Cincinnati Reds: Three takeaways from poor showing in Ohio Cup

The Reds won just one game versus the Indians in the Ohio Cup.

Well, maybe the Cincinnati Reds are not as good as we thought they were. After $165M invested in free agents this offseason, the Reds are off to a 5-8 start with 47 games to go. Now, that’s more than enough time to makeup ground in the National League Central, but they better start soon. A 1-3 showing versus the Cleveland Indians in the Ohio Cup puts the Reds in fourth place.

In four games against the Tribe, the Reds managed to score just five runs. The Indians, on the other hand, put up 21 including a 13-run effort last night with one of the Reds best starters, Luis Castillo on the hill. Sonny Gray was the only Reds starter to earn a win, however, both Tyler Mahle and Tejay Antone had solid starts.

Cincinnati’s early-season struggles fell at the feet of the bullpen. And while those problems have yet to be fixed, now the offense appears to have fallen apart as well. In the past two games, the Reds were blanked by the Indians and picked up just six hits. While second baseman Mike Moustakas is out with injury, there’s more than enough firepower on this year’s team.

So what went right, if anything, and what went wrong against the Cleveland Indians? With the Chicago Cubs out to a terrific 10-3 start, Cincinnati’s 1-3 showing has them sitting behind both the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds have a three-game series against the former up next, so they better get things straightened out.