In the last home game under the lights in 2026, Cincinnati hitters’ bats went quiet late in the game and the Reds fell 5-2 to the Chicago Cubs Saturday night at Great American Ball Park.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs (86-69) | 5 | 8 | 1 |
| Cincinnati Reds (72-83) | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| W: Matthew Boyd (9-5) L: Nick Lodolo (3-6) SV: Ryan Rolison (3) | |||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
Nick Lodolo set down the Cubs in easy fashion in the first inning, but got into trouble in the second inning. Nico Hoerner doubled and Lodolo then hit Michael Busch. Carson Kelly moved Hoerner to third with a fielder’s choice out, and Matt Shaw brought him in as the Cubs scratched the scoreboard first. Lodolo was able to get out of the inning with only allowing that one run. The Cubs would add on to their lead in the top of the 5th when Seiya Suzuki singled in Swanson with two outs.
The Reds finally got a hit against Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd in the bottom of the fifth inning. Eugenio Suárez had walked to lead off the inning. One out later, JJ Bleday singled deep into the right-center gap. With Suárez running hard to third base, the Cubs had some pressure put on them and it resulted in a throwing error from Dansby Swanson. The ball got past third base and rattled around in foul ground, allowing Suárez enough time to score the Reds’ first run of the game.
Ke’Bryan Hayes singled home Bleday to tie the game at two. It looked like the Reds would keep the inning alive with a 98.9 mph ground ball off the bat of Dane Myers, but Hoerner came out of nowhere to make a diving catch and end the inning.
The tie game didn’t last long as Lodolo gave up a one-out, solo home run to Michael Busch in the top of the sixth. Busch got a curveball that ran right back over the middle of the plate and crushed it 104.8 mph halfway up the right field seats. The Cubs added on to their lead in both the eighth and ninth. In the eighth, Pierce Johnson walked pinch hitter Ian Happ and threw a wild pitch that advanced Happ to second base. Johnson then gave up a single to Hoerner that scored Happ. In the ninth, newly recalled Zach McCambley allowed a solo home run to Dansby Swanson to make it a 5-2 deficit.
The Reds did threaten in the eighth after Dane Myers and Elly De La Cruz reached base with two outs via a single and a walk off Aaron Civale. The Cubs, however, brought in Ryan Zeferjahn to face Sal Stewart, who struck out to end the inning and leave runners on second and third.
Key Moment of the Game
Michael Busch made up for his baserunning mistake in Friday’s game with a 417-foot solo home run in the sixth inning off Nick Lodolo. It gave the Cubs a one-run advantage, a lead they would not relinquish again.
Notes Worth Noting
-According to the Reds.TV broadcast, Matt McLain has played 129 consecutive games without an error. This streak is currently third on the list for all second basemen since 1900.
-While Nick Lodolo pitched to a quality start tonight, allowing just three runs on six hits through seven innings, he did not get the Cubs hitters out in order until the seventh inning. It’s actually quite impressive that he only threw 90 pitches with runners on base in nearly every inning.
-It was also Lodolo’s second straight start pitching seven innings. His previous season-high was 6.2 innings on May 31 against the Atlanta Braves.
Up Next for the Reds
Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds
Sunday, September 20, 1:40 PM EDT
David Peterson (8-8, 5.11 ERA) vs. Rhett Lowder (6-11, 5.79 ERA)
Reds hitters 2-3-4-5 were 0-for-tonight. You won’t win many games like that.
“According to the Reds.TV broadcast, Matt McLain has played 129 consecutive games without an error. This streak is currently third on the list for all second basemen since 1900.”
That’s SOME streak.
The Reds certainly have defense at 2nd & 3rd base, but offensive consistency is not there.
You can say that again. haha
Many of us fans have been commenting about the Red’s inconsistent offense since Dusty Baker was manager some 12 years ago. We need somebody in authority to do something about it.
Is he in the gold glove hunt?
Meatloaf game tomorrow.
+25,000
2 out of 3 aint bad MichaelB.
Reds attendance about 1.963 million after tonight. Need a good crowd tomorrow to keep their 2 million streak going.
Reds have had 5 players that collectively have had about 1200 at bats with all 5 hitting under .189. Hayes, Benson, Marte, McLain, and Friedl. How did MLB and a specific franchise have a year with that poor of hitting from so many of its players? Seems like a systemic problem.
