Before the second half of the season began, Elly De La Cruz confidently predicted that the Cincinnati Reds would reach the playoffs and win it all.
However, those aspirations took a serious hit on Sunday as the rebuilding Washington Nationals swept the visiting Reds in a three-game series.
Coming out of the All-Star break, the Reds were three games below .500 but only three games out of the final NL wild-card spot. After the weekend in Washington, they now stand at 47-53, four games behind in the wild-card race and last in the NL Central.
“We have a lot to play for. There’s still plenty of time ahead of us, so that’s where our focus is now,” remarked Reds manager David Bell. “We need to find ways to get better, especially when things aren’t going our way.”
Cincinnati’s All-Star shortstop, De La Cruz, extended his hitting streak to nine games with a double in the sixth inning on Sunday. He leads the majors with 48 stolen bases but managed to score only one run in the three losses against the Nationals.
In Sunday’s game, De La Cruz was caught trying to advance to third on a hard grounder to the left side. Later, in the eighth inning with the game tied, he walked and stole second base but was left stranded when Jeimer Candelario popped up.
The Reds had previously surged into playoff contention thanks to aggressive baserunning — leading the majors in steals — and a strong starting rotation anchored by All-Star pitchers Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, and Nick Lodolo.
Then the Reds received a significant boost from rookie Rece Hinds. He was called up from Triple-A Louisville on July 8, hit a home run in his MLB debut, and followed up with five home runs in his first six games, earning him NL Player of the Week honors.
Hinds became the first player to receive this accolade in his debut week since Houston’s Tyler White and Colorado’s Trevor Story did so in the first week of the 2016 season.
During Hinds’ hot streak, the Reds won five out of six games. However, he has struggled since then, going 1 for 12 at the plate and receiving his first day off on Sunday.
Manager Bell noted that neither he nor Hinds were overly concerned about the rookie’s recent slump. He emphasized supporting Hinds and discussed aspects of his game other than hitting, such as baserunning.
“Since he arrived, Rece has performed exceptionally well. We want to see that continue,” Bell commented. “But there are many ways to contribute and compete in this game. While I haven’t specifically talked to Rece about his hitting, we have discussed other areas.”
The Reds have been looking for additional contributions, especially as they struggle to capitalize on their speed. They currently rank 27th in batting average and 22nd in on-base percentage among MLB teams.
Despite knocking Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore out of Saturday’s game early, the Reds left nine runners on base and ultimately lost 5-4 as Washington mounted a comeback.
In Sunday’s game, the Reds managed only two solo home runs against Nationals starter Jake Irvin and struggled to generate offense otherwise.
Next, Cincinnati aims to salvage its nine-game road trip starting with a series against NL wild card leader Atlanta on Monday. After facing the Braves, they will play a weekend series against Tampa Bay.
