The Cincinnati Reds lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 1-0 on Thursday to start an important divisional series. After a dominant 14-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Monday, Terry Francona’s squad has lost three straight games. Not only has Elly De La Cruz gone cold, but the entire Reds offense has gone cold. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, they are the first team to lose 1-0 in three straight games in 65 years.
“The Cincinnati Reds lose 1-0 for the franchise-record 3rd consecutive time. The last time any team suffered the same fate was 65 years ago,” Nightengale reported.
In those three games, the Reds’ offense has mustered just nine hits and just two extra-base hits. Terry Francona came out of retirement to coach a team he thought was full of talent and promise. That may still be true, but they have not shown it over the past three days.
The National League is incredibly strong and the Reds need to get off to a hot start to make the playoffs. Their pitching has given them that opportunity early in the season, but the offense has been brutally cold. Francona and his staff must figure something out to get this team on the right track soon.
The Reds have elite offensive talent they must tap into
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In the non-Ohtani category of the NL MVP race, Elly De La Cruz is a true contender. He is an elite defender, hits for contact and power, and is one of the best base runners in the league. De La Cruz was a big piece of that dominant win over the Rangers with seven RBIs, but he has to find consistency this season.
Matt McLain is the second member of their infield two-headed monster that should scare teams. After missing last year with an injury, he is off to a little bit of a slow start. But Francona and the Reds have a lot of McLain stock heading into this season, and that must pay off.
The one piece that the Reds have seen great returns on this season is Hunter Greene. After showing he is a bona fide ace last year, he has allowed just three earned runs in 12.2 innings, including a solid Opening Day outing. A 25-year-old ace is a great piece to build around, especially on a team with Elly De La Cruz.
The Reds have the pieces, but do not have the spending ability to surround them with veteran talent. Is Francona enough to get them over the hump?
