The Cincinnati Reds currently hold a 29-28 record and have fallen into last place in the NL Central. Over the last 24 hours, the club lost a series to the Atlanta Braves. This happened after a 5-2 defeat at Great American Ball Park.
Purchase tickets via Ticketmaster
MLB Game Recap
The Braves defeated the Reds 5-2 on Saturday night, powered by four solo home runs. Cincinnati starter Brady Singer took the loss. He allowed three runs and four walks over five innings. The bullpen surrendered late insurance runs to Matt Olson and Ronald Acuña Jr. The turning point occurred in the fifth inning. Jorge Mateo hit a go-ahead home run into the upper deck. This home run broke a 2-2 tie.
Standout Performer
JJ Bleday: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI. Bleday gave the Reds their only lead of the night with a two-run home run in the second inning. He was the only Cincinnati batter to record multiple hits. He is currently hitting .295 with nine home runs since his recent call-up from Triple-A.
Key News & Notes
The Reds’ bullpen suffered two significant blows. The team placed Pierce Johnson on the 15-day IL (right elbow inflammation). They also placed Graham Ashcraft on the 60-day IL (UCL sprain). In corresponding moves, Lyon Richardson was selected from Triple-A Louisville, and Kyle Nicolas was designated for assignment. Ashcraft described the string of pitching injuries as a “punch in the gut.” He noted he is expected to miss multiple months. He will receive injections to avoid surgery.
Get Your Inside The Diamonds Merchandise Here
Farm Report
- AAA (Louisville Bats): Ivan Johnson went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a 7-2 loss to the St. Paul Saints. The Bats managed only four hits as starter Davis Daniel took his fourth loss of the season.
- AA (Chattanooga Lookouts): Carlos Jorge finished 3-for-4. He hit a home run and had a stolen base. However, they still faced a 7-5 loss to the Smokies. The Lookouts mounted a late four-run rally in the seventh but fell short despite outhitting their opponent.
- High-A (Dayton Dragons): Cody Adcock earned the win after tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts in a 3-2 victory over the Loons. Shortstop Peyton Stovall contributed a triple and a run scored to help the Dragons move to 28-22.
- Low-A (Daytona Tortugas): Brian Archie pitched 3.0 perfect innings with four strikeouts to earn the win in a 1-0 game-one victory over the Tarpons. The Tortugas also won the second game of the doubleheader 4-2, with catcher Hunter driving in a run.
- ACL Reds: Adams went 2-for-4 with a home run. He had two RBIs and a stolen base. The team achieved a 6-4 win over the ACL Brewers. Reliever Revis earned his first win with 3.1 innings of scoreless, one-hit ball.
Deep Dive: 3 Reds trade targets who could fix the bullpen before it ruins everything
The Cincinnati bullpen has rapidly declined. In just three weeks, it went from being a league-leading unit to one of the most unreliable groups in baseball. The primary issue is a major-league-worst 14.9% walk rate, which has forced President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall to look outside the organization for strike-throwers. Graham Ashcraft and Pierce Johnson are joining Emilio Pagán on the injured list as high-leverage arms. The Reds need reinforcements to remain competitive in the NL Central.
Potential trade targets include ground-ball specialists Bryan King and Anthony Bender. King, a left-hander for the Astros, relies on inducing weak contact. He keeps the ball on the ground. This profile is one that the Reds’ coaching staff has prioritized. Bender offers more velocity for the Marlins, striking out over 25% of batters while maintaining a 3.57 ERA. A more direct solution to the team’s control problems could be Washington’s Brad Lord. Lord features a five-pitch mix. He boasts an elite 4.8% walk rate this season. This would provide a significant upgrade over the current erratic nature of the Reds’ relief corps.
Looking Ahead
The Reds look to avoid a series sweep on Sunday at 1:40 PM ET as left-hander Nick Lodolo (1-1, 5.57 ERA) faces Atlanta’s Spencer Strider (3-0, 3.46 ERA).
Four home runs allowed and a drop into last place suggest this pitching staff is at a breaking point. What do you think?
