KSReds: Cincinnati Reds Swept by Washington Nationals

Six straight losses for the Cincinnati Reds has the season starting to slip through our grasp. That admittedly is a bit dramatic because the club is still tied for the final wild card spot and just one and a half games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central. However, watching the games doesn’t instill a lot of hope that the ship can be righted this time around.

The Reds first six game losing streak was answered by a five game winning streak. Recently, five straight losses to begin the second half led to six consecutive wins. Another reversal of fortune like that is desperately needed in Cincinnati right now. However, as injuries pile up and August fatigue sets in there is less light at the end of the tunnel. This next series could be the most important of the season for the Reds as it pertains to their playoff chances.

The Miami Marlins will come to Cincinnati just a half game back in the wild card standings. They are 58-55 while the Reds are 59-55. Brandon Williamson will take the mound for a 6:40 p.m. Eastern Time first pitch on Monday evening. Luke Weaver and Graham Ashcraft are also slated to start in the upcoming season as these two ball clubs jokey for playoff positioning. Do the resilient Reds have anything left in the tank? We are going to find out one way or another this coming week.

First Inning Back-to-Back Home Runs Go Wasted

After dropping three out of four games in Chicago, the Cincinnati Reds returned home to play the lowly Washington Nationals. An opportunity to play one of the worst teams in baseball should have been the perfect cure to a losing streak. After first inning back-to-back home runs by Nick Senzel and Matt McClain it appeared they were well on the way to righting the ship. However, a game-tying home run in the eighth extended the game and the Nationals eventually won 6-3 in extra innings.

Senzel and McClain struck first and then Elly De La Cruz hit a home run of his own in the third to build a comfortable 3-0 lead. Graham Ashcraft was dealing on the mound and held that score until the sixth inning. Lane Thomas got the Nationals on the board with a solo home run making it 3-1. Ashcraft remained on the mound though into the eighth inning. He recorded two outs, but then Joey Meneses connected on a two-run home run that tied the game at 3-3. It was yet another strong start for Ashcraft, but it went unrewarded due to the late-inning home run.

In the top of the 10th, Washington pushed across three runs setting the final score of 6-3. Thomas connected on another home run, a two-run shot this time, to put the game out of reach. The lost marked the fourth straight for the Reds.

Reds Commit Four Errors in Sloppy Loss

Andrew Abbott hasn’t struggled much in his Major League career. The Cincinnati Reds star rookie has had one of the best starts to a career that we have seen from a pitcher in recent years. However, he was roughed up consistently on Saturday afternoon while also walking five batters. The left-hander allowed six runs on nine hits in five and two-third innings. Abbott’s record fell to 6-3 on the season with a still sterling 2.93 earned run average.

Lane Thomas was the star once again on Saturday for the Washington Nationals. He recorded a sacrifice fly in the second inning that made the game 2-0. Then, he doubled in fourth driving in a run that extended the lead to 4-0. Finally, he stole third base and scored on a throwing error by Tyler Stephenson to make it 5-0. It was yet another mishap it was a comedy of throwing errors that the Reds made in this ugly loss.

TJ Friedl connected on a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth which cut the deficit to 6-3. However, that was as close as the Reds would get. Lldemaro Vargas tacked on one more run with a RBI double in the ninth inning for good measure. That set the final score of 7-3 as Cincinnati dropped their fifth straight game and fell to a game and a half back in the National League Central standings.

Nationals Complete the Sweep in Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Reds have now lost six straight games tying their worst stretch of the season. They are one and a half games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the division and now officially tied with the Chicago Cubs in second place. The NL Central rivals are also tied for the third and final wild care spot as we go to bed on Sunday, August 6th. It is no longer all sunshine and rainbows in the Queen City. However, another week of August begins with the Reds playing meaningful baseball. Nobody wants to hear about moral victories and silver linings right now, but the sky is far from fall just yet.

This one was over before it even got started. Lyon Richardson, who was called up to make a spot start, gave up a home run on the very first pitch of his MLB career. Unfortunately, the 23-year old also gave up a home run on his second career pitch. In total, the Nationals would tag the rookie for four runs in the first inning which proved to be all the run support they needed.

Joey Votto got the Reds on the board in the second inning with a home run. Stuart Fairchild also drove in a run making it 4-2. Then, TJ Friedl put one into the right field bleachers to bring it within one run at 4-3. However, that would be all Cincinnati could manage offensively. Lane Thomas continued his monster series driving in runs in the fourth and eighth innings to set the eventual final score of 6-3. Thomas had one of the two first inning home runs as well. He finished the series 7-13 with eight runs batted in.