After the Reds’ series finale against the Nationals at Great American Ball Park on Sunday, the word “faith” was spoken several times in the Cincinnati clubhouse. And after the outcome on the field, the Reds’ faith continues to be tested.
Right-hander Mat Latos gave up three runs on three hits over six innings, but Cincinnati’s offense remained punchless until a late rally in the ninth that fell short en route to a 4-2 loss to Washington. It was the Reds’ eighth defeat in nine games to start the second half of the season.
“You’ve just got to have faith, I guess,” said catcher Devin Mesoraco, whose two-run double in the ninth accounted for the Reds’ only offense. “Have faith that it is going to turn around, have faith that at some point, you are going to do what you are capable of doing, that you’ll do your job.”
With their injury-depleted lineup — missing two of their best hitters in Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips — the Reds enjoyed a pre-All-Star break stretch in which they won 16 of 23 to cut their deficit in the National League Central from 8 1/2 games to 1 1/2.
Since then, the offense has virtually disappeared and the gap in the division has widened to six games. In the nine second-half games they’ve played, the Reds are averaging 1.8 runs per game, fewer than six hits per game and are batting .178 as a team.
With the lack of offense, Cincinnati has had to rely even more on its pitching staff, particularly looking for its starters to be as good or better than they were in the season’s first half. But after Johnny Cueto’s seven scoreless innings in Saturday’s win, Reds starters had only turned in two quality starts in their last eight outings.
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