Gavin Lux just said what every Reds fan was thinking after Speedway Classic disaster

MLB screwed this up royally.

Drew Koch

MLB Speedway Classic: Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz / Jamie Squire/GettyImages

Winning cures everything, and perhaps Cincinnati Reds utility infielder Gavin Lux would've had a different view of things if the results were different on Sunday. Unfortunately, the Reds lost the Speedway Classic to the Atlanta Braves by a final score of 4-2. But Lux's postgame comments following the game echo the sentiments felt throughout Reds Country. Major League Baseball screwed this up big-time.

"Honestly, I think, looking at the radar, all we had to do was wait another hour," Lux said. "We could have been fine and we don't have to burn Chase. Honestly, I think it was poorly handled by the MLB."

Lux is of course referring to the fact that after a 2 hour and 17 minute rain delay on Saturday night, MLB officials decided to play the game despite the fact the forecast still called for continued rain. Reds starter Chase Burns pitched during the top of the first inning, but as the rain kept falling in the bottom-half of the frame, the game was paused and eventually suspended, meaning that the game would be finished on Sunday.

Gavin Lux just said what every Reds fan was thinking after Speedway Classic disaster

When the game restarted on Sunday afternoon, obviously the Reds couldn't turn to Burns again and instead went with left-handed reliever Brent Suter. The Reds effectively lost 80-plus pitches from their starter and then had to utilize five relievers once play resumed on Sunday.

Though the Reds didn't have to turn to their high-leverage relievers — Nick Martinez, Emilio Pagán, and Tony Santillan — Cincinnati lost the game and fell four games back of the San Diego Padres in the chase for the final Wild Card spot.

Taking away a home game from a team during a playoff chase is egregious enough, but then stopping and starting the game multiple times is further evidence that tent pole events like this should be exhibition games and not part of the regular season schedule.

The Reds missed an off-day on Sunday, had to rearrange their travel plans to Chicago, and burned out an already exhausted bullpen just so MLB could set some fanciful attendance record and play a game in Tennessee. Lux is right, MLB dropped the ball.

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Drew Koch

Drew Koch has been an MLB Staff Writer since January 2024 and part of the FanSided Network since June 2018. Drew's contributions have been published on Blog Red Machine, Friars on Base, BoSox Injection, Lombardi Avenue, Wildcat Blue Nation, Motor City Bengals, and many other sites within the FanSided Network. When he's not cheering wildly for the Cincinnati Reds or the Kentucky Wildcats, Drew enjoys fishing, golfing, playing cribbage and other card games, listening to country and classical music, and spending time with his family and friends.