The Cincinnati Reds thought they had turned a corner when they batted around in the first inning, jumping out to a commanding five-run lead against the Washington Nationals. But as any baseball fan knows, early leads don't always hold—especially when the pitching staff is struggling to find its footing.
Manager Terry Francona had shaken things up before the game, huddling with his bench coaches and general manager Brad Meador after a tough series opener. The result? A revamped lineup that moved Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart up a spot each for the first time this season, while sending slumping leadoff man TJ Friedl and Matt McLain to the bottom of the order. For a moment, the changes worked like a charm.
But the Reds' pitching woes proved too much to overcome. The staff has now allowed 55 home runs this season, and Wednesday night's game was no exception. Daylen Lile delivered his third homer in two nights—a towering shot more than halfway up the right-field bleachers in the 10th inning—giving the Nationals an 8-7 series-clinching victory.
Spencer Steer nearly answered back in the bottom of the 10th, sending a line drive to the top of the left-field wall. But a fan's interference call—upheld after umpire review—turned what could have been a game-tying homer into a run-scoring double. Close, but not enough.
The loss drops the Reds to their 10th defeat in 12 games this month, a frustrating stretch for a team that showed so much promise early in the season. On a day when Cincinnati signed veteran starter Chris Paddack off waivers from the Miami Marlins to shore up an injury-depleted rotation, the bullpen's struggles were front and center.
Nick Lodolo made just his second start of the season after spending six weeks on the injured list with a blister issue. He needed 87 pitches to get through four innings, and while he flashed brilliance with a three-strikeout first inning, command issues plagued him. In 9 1/3 innings since returning, Lodolo has surrendered nine runs on 11 hits and four walks, also hitting two batters.
The Reds aren't pointing fingers at Lodolo—not yet. But with the pitching staff walking batters at an alarming rate and the long ball becoming a recurring problem, Francona and his coaching staff may need more than a lineup shuffle to turn things around. For now, Cincinnati is left wondering what could have been after letting a five-run lead slip away.