I thought it was a little cold the way they let Friedl go. He shouldn’t have really been on the team for so long, but letting him stay on the team, might as well let him at least finish the homestand if it indeed is his last game in a Reds uniform.
Hoping for one final push from Stewart for the RBI crown.
The 1973 Reds had six players (but only one starter) with BA under .200 the season.
Yes. And the Mets’ pitchers took care of the rest of the Reds’ hitters in the playoffs.
Painful memory.
Mets P in 1973 were excellent in a best of 5 series.
I think that Cesar Geronimo played a lot of that season with a damaged Right Shoulder, and had a hard time hitting (right shoulder- arm is the “power” side fora left handed hitter).
Davey Concepcion was hurt in mid-season with a broken ankle, so Darrel Chaney played every day, and his hitting was lousy that year. Concepcion might have been going to the All-Star game that year before he broke his ankle sliding into 3rd base.
The Reds beat Tom Seaver 2-1 in the first game, although he pitched well. He gave up solo homers to Johnny Bench and Pete Rose. Jon Matlack shut them out in the second game and Jerry Koosman was tough on them too.
The Reds kind of screwed up in the call ups the first of September. Ken Griffey was on the roster for the playoffs, but George Foster was called up a couple of days later, and was not. They both hit well in September, but Griffey did not hit well against left handed pitching. They could have used George’s right handed bat against Koosman and Matlack.
This is 2026 baseball season.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1973_NLCS.shtml
Mets P dominated Reds hitters.
Reds P were not bad but not great.
I think this is just the state of baseball Jermiah. Since the mid 1990s batting averages have taken a nosedive with no end in sight.
Many reasons imo
1. Best athletes in baseball are the pitchers
2. AI generated pitch sequences
3. AI generated defensive alignments
4. Pitch clock
5. ABS system
6. Slow grass surfaces
I would like to see more rule changes to promote hitting instead of salary caps etc.
ABS challenges have helped out the hitters, and game outcomes.
It would be easy to increase offensive output by not calling check swings strikes, like they did back in the day. Don’t have to change any dimensions.
That’s not strictly true.
The real “nosedive” is much more recent than that and has really only been in the past 15 years. The 00s still saw teams producing plenty of offense, it was only in the 10s and 20s that things very clearly swung back in the pitchers’ favor.
However, if you look at the top 20 years for lowest batting average, you’ll see that the 2020s are actually a distinct group:
Years with lowest batting averages:
1960s: 1963, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1972 (cheating a little, but I think ’72 can be called of that era)
1880s: 1888, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1892 (again, cheating a little, but seems fair)
2020s: 2022, 2024, 2026, 2020, 2025
1900s: 1907, 1908, 1909
If you extend the list, you will find all the lowest BAs continue to come from these eras (bleeding into the 1910’s and 2010’s).
In fact, you’d have to go all the way to 37th place on the list to find a year completely distinct from these eras (1947).
So yes, the point is, we are right now in a major “dead ball” era that historically matches up with other famous “dead ball” eras. In 1969, they addressed this by lowering the mound.
I do think MLB needs to look at ways to generate more offense in games, because a lot of people already think baseball is boring, and low-scoring games aren’t going to attract new fans. Us older baseball fans may appreciate the tension of a pitching duel, but it sometimes can be hard to watch.
As a wise man once said: “Chicks dig the long ball.” (Although that commercial now is pretty cringe now that we know what was really going on in retrospect.)
Pitchers throwing 100 MPH is a big part of it. A pitcher like Bob Feller wouldn’t even stand out that much today.
I really miss baseball in the 1970s and 1980s. A guy like Aristide Aquino would have had a decent MLB career had he played 50 years earlier.
I would like to see baseball limit the number of pitches thrown over 98 MPH. It would create more offense and probably reduce injuries. I know it seems like a ridiculous proposal, but it’s not as silly as ghost runners.
I just think the more offense you have in the league…. the more parity. Look at the offensive numbers from the 70s -90s. Some years over 50 players hitting over .300. Those correlate to years where reds, pirates, A’s Royals,Twins Tigers actually won world series
Parity in the 70s?
The Orioles won their division 5 times, the A’s won their division 5 times, the Royals won their division 3 times, and the Yankees won their division 3 times.
