Reds' 2026 season isn't over and Terry Francona made that crystal clear

The Cincinnati Reds are coming off a brutal weekend in St. Louis. The team dropped all three game to their bitter NL Central rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, and fell below .500 for the first time since late-March. Cincinnati has now lost four straight games, eight of their last 10, and Reds fans are becoming alarmed.

But Terry Francona isn't ready to hit the panic button just yet. The Reds skipper spoke to reporters after Cincinnati's loss to St. Louis on Sunday and said that he spoke to the team about maintaining their composure.

"We talked to the guys after the game, just for minute," Francona told RedsTV host Jim Day. "And it's actually the same. You know, when it's the hardest to believe, you have to. And when there's doubt, you've got to believe in each other and pick each other up."

Francona acknowledged that a lot of things haven't gone right for his ball club lately. The Reds have been on the losing end of several games that they probably should've won, but injuries, fielding errors, and bullpen implosions have all contributed to the team's 31-33 record, which has them at the very bottom of the NL Central standings. But Francona is staying positive.

"I told them, run the bases with your pants on fire, and don't leave anything on the field. I just believe that's, not just the best way, (but) it's the only way we're going to get where we want to go...I don't want this to be a morgue. That's not the way it's supposed to be," Francona concluded.

Terry Francona refuses to let the Reds hang their heads & give up

By the sound of things, Francona was staring into the faces of some dejected players after Sunday's loss. Tito isn't much of a "rah-rah" type of manager or one who feels the need to call a team meeting when things go bad, but the Reds have entered a crucial part of the season. What happens over the next few weeks could decide how the club approaches the MLB trade deadline.

Cincinnati came out of the gates red-hot, but the month of May hit them like a ton of bricks. So far in June, the Reds are just 1-5 and on their way out to southern California for a three-game series against the San Diego Padres. Fortunately for the Reds, the Friars are in a similar boat. San Diego has gone just 2-8 over their last 10 games, and have fallen out of playoff contention as well.

The Reds' upcoming trip to San Diego can't necessarily be called a make-or-break series, but it's definitely starting to feel that way, isn't it? Tito refuses to let his guys just give up, and a series win on the road would be a great place to start.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow