they led the Braves in every game and lost all three by just one run. Competing against one of the best teams in baseball is a step in the right direction, but piling up losses gives fans the sense of “here we go again.” Now, Cincy will return to Great American Ball Park for a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies took two out of three games from the Reds in Philadelphia last weekend.

Thursday evening will feature a battle of left-handers between Nick Lodolo and Bailey Falter. Lodolo has allowed just two runs in 12 innings this season while striking out 21 batters. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. EST. At the same time on Friday night, Connor Overton will make his third start of the season for the Reds. Over the weekend, Graham Ashcraft and Luis Cessa will start at 4:10 p.m. and 1:10 p.m. respectively. Returning home to GABP against the 4-8 Phillies should offer an opportunity to stop the bleeding. However, they are a team that is likely much better than their record.

Reds Lose on First Pitch of Extra Innings

For long-time baseball fans, or potentially future generations, Monday night’s loss in Atlanta could serve as a bit of a brain teaser. How can a team go into the bottom of the 10th inning with a one-run lead and lose on the first pitch? That is made possible by the institution of “California Rules” which have been around since the shortened 2020 season. In extra innings, a runner is placed at second base with no outs to begin the frame. The Cincinnati Reds wasted no time scoring their runner from second in the top half of the 10th with a Jonathan India opposite-field single. However, that is all they could get across.

Cincinnati closer Alexis Diaz pitched the bottom of the ninth in a tie game which left Derek Law to try and close the game with a one-run lead in the 10th. It took exactly one pitch to crush the hopes of a series-opening win though. Sean Murphy lifted the first pitch he saw over the centerfield fence with Austin Riley on second base to give the Braves a 5-4 walk-off victory. It was a crushing blow for Reds fans that are all too familiar with the bullpen blowing a lead.

Early 4-1 Lead Not Enough, Late Comeback Attempt Falls Short

Regardless of the outcomes, one thing you can definitely say about this Cincinnati Reds ball club through 11 games is that they compete. The bullpen simply isn’t good enough to match above-average starting pitching and what has been timely hitting so far this season. It may have been the starter Luis Cessa who allowed five of the seven runs on Tuesday, but it was still a story of the Reds blowing a lead on their way to defeat.

After the Braves took a 1-0 lead via a home run in the first, Cincinnati answered in a major way in the third. Oddly enough, they did not even need to get the ball out of the infield to bring in four total runs. Tyler Stephenson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Then, Spencer Steer reached on an infield single as two runs scored to make it 3-1. A diving play deep to the glove-hand side wasn’t enough to get Steer at first and the speed of TJ Friedl allowed him to score all the way from second base on the throw. Finally, Jose Barrero drew a bases-loaded walk after facing an 0-2 count to give the Reds a 4-1 advantage.

That's Cincinnati hustle. pic.twitter.com/6VMZJosYCE

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 12, 2023

That Cincinnati lead would quickly be erased in the coming innings. After getting it to 4-2 in the bottom half of the third, Ozzie Albies tied the game with a two-run home run in the fourth. Sam Hilliard’s double then put Atlanta on top 5-4 before the Reds could get out of the inning. The Braves would go on to increase the lead to 7-4 at the end of seven innings. Jose Barrero’s eighth-inning two-run shot made it 7-6, but that was as close as the Reds would get. Two games against the Braves and two one-run losses.

Another Day, Another Blown Lead for the Reds

When you have a chance to beat a really good team like the Atlanta Braves you have to take advantage. The Cincinnati Reds had three straight opportunities and converted none of them. Moral victories from one-run losses won’t get you very far.

On Wednesday, Hunter Greene turned in his best start of the season for the Reds. The 23-year-old pitched six innings allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out 10. Most importantly, Greene did not walk a single batter. Pitch efficiency is a major problem for the young star, but he pieced it together on Wednesday night to turn in a performance worthy of a win. However, the bullpen had other plans.

Tyler Stephenson got the Reds on the board early with a two-RBI single in the top of the first inning. Unfortunately, the Braves immediately answered with Ronald Acuna Jr.’s two-run single in the bottom of the second. Atlanta erasing Cincinnati’s lead would become a common theme in this game. The same would happen in the third and seventh innings as the score went from 3-2 to 3-3 and 4-3 to 4-4. Finally, Eddie Rosario hit a go-ahead home run off Buck Farmer in the eighth inning to set the final score of 5-4. Three one-run losses and three blown leads dropped the Cincinnati Reds to 4-7 on the young season.