Mike Moustakas' outburst after being removed from the Reds game was regrettable

The Cincinnati Reds only had one hit in their 4-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, but they still had an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Atlanta reliever Will Smith struck out the first batter he faced, Brandon Drury, and then proceeded to walk back-to-back hitters. With Tommy Pham on second base and Joey Votto on first, shortstop Matt Reynolds gave the ball a ride to right field, but it was caught. Pham advanced to third on the play.

With runners on the corners and the tying run coming to the plate, Freddie Benavides, who took over as Reds manager after David Bell was ejected in the fifth inning, decided to pinch-hit for Mike Moustakas and went with Donovan Solano. Apparently, that did not sit too well with Moose.

Mike Moustakas' outburst during the Reds loss was childish.

According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Mike Moustakas was upset, walked in front of dugout, tossed his helmet and bat, and walked into tunnel. Uh, okay! Was he surprised?

I sympathize with Moustakas for one reason; he's a competitor. He knows that he's not playing well. Moustakas is the second-highest paid player on the team. Those are the players who are supposed to be able to deliver in the biggest moments, right? The fact of the matter is that he isn't.

Moustakas is hitting .222/.320/.323 this season. Against left-handed pitchers, Moustakas has an OPS of just .644. Solano on the other hand, who was brought to Cincinnati this past offseason for this specific reason, had an .822 OPS versus southpaws in 2021.

Every single Cincinnati Reds fan wants Mike Moustakas to find success. Every single one. But it just hasn't happened. Is it due to inconsistent playing time because of injury? Perhaps, but in the big leagues, it's not about excuses, it's about results.

Freddie Benavides made the correct decision to pinch hit for Mike Moustakas, and it almost won the Reds the game. Albert Almora Jr. flied out to the warning track to end the game. If Moustakas is mad at anyone, he should be mad at himself.