CHICAGO -- The Cincinnati Reds are in the midst of a brutal stretch, having dropped all six games on their current seven-game road trip through NL Central rivals Pittsburgh and Chicago. It's a skid that has fans back home hitting the panic button, but rookie standout Sal Stewart has a simple message: "Chill."

"So many people are in a panic right now," Stewart said from a quiet clubhouse at Wrigley Field after Wednesday's loss. "Just gotta chill. We're good. Things like this happen all the time, and especially to good teams. We're in a good spot and we're gonna keep going. Everyone in this clubhouse knows that we've got it taken care of, and we're going to come out here and keep playing hard."

The numbers tell a painful story. The trip started with two blowout losses, followed by four straight one-run defeats -- including three consecutive walk-offs against the Cubs at Wrigley. The Reds led late in all three of those games, twice taking leads into the ninth inning. Even when they scored four in the top of the ninth to grab a lead Wednesday, reliever Graham Ashcraft couldn't close the door in the bottom half.

Compounding the frustration: closer Emilio Pagán landed on the injured list before that game, and injuries continue to pile up for key players. The Reds, who opened the season by feasting on American League opponents and sitting atop the NL Central, have now lost eight straight games to the Pirates and Cubs. They've gone from first place -- one game up on Chicago when the trip began -- to five games back of the Cubs and their star-studded lineup.

Stewart, a 20-year-old infielder who has been a bright spot in the lineup, found himself at the center of one of the trip's most head-scratching moments. With runners on first and third and nobody out, Stewart hesitated off third base on a grounder, allowing Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman to glove the ball and tag him out. "If I go back, I felt I could've been safe," Stewart explained, acknowledging the rookie mistake but refusing to let it define the team's outlook.

For a team that has shown flashes of brilliance, this rough patch is a test of character. And Stewart's message is clear: keep the faith, keep playing hard, and trust the process. After all, even the best teams hit rough patches -- it's how they respond that defines their season.