Thursday afternoon at Great American Ball Park ended with what should’ve been jubilation — a Jake Fraley grand slam giving the Reds a 7-5 lead in the eighth. But by night’s end, that celebration turned into frustration and soul-searching after an 11-7 extra-inning loss to the Mariners.

“We made a lot of mistakes,” manager Terry Francona admitted postgame. “I thought we played with a lot of heart, which is good, but we made too many mistakes to win a game like that today.”

Those mistakes weren’t hard to find. The Reds committed a season-high four errors, dropped two foul balls, and watched an early lead slip away — again — in the late innings. Closer Emilio Pagán, who’s been one of the club’s most dependable bullpen arms this year, gave up back-to-back home runs to Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena to erase a 7-5 lead and send the game to extras.

“We didn’t play a clean game by any means, but the guys did a good enough job to give me a chance to win the game for us, and I didn’t come through,” Pagán said. “That part is going to weigh heavy on me for a little bit.”

The Reds fall to the Mariners again

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) stands at the plate after striking out in the seventh inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Seattle Mariners at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati
© Sam Greene/The Enquirer

Pagán wasn’t the only one owning the moment, but he was the first to face the media. Sitting with ice wrapped around his arm, he broke down his outing — five batters faced, 13 pitches, two strikeouts, and two costly swings.

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“I didn’t pitch terrible,” he said. “That’s not what anybody wants to hear right now. We lost the game. I blew the game. That part stinks, but you have to stay big picture on these things.”

The big picture is that the Reds went 4-2 on the homestand and were over .500 just two days ago. But try telling that to a frustrated fan base after a meltdown like this.

“Yes, that is true, but nobody wants to hear that right now,” Pagán said. “We just blew a game that we should have won.”

Starter Brady Singer labored through 4 1/3 innings, hindered by miscommunication and sloppy defense. Elly De La Cruz committed two errors, and both Santiago Espinal and Austin Wynns failed to catch catchable popups that extended innings. Francona noted that while Singer’s stuff was solid, the lack of execution behind him inflated his pitch count.

In extras, the floodgates opened. Graham Ashcraft entered in the 10th and immediately botched a sacrifice bunt attempt, setting the table for four unearned runs by Seattle that put the game away.

Despite the collapse, Pagán’s decision to face reporters was a mark of leadership. “It’s not like you’re excited to ask me a question after I just blow it,” he said. “You’re just doing your job, so out of respect for you guys and your position, it’s part of the gig.” The Reds head into a tough road stretch starting Friday in Baltimore. They’re now 9-10, a game below .500, and still searching for consistency — both at the plate and on the field.