The Cincinnati Reds’ trip through Dodger Stadium ended the way too many of these nights have lately: ugly, lopsided and over before it ever had a chance to settle in. Los Angeles finished off the sweep with a 14-1 win Wednesday night, extending the Reds’ losing streak in Dodger Stadium to 11 straight games.
Rhett Lowder was the latest starter asked to keep the damage manageable, and that plan unraveled quickly. He was hit hard from the start, allowing seven earned runs while striking out four and walking two across 3.1 innings.
That’s the formula the Reds needed to flip against a team like the Dodgers - length from the rotation, fewer emergency innings, less stress on the rest of the roster. Instead, the pitching staff has been too uneven to hold up against an opponent this good.
The offense didn’t do much to change the mood, either. Los Angeles putting up double digits takes some heat off the lineup, but Cincinnati never came close to making the finale feel competitive.
There was one bright spot, and it came from the one hitter who keeps forcing his way into the conversation. Elly De La Cruz launched his 26th home run of the season and did it for the fifth game in a row with a homer. For a club starved for positive moments, those swings are impossible to ignore.
The Reds now get Thursday off before heading to American Family Field to face the Milwaukee Brewers.
Milwaukee, after losing a series to Cincinnati last weekend at Great American Ball Park, turned around and swept the Chicago Cubs this week. The Brewers are pushing toward another October run, while the Reds are trying to make it to the end of September.
A year ago, Cincinnati stumbled into a playoff spot and gave its fans something to chase. Right now, that kind of hope feels a lot farther away.
In Other News...
Reds Front Office Debate Just Got Real For Nick Krall
A disappointing 2026 season has pushed the Reds into a familiar but uncomfortable place, with the front office now drawing as much scrutiny as the roster. Nick Krall, the clubs president of baseball operations, is believed to be on the hot seat as Cincinnati sits with a losing record and near the bottom of the division, a spot that tends to sharpen every decision about where the organization is headed next.
The discussion has already moved beyond simple frustration and into succession planning, with assistant general managers Matt Forman of the Guardians and Matt Kleine of the Brewers among the names being mentioned. For a team that has been trying to turn a promising core into a more consistent winner, the question is no longer just what went wrong this season, but whether the next reset will begin in the front office. [Read more 🡒]
Elly De La Cruz Just Turned One Wild Night Into A Bigger Reds Conversation
Elly De La Cruz spent one electrifying night doing what has made him such a fascinating part of the Reds future: turning impossible-looking plays into routine conversation starters. Against the Dodgers, he fired a 105.3 mph throw from the outfield to home plate to cut down Teoscar Hernndez and erase what could have become an inside-the-park home run, then backed it up by driving in runs of his own with a two-run homer and a double.
What stood out wasnt just the highlight, but the way De La Cruz kept leaving his imprint on the game from different angles. Statcast said the throw was the hardest by any fielder this season, and the Reds keep seeing why his blend of speed, arm strength and raw power can change the feel of a night in a hurry, even against one of baseballs toughest lineups. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Sale Buzz Runs Into One Huge Ownership Reality
The chatter around a possible Reds sale picked up after Bob Nightengale reported that some rival owners believe Cincinnati could be the next Major League Baseball team to change hands following the Angels sale. It is the kind of buzz that tends to follow a club with a frustrated fan base, and in this case it comes with an added wrinkle inside the ownership structure, since Bob Castellini is no longer the controlling owner and Phil Castellini assumed that role in early 2024.
For now, though, the speculation still appears to be just that. There is no current indication the Reds ownership group is preparing to sell the franchise, even as some fans continue to call for a new direction. The broader picture could get more complicated later, especially if future labor negotiations push owners to reassess their positions, but at the moment there is no sign Cincinnati is actually heading toward a sale. [Read more 🡒]