The Cincinnati Reds shook up their lineup, made a statement in the first inning, and still found a way to lose. It’s a story that’s becoming all too familiar for a team now dropping 10 of its last 12 games.
After a brutal series-opening loss to the Washington Nationals, manager Terry Francona huddled late into the night with his bench coaches and general manager Brad Meador. The topic? A struggling lineup that needed a spark. The next day, that spark came in the form of a reshuffled batting order: Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart each moved up a spot for the first time this season, while slumping leadoff man TJ Friedl and struggling Matt McLain dropped to the bottom.
And for a moment, it worked. The Reds batted around in the first inning, jumping out to a commanding five-run lead. But baseball is a game of momentum, and the Reds couldn’t hold it. The pitching staff—plagued by walks and a staggering 55 home runs allowed this season—couldn’t keep the Nationals at bay.
The dagger came in the 10th inning. Daylen Lile crushed his third home run in two nights, a no-doubter off Tony Santillan that sailed more than halfway up the right-field bleachers, giving Washington an 8-7 lead and the series win. Spencer Steer nearly answered in the bottom of the frame, launching a line drive to the top of the left-field wall. But a fan reaching over the railing interfered, turning a potential game-tying homer into a run-scoring double. The call was confirmed after a crew review, and the Reds were left to wonder what might have been.
On the mound, Nick Lodolo made his second start of the season after spending the first six weeks recovering from a blister issue. He needed 87 pitches to get through just four innings, and while he flashed brilliance with a three-strikeout first, command issues haunted him. In 9⅓ innings since returning from the IL, Lodolo has allowed nine runs on 11 hits and four walks, hitting two batters along the way. He’s far from the staff’s biggest problem, but he hasn’t provided the stability the Reds desperately need.
To address their injury-depleted rotation, the Reds signed Chris Paddack off the Miami Marlins’ scrap heap earlier in the day. It’s a move born of necessity, but it underscores the challenges facing a team that can’t seem to catch a break—or hold a lead.