The Cincinnati Reds started the 2026 season strong, but the ball club has now dropped three consecutive games. Cincinnati recently played a four-game series with the Miami Marlins. The Reds won the first two games in Miami, but the Marlins bounced back and took care of business in the final two contests. On Friday, the Reds dropped another game, losing 10-2 to the Los Angeles Angels.
Manager Terry Francona revealed the message he shared with the Reds amid their losing streak, via Charlie Goldsmith.
"I told them today that as long as they don’t feel sorry for themselves, and they don’t, we’ll figure this out together," Francona said.
The Reds feature a talented group of players. Cincinnati's lineup has struggled to find consistent success. If there is any manager in baseball who can help this team win games, though, it is Francona.
Francona made it clear that he believes in his players.
"They’re good workers. Great kids. Great teammates," the Reds manager continued. "You’ve got to plug away. We will. I fully believe guys get to their level as long as they’re healthy."
The Reds are now 8-6 overall. That is still a respectable mark despite their recent frustrations. Cincinnati just needs to find a way to get back on track and avoid letting the losing streak get out of hand.
Chase Burns had the start on Friday night. He struggled against the Halos, allowing five runs and seven hits across 5.1 innings on the mound. Command of the strike zone was a problem, as he only struck out two hitters and walked four.
Burns is an extremely talented young pitcher. He's going to be fine. Friday's outing was simply a difficult start.
The bullpen did not help matters. They surrendered five more runs in the loss.
Offensively, the Reds endured another challenging game. Elly De La Cruz, who has struggled this season, did hit a solo home run. Overall, however, it was a frustrating performance for the offense.
With only 41 total runs scored through their 14 games played, the Reds are last in all of MLB in the statistic. They are also 27th in batting average, 27th in OBP and 28th in OPS.
The Reds will attempt to get back into the win column in the second contest of their three-game series with the Angels on Saturday. Left-handed starter Brandon Williamson is set to get the ball for Cincinnati, while right-hander George Klassen will start for Los Angeles. First pitch for the Reds and Angels clash in Cincinnati is scheduled for 4:10 PM EST.