Playoff hopes faded for the Cincinnati Reds during their 3-22 start to the season, but this stretch of games ahead of the All-Star break should serve as a measuring stick.
Entering the weekend series against Milwaukee, the Reds were set to play 24 of 29 games against clubs with winning records. It’s a test for their younger players to prove themselves against potential playoff teams and a chance to show their winning record in May wasn’t solely a mirage.
One series down and things didn’t look good.
The Reds were swept by the Brewers in their three-game series with a 6-3 loss in Sunday’s series finale at Great American Ball Park in front of a crowd of 25,001. It’s the second time Milwaukee has swept the Reds in their three series against each other this season, highlighting the gap between first-place and last-place teams.
"It was a tough series," Reds Manager David Bell said. "We want to keep any momentum we had going. It is tough."
By months, the Reds had a 3-18 record in April, went 14-13 in May and enter Monday’s off day with a 6-12 record in June.
The starting rotation has stabilized, and rookie Nick Lodolo could return this month from his rehab assignment, but the bullpen ranks among the worst in the Majors. And that was before Alexis Díaz went on the 15-day injured list Sunday with biceps tendinitis in his right arm.
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The Brewers took a one-run lead in the sixth inning against lefty starter Mike Minor. After two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out, Bell stuck with Minor as Joel Kuhnel warmed in the bullpen.
Minor induced a pair of flyouts on consecutive pitches to avoid major damage, but the go-ahead run scored on a sacrifice fly from Mark Mathias.
"I faced (Mathias) a little bit in Triple-A, the rehab outings, and he never swung at a curveball," Minor said. "I was like, ‘all right, I can maybe get ahead with a curveball.’ He swung and he didn’t hit it well, but well enough to get a sac fly and that’s not what I wanted."
In the seventh inning, Hunter Renfroe drilled a 444-foot homer midway up the second deck in left field against Kuhnel to give Milwaukee a three-run lead.
The Reds had an opportunity to climb back in the bottom half of the seventh inning, loading the bases with a hit by pitch, single to center and infield single, but lefty reliever Hoby Milner struck out Joey Votto on four pitches to escape the jam. The Brewers were without dominant closer Josh Hader all weekend after the birth of his son, and their bullpen survived.
"It's their spot to make it a real game," Brewers Manager Craig Counsell said. "(Milner) threw a bunch of great pitches to Joey."
It’s been a rough month for the Reds, who ended a 10-game streak with an error Sunday. The Brewers, who had been struggling this month, used their defense to save runs. Left fielder Andrew McCutchen made a sliding catch in left field to end the first inning with two runners on base. Tyrone Taylor, a center fielder, made another sliding catch to begin the eighth inning.
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Minor, who made his fourth start of the season, was hurt by a three-run fourth inning. Luis Urías hit an RBI double on a line drive that landed a few feet fair down the left-field line, then Victor Caratini followed with a no-doubter, two-run homer into left field.
The 34-year-old lefty hasn't established his fastball as much as he wanted, and it's allowed hitters to put better swings on his offspeed offerings. Minor gave up two of his three hits in the fourth inning on changeups.
"I missed a lot of pitches," said Minor, who allowed four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four. "I was getting really frustrated. ... The last couple of outings, the changeup has been my worst pitch, which usually it’s my best pitch, so it’s really frustrating."
The Reds erased a three-run deficit in the fourth inning in their second at-bats against Brewers righty Adrian Houser. After Tommy Pham drew a leadoff walk and Votto followed with a single to set the table, Kyle Farmer drove in a run on a fielder’s choice ground ball.
With two outs and two runners on base, Albert Almora Jr. thumped a line drive into left field that shot past a diving attempt from McCutchen. Almora nodded his head and clapped his hands to celebrate.
Houser stunted any momentum by retiring his final seven batters and handing the baton to the bullpen. Devin Williams recorded the save in the ninth inning as the Reds dropped their fourth straight game before welcoming the Los Angeles Dodgers in to town.
"We’ve been here before," Bell said. "You have to keep finding ways to improve, get better, every little edge you can get. We’ll continue to do that and we will get better."
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