The Brewers kept rolling Tuesday night, beating the Reds 7-2 and handing Cincinnati its fifth straight loss to Milwaukee. The result dropped the Reds to 39-45 overall and left them at 4-19 against the NL Central.
Rhett Lowder took the loss after allowing 11 hits and six earned runs in 4.2 innings, though the box score doesn’t tell the full story. He did strike out eight Brewers, and a lot of Milwaukee’s damage came on balls that were hit softly - most of them under 80 mph. It was still a rough outing, but the line felt harsher than the way the night actually played out.
On the other side, Brandon Sproat once again had the Reds looking like a completely different team than everybody else. Despite carrying a season ERA above 5, he has now faced Cincinnati in back-to-back starts and allowed just two earned runs while piling up 17 strikeouts.
The Reds also saw Ivan Johnson make his major league debut, though it didn’t last long. His first and only at-bat ended in a strikeout.
There wasn’t much to celebrate in a game that continued to show how far this season has drifted from the hot start Cincinnati opened with. But Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz gave the home side something to hold onto. Stewart finished 2-for-4 with a first-inning home run, while De La Cruz also went 2-for-4 with a double and later scored.
That’s been the theme with these two. Even as the season keeps sliding, they keep showing up.
Stewart now has hits in three straight games and has 10 hits over his last six. He also has a real shot at Rookie of the Year.
De La Cruz, meanwhile, keeps producing like an All-Star night after night even while dealing with injuries.
Jose Trevino’s season remains another sore spot. He was viewed as a useful addition, a glove-first backup for Tyler Stephenson, and Nick Krall gave him a three-year extension before he had even played a game.
In hindsight, the move looks a lot shakier. Since July 1st, 2025, Trevino is slashing .182/.207/.210.
He’s hitting below .200 this season, went hitless Tuesday, and the Reds simply can’t afford that kind of empty production. The glove hasn’t made the contract extension look any better, either.
If there was a bright spot beyond the players on the field, it was the booth. Sadak kept the night moving and kept fans engaged alongside the Cowboy and Jim Day, even with the game slipping away. In a season that’s been hard to sit through, that matters more than ever.
The Reds and Brewers continue the series Wednesday night in Milwaukee at 8:10, with Andrew Abbott set to face Shane Drohan.
In Other News...
Reds Cannot Afford To Get This Chase Petty Decision Wrong
With Eugenio Suarez out and Elly De La Cruz dealing with ankle concern, the Reds are already navigating the kind of injury pileup that can quickly tighten a roster. In the middle of that, Chase Petty has given Cincinnati a useful look in relief, showing enough promise to matter in the present while also reminding the club why he remains more than just a short-term bullpen arm.
The larger question is whether the Reds should keep treating Petty like a help-now reliever or use this stretch to pull him back into a starters path before the deadline reshapes the rotation. Hunter Greenes return could change how Cincinnati handles the innings ahead, especially if the front office decides to move pieces such as Brady Singer or Nick Lodolo, and Pettys next decision may say as much about the clubs long-term planning as any trade it makes this month. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Are Back In The Same Center Field Dilemma Again
The Reds are right back in search mode in center field, and TJ Friedls return from Triple-A gives them the most familiar option to sort through the mess. Friedl was recalled after being optioned in early June, a reset that followed an 18-game stint in Louisville, while Blake Dunn landed on the injured list with an elbow strain and opened up another hole in the lineup mix.
For now, Friedl looks like the leading candidate to handle center, with Dane Myers, Noelvi Marte, JJ Bleday and Matt McLain all in the picture as the staff keeps shuffling pieces around. Dunns injury also nudged Elly De La Cruz into the leadoff spot, which only adds another layer to the clubs latest lineup puzzle as it tries to stabilize the middle of the diamond. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Fans Had Every Reason To Fear This Gavin Lux Trade
When the Reds sent Mike Sirota to the Dodgers for Gavin Lux, the move was sold as a chance to get an established big leaguer while dealing from a prospect stash. It also immediately carried the kind of downside Cincinnati fans know too well with player-for-player swaps, because the club was betting on Lux stabilizing the infield and adding some needed offense while giving up a young talent with plenty of upside.
Instead, the trade has quickly tilted the wrong way for Cincinnatis side of it. Lux did not give the Reds the lift they needed, and his time in the field and at the plate never really delivered the payoff the front office was chasing before he was later flipped again for Brock Burke. Meanwhile, the loss of Sirota keeps looking more painful, which is why this deal keeps coming up as a cautionary tale every time the Reds are reminded how thin the margin can be on deadline-style roster moves. [Read more 🡒]