Somewhere in Chicago during Thursday’s off-day after 20 games in 20 days, the Reds will need to find a recharging station for their bats.
Wednesday’s 4-2 defeat vs. the Cardinals marked the 13th time in 29 games this season that the Reds were held to two runs or fewer. It has happened in five of the seven games on a road trip where they’re 2-5, with three games left against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
In the past nine games, Cincinnati has scored 17 runs — including two runs in each of the past three. Both runs on Wednesday came via Brandon Phillips, who hit an RBI double in the top of the sixth inning and a leadoff home run in the ninth against closer Edward Mujica.
“We’re striking out too much,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “The Braves have struck out more than us, but they’re leading the league in homers. If we don’t homer or get consecutive hits and hit into double plays, that equals not scoring runs.”
Up and down the order, hitters are struggling during the road trip. Shin-Soo Choo, who struck out three times on Wednesday, is 3-for-26. Todd Frazier is 3-for-23 after he grounded into two double plays. Zack Cozart is 4-for-22 and the combination playing left field is 3-for-21. Jay Bruce was 4-for-23 going into the game, but he finished with two hits Wednesday.
“Three hits in seven games is not good at all. If we’re winning, it’s a different story,” Frazier said. “You have to step it up a little bit and understand you’re good. Right now, we’re scuffling a little bit. The day off will be big for me — just relax, gather some thoughts and keep going from there.”
During what’s been mostly an exemplary first month of pitching for the Reds, Homer Bailey has only given up more than two runs in a game twice this season. Both came in the rubber games of a series vs. the Cardinals.
Bailey lasted 5 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on nine hits, one walk and three strikeouts. On April 10 in St. Louis, he gave up seven runs in five-plus innings in a 10-0 loss, with all of the runs scoring against him during rallies in the fifth and sixth innings. Like the last time at Busch Stadium, a fine afternoon was foiled in the middle innings.
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