Cincinnati Reds: Don’t blame Raisel Iglesias for playoff loss

If you’re looking to blame anyone, blame the Reds hitters, not Raisel Iglesias.

When things don’t go your way, oftentimes people look for someone to blame. We see it in sports all the time. While Raisel Iglesias surrendered two home runs in the eighth inning, allowing the Atlanta Braves to turn what was a one-run game into a 5-0 lead. However, Iglesias was not the reason the Cincinnati Reds lost.

Regardless of your personal feelings towards the Reds closer, this loss cannot be hung on Iglesias. The loss lies with Cincinnati’s offense, or lack thereof. The Redlegs scratched across just two hits and didn’t score a single run during the series. That includes the four extra innings that were played last night.

The only two players who were able to put the ball where Braves defenders weren’t. Eugenio Suárez singled in the second inning and Freddy Galvis lucked into a hit when a chopper up the first base line bounded over the head of Freddie Freeman and into the outfield.

Raisel Iglesias gave up a home run during the first game of the season against the Detroit Tigers, but hadn’t surrendered a long ball to an opponent until Marcell Ozuna took him deep with a two-run shot in the eighth inning. Former Reds outfielder Adam Duvall played add-on when he scalded a pitch from Iglesias over the wall in left field.

This goes without saying, but I feel the need to say this as well; the loss was not the fault of David Bell either. The Reds skipper ran out his typical lineup that we’ve seen for the last few weeks when a right-hander was on the mound. Braves pitcher Ian Anderson, who struck out eight batters over six innings, deserves a ton of credit for his performance today.

Also, it must be stated that before Duvall’s two-run homer, Eugenio Suárez was charged with an error after dropping a ball in foul territory by Ozzie Albies. Iglesias ended up walking Albies and Duvall hit a two-run homer. That error, which was charged to Suárez, should have gone to left fielder Brian Goodwin. That ball was his to catch all day, every day.

So, the Cincinnati Reds 2020 season ends in disappointment and the questions about next season will surface very soon. Will Trevor Bauer re-sign? Does Nick Castellanos opt-out of his contract? Is José Garcia the starting shortstop? The Reds have more questions than answers heading into the offseason.