The Cincinnati Reds are fighting for their postseason lives, but Tuesday night’s 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals exposed ongoing issues with the Cincinnati offense. After exploding for 11 runs the night before, the bats went silent against rookie starter Michael McGreevy, who delivered seven shutout innings to hand the Reds their 13th shutout loss of the 2025 season.
Following the loss, Reds manager Terry Francona didn’t deflect blame but instead credited the Cardinals' young right-hander. FOX 19’s Charlie Goldsmith posted the manager’s reaction on his X (formerly known as Twitter), highlighting Francona's respect for McGreevy’s poise on the mound.
“(McGreevy), early on he was pitching to contact which you kind of expect with the way he pitches. We had the second inning, first and second and he got the double play ball on the nice play at third,” Francona said, adding, “After that, he got a little comfortable. He started elevating the fastball and missing some bats and getting it past our barrel. We really didn't mount much of an attack.”
The Reds playoff chances took a hit with the loss, dropping them to 75-76 and one game below .500. They now sit three games behind the New York Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot. With just 11 games left in the regular season, the margin for error is gone.
McGreevy’s outing, which included six strikeouts and only three hits allowed, highlighted vulnerabilities in a Cincinnati offense that has managed just one run in its last 18 innings. The performance left Francona searching for answers and looking ahead to Wednesday's rubber match against Andre Pallante.
The Francona-led Reds have been streaky down the stretch, and with their bullpen holding the Cardinals scoreless over the final 3 1/3 innings, the focus now turns squarely back to the lineup. If the club is going to stay alive in the playoff chase, they’ll need the offense to bounce back immediately.
The Reds manager's hat tip to McGreevy wasn’t just praise—it was a challenge to his own team. Time is running out, and the Reds playoff chances are slipping away unless the bats wake up fast.