In the NL the Pirates won the division 6 times and the Phillies won it 3 of the other 4 times. The Reds won their division 6 times and the Dodgers 3 of the other 4 times.
How is that parity?
I guess it just depends on your definition of parity. Here’s mine: all 30 teams have roughly the same ability to assemble a championship team. That’s not happening today, but a cursory look at Rednat’s post leads me to believe it did happen in the ’70s. That said, the cause wasn’t the offense; it was each team’s more similar opportunity to acquire and retain top players.
@BK good points. The other factor is free agency. I believe free agency started in 1974 (I mean be wrong about the year) but it took a little time before it really took off. The Reds have never fully embraced free agency. Had free agency started a decade earlier, it’s unlikely that the Reds would have won back to back championships in the mid seventies.
The last “parity” in baseball was the 1980s when many teams won their first or only divisional title and/or pennant. Even the Reds were relevant (though unfortunate) in 1981. No real idea on why that was, other than maybe the leagues had “cooled off” after the 1969 expansion and were finally pretty balanced across the spectrum.
If YJ on this squad next ur I’ll absolutely be done with this franchise. I luv BB and the reds but that will do it for me . Not that anyone give a crap about what I do and yes good riddance to me. Bad enough they didn’t make a single move in the DL . I
Now they have to make A QO to Stephenson be use the catching situation is a wreck and pay him 24 million. Which I a way is s slap in the face to Ty. He can’t pass that up , so instead of giving him a fair offer the low ball him abd insult him , then don’t trade him now will have to give him that QF . Ugh
I agree on Friedl but what I have read starting with Tito they think the new guy picked up on waivers is something special and already have plans for him next year.IMO Friedl should have stayed,started today and be given recognition by the fans.They know without being told Friedl will not be back.Ten years in the organization deserves better especially after he stayed up so long when really maybe he shouldn’t have.We agree Jeremiah for all of the same reasons.Cold yes from a team that falls in love with players very very easily.Ten years with the organization.
Meh. Friedl earned roughly $7.5 million from the Reds and the pre-arbitration performance bonus pool for his 10 years. I’m not going to feel too bad for a guy who earned an average of $750,000 his first 10 years out of college.
It’s an inherently cold business. When you can’t produce, teams find someone who can. It wasn’t any colder than the Yankees’ release of Oswaldo Cabrera. Or the release we expect of Ke’Bryan Hayes, or of the non-tenders of about 20% of relievers each year. Every person who ever played finally has to quit because he’s not good enough. For most of us, it’s high school or earlier, but it even happened to Willie Mays and Johnny Bench.
Friedl will get a spring-training invite somewhere next season, if he wants to continue. He may want to get on with his life. Good luck to him either way.
129 games without an error is impressive. OTH, batting above .200 would be nice
At this point, I think the Reds keep McLain, but I have no idea what his role will be in 2027. I did not get a call from Nick Krall today about that. 🙂
According to FG he’s got options. So maybe McLain starts at AAA next year until he can cut down the K’s and can get that average up to a respectable level. At a certain point between McLain, Brito, Arroyo, and Balcazar the Reds got to figure which ones to keep. Matt’s had the most chances and hasn’t done much with improving his bat over the past two seasons.
The Reds need to win just ONE of their final seven games to avoid 90 losses.
I think the prospect of that happening is still looking pretty good!
Rooting for 90 ..maybe Tito will ride off to Arizona, because it isn’t getting better next season. Just can’t see Tito coming of a 90 loss season wanting to come back and mange a roster full of misfits with no help in the pipeline for his legacy sake .
The 90-loss season odds shouldn’t be overlooked but aside the historical stats I wonder if there is a really difference of losing 89 or 90 this season from a results standpoint of view
No different than $99.99 sounds cheaper than $100.
That a serious issue with the current state of the Reds organization based on the recent updates on the composite Farm System Rankings by MLB Pipeline,Baseball America,Fangraphs,Bleacher Report,Keith Law,and Baseball Prospectus has the Reds ranked anywhere from 20th to 26th out of the 30 MLB Teams,5th in the NL Central Division behind the Brewers#1, Cardinals #4,Pirates#12,and Cubs#18 meaning there are some dark clouds on the horizon for the immediate future unless there are some major changes at all levels of the organization because what they have tried over the last few rebuilding cycles are failing miserably based on the overall results.I don’t understand what some of the local and national members of the baseball media that covers the sport seem to be overly supportive of Nick Krall and Brad Meador and overly critical of the Castellini’s even though the overwhelming evidence suggests that both the ownership and front office are mainly responsible for the losing culture that has been prevalent over the Reds franchise for the past 20 plus years.
