Cincinnati Reds lose 10th straight despite Dan Straily’s 11 Ks

Another lifeless offensive performance sent the Cincinnati Reds to their 10th straight loss.

The Reds just can’t break out of their funk. When the offense gets some runs on the board, the bullpen implodes. When the starters throw a well-pitched game, the offense disappears. The latter was the case on Wednesday, as the Reds’ losing streak reached double digits in a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Solid start goes for naught

The Reds’ starting pitching can’t be blamed for this sweep. Following solid outings by Brandon Finnegan and Daniel Wright the previous two nights, Dan Straily was on his “A” game in the series finale, matching a career-high with 11 strikeouts and throwing a season-high seven innings. The right-hander was perfect through the first three innings, but had his only bad inning in the fourth. He nearly got out of the jam after loading the bases on a single, a hit batter and a walk, but allowed a two-out, two-run single to Joc Pederson to put the Reds in a hole. In the fifth, former Reds first-round draft pick Yasmani Grandal hit a solo homer off of Straily, the final Dodger to reach base in the game.

Offense still MIA

Once again, there was no run support to be found for the pitching staff. The only run of the game scored in the top of the fourth inning, when Jay Bruce tripled home Brandon Phillips. Despite there being just one out, however, third base coach Billy Hatcher decided to send Bruce home for the inside-the-park home run attempt and he was thrown out by a mile. That would be the last Cincinnati hit of the game.

For the series, the Reds had an abysmal three runs, nine hits and four walks. Unless your starting rotation consists of Clayton Kershaw, Jake Arrieta and Chris Sale, it’s hard to win with that little production.

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Strikeout City

Straily wasn’t the only one to rack up the Ks. The Reds struck out 14 times on the night, 12 against Dodgers starter Scott Kazmir in only six innings. Phillips and Bruce were the only members of the visiting team to not go down on strikes, as five Reds struck out at least twice: Billy Hamilton, Joey Votto, Adam Duvall, Eugenio Suarez, and Straily.

Notes:

• No one has been scuffling more than Suarez. He went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and is now hitless in his last 20 at-bats with 13 punchouts.
• Blake Wood had his second straight nice outing out of the bullpen, striking out two in a perfect eighth inning.
• Phillips certainly did his part at the plate, picking up two singles and a walk in four plate appearances.