The Cincinnati Reds have been riding high this season—fueled by the magic of Tito Speedo, the hot bat of JJ Bleday, MVP-caliber play from Elly De La Cruz, a resurgent Matt McLain, and a rotation that's been piling up zeroes. Realistic playoff hopes are within reach. But none of that will matter if the bullpen keeps pitching like it's blindfolded.
In Friday's series opener against the Cleveland Guardians, the Reds held a commanding five-run lead heading into the eighth inning. That's when Graham Ashcraft took the mound and promptly threw 13 consecutive balls before finding the strike zone. By the time the inning ended, Brock Burke had walked home two runs, cutting the lead to just one. An insurance run in the top of the ninth saved the day, but closer-for-the-day Tejay Antone still allowed another Guardians score in a nail-biting 7-6 win.
"Not how we drew it up," manager Terry Francona said, delivering the understatement of the week.
This wasn't an isolated incident. The Reds' bullpen has been walking a tightrope since April, and things took a nosedive in May—exacerbated by closer Emilio Pagán's hamstring injury on May 5 in Chicago. Through April 28, the bullpen boasted the best ERA in the majors at 2.23. But the walk problem has been lurking from the start.
Friday's eighth inning alone featured five walks, pushing the Reds' bullpen total to 114—tied with the Houston Astros for the most in the majors. That's 18 more walks than the Reds' starting rotation, despite the bullpen throwing 58 fewer innings. Burke's two run-scoring walks stretched Cincinnati's MLB-leading bases-loaded walks total to a staggering 17 in just 45 games. That already matches the entire 2025 season total for the Boston Red Sox, who led the majors in that category last year.
"We did so many good things, and then it just started going in the wrong direction and we couldn't stop it," Francona said.
The only silver lining? The bullpen's struggles are creating opportunities for improvement—and for fans to stock up on gear to support their team through the ups and downs. After all, every great playoff run needs a little drama along the way.