Reds try to snap recent skid while Nationals eye sweep
Two and a half weeks ago, the Cincinnati Reds felt pretty good. They were third in the National League Central, had just swept the New York Yankees, and their next four opponents were all teams with losing records. Fast forward and they’ve gone 5-7 against those clubs and are looking to avoid being swept by the host Washington Nationals in the finale of a three-game set on Sunday.
Cincinnati, which led 4-2 after the third inning, blew a one-run advantage in the seventh in a 5-4 loss on Saturday. The Reds have lost three straight overall, failing to gain ground in the race for an NL wild-card spot. They’re four games behind the New York Mets, who hold the final berth, while only half a game up on the Chicago Cubs, last in the Central, and one ahead of the suddenly surging Nationals. There are also four teams between them and the Mets in the wild-card standings.
“It definitely hurt,” catcher Tyler Stephenson said of the loss. “You want to say that there’s plenty of games left, but each game’s important at this point. We know where we’re at.” The loss was the latest in Cincinnati’s struggles in one-run games, dropping to 8-19 in those contests this season. It’s a stark contrast from a year ago when it led the majors with 34 such wins. “We’ve been kind of searching for that and have had some ups and downs,” Stephenson said. “But we know when we’re going at our best we’re a really, really talented team. We’re hoping we can do that sooner rather than later, because we’re going to need to.”