I seriously doubt you will see a rebuild in the next few years. At least two primary reasons. 1) the rebuild of 2022-2023 has been a total failure to this point. 2025-2028 was designed to be our peak championship years. We are still there but the view is bleak. 2) You don’t even consider a rebuild with Elly on the team and Greene and Burns under contract. Trading any of those guys makes your window 2029-2030.
Despite how the front office has botched this, Elly remains the premiere meal ticket for ownership. We could be in last place at 75 wins with one of the worst offenses in mlb, and with Elly on the field, 2M are still going to show up. The business of building a championship contender around Elly appears to be marketing fabrications. Look at 2027. No premiere adds at the deadline and pickups since of DFA guys like Aries, Brito, and Cabrera. Utility guys no better than Espy’s 240 BA. Those guys don’t move the 2027 dial of 4th or 5th place. Neither do Arroyo, Marte, McLain, Hayes, Banfield, etc.
What the team and fan base need to seriously challenge the Brewers is the resigning of Elly and a one time mega expenditure for 3-4 significant free agents. Or keep buying the build around Elly lingo and believe Hayes and Brito and Cabrera and Trevino are going to have 800 OPS seasons instead of 625 OPS. Holding on to Elly and not resigning him is the worst of all decisions from a fan base standpoint. In combination with not mega spending now, that probably forestalls the contending period out to 2030. The return you get in the Elly trade will be top prospects ….not necessarily mlb ready prospects. There is a difference. Maybe if we start 2027, 10-30, management may be forced to trade Elly. An absolutely terrible thing to root for but management isn’t showing any urgency around building a contender around and with Elly either. A laughingstock if we aren’t already halfway there.
Results should matter is all I can say and in most all places it does.
Joey Votto on the “three outcomes” and embracing baseball’s oldest stat:
https://blogredmachine.com/joey-votto-defense-baseball-oldest-stat-something-reds-must-take-to-heart?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Send_List:%20FS%20Daily%20-%20Weekend%20%7C%20Fansided%20Daily%20-%20Weekend%202026-09-20&ue=c3a8b03aa4675c74ec4c35e25be58c93e3c61b5ef7e6fc8f70a8923b59647687&sendid=47568305
In rebuttal, Gavin Lux had the highest BA (.269) among Reds regulars in 2025.
Interesting take by Joey, as always. He does actually understand the game very well, compared to, I think, a lot of so-called “writers” and “experts”.
On base percentage, walks, hits, and reaching otherwise, is probably one of the most under-rated yet important ways to evaluate a baseball player’s offensive ability.
The Brewers are near the bottom in homers in the league, but near the top in runs scored….because they reach base more often, hit situationally, steal bases, actually bunt in some situations. It’s one thing to run up a lot of offensive statistics against mediocre or sub-mediocre pitching. It’s something else to be able to score consistently against the better (or best) pitchers in the league.
In the end, scoring runs is really the single most important “metric”, and also how consistently you score runs. I’m sure that the Brewers had a lot of fun scoring 20 runs against the Reds last week, but I think that was more on the Reds’ bad pitching than on anything else.
The Reds have a couple of players who, I think, “sell out” to hit the ball out…JJ Bleday and Geno Suarez. I suspect that may also be Matt McLain’s problem, but I don’t know. Geno used to be a better all-around hitter, but has gotten a mindset of the “three outcomes” and swings for the fences all the time, as the years have gone by.
Friedl DFA
Burns to IL
KBH and McLain playing great defense…
I was told that defense – more than hitting – would translate into wins and playoff appearances.
Nick Krall can go jump in a lake. Cannot stand his ridiculous philosophy.
I think defense is very important to winning. The guys gotta hit though. We all know if Hayes or Mclain was batting 300 and had over 20 errors that cost the reds wins. People would still complain.
Hitting and defense need to compliment each other. If other players were actually hitting not named Elly or Sal and Reds were winning. Not a word would be said.
PITCHING wins more than offense or defense. The Reds P had 25+ WAR in 2025. The Reds P have 9+ WAR in 2026.