Reds vs. Dodgers: Pitching preview, prediction, and more

A seven-game slide has erased the Reds solid start.

Reds Country is accustomed to seeing their team try to claw their way back from dreadful opening weeks to start the season. The 2021 edition of the Reds has flipped the script, but unfortunately, not in a good way.

A week ago, the Reds sat atop the National League Central with a 9-6 record as they welcomed a less than intimidating Arizona Diamondbacks club to GABP. Following those three games and a trip to St. Louis, the Reds find themselves saddled with seven consecutive losses and in the division’s basement.

If there’s one positive to take away from the Cardinals series is that the Reds bullpen has seemingly pulled themselves from the brink. Over the weekend in the Gateway City, Cincinnati relievers allowed just one run and one free pass in 9.1 innings of work.

Kudos to the newest Redleg Heath Hembree. The veteran reliever made his Reds debut Friday night and tossed 2.1 innings of shutout baseball in two appearances. His presence has been a welcomed sight to a beleaguered relief corps.

However, the bats, once again, failed to travel. Cincinnati scored just six runs against an incredibly average St. Louis pitching staff and suffered a shutout loss on Saturday. The Reds have scored three runs or less a staggering six times through their first nine road games.

Prediction

Honestly, I cannot find a conceivable way to pick the Reds to win this series. Since 2012 the Redlegs have captured just one series in Hollywood and been swept three times. Cincinnati is 8-19 over that timespan at Dodger Stadium.

However, I do expect the losing streak to come to an end.  Somehow, someway, I look for the Reds to take one game in Los Angeles as they return to Cincinnati for a brief five-game homestand against both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox.