The Cincinnati Reds are officially out, mathematically eliminated from any postseason hopes on September 14th after dropping the opener of their four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s a brutal end to what’s been a tough run for the Reds, especially considering they held none of the tiebreaker advantages that could have kept them in it.
No More Chasing, Just Rebuilding
After that elimination, the Reds rolled out six rookies into the lineup against World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It’s a clear signal, right? They’re playing out the string, focused squarely on 2027 redemption. This year’s mess has seen them match a season low, sitting 11 games under .500, a mark they haven’t touched since back in 2022 when they weren’t even trying to win. But the word from the top is that the front office and manager are still the crew tasked with fixing it. Manager Terry Francona laid it out simply: “First, you always want to play the game right. Regardless of who’s playing, play the game with respect, and then as a staff we’re just trying to get as much information as we can so we can make better decisions when that time comes. Whenever that is.” It’s all about gathering intel for what comes next.
Rookies Under the Spotlight Against Yamamoto
You gotta feel for those young guys getting thrown into the fire against a beast like Yamamoto. Outfielders Carlos Jorge and Hector Rodriguez, both of whom just debuted in the last seven weeks, are getting a ton of playing time. Jorge, a lefty bat, even hit leadoff against Yamamoto for the second time in a week. Francona’s looking for these kids to settle in, saying, “The idea is to get ’em to settle in so we can see who they are. You have to start making evaluations when you’re not the guy’s being quite who he is yet.” In their latest showdown, Jorge walked leading off, and Elly De La Cruz followed with another walk. But then Yamamoto just locked in, retiring 21 of the next 22 batters. He turned in another dazzling seven-inning start and snatched the win against the Reds, allowing only one run in his two starts against them this year. That lone run? A De La Cruz home run in the first game. In the latest clash, a De La Cruz double was the *only* hit off Yamamoto, who’s now sitting pretty at 14-8 with a 2.51 ERA.
Lowder’s Grit in a Tough Stretch
Among those six rookies was Reds starter Rhett Lowder, and he’s got maybe the most to gain from this final stretch. It’s his first season back after injuries wiped out his entire 2025. This kid impressed everyone in his 2024 debut with a 1.17 ERA over six starts, but this year’s been a grind after a hot start in April and a month-long shoulder issue in May. Here’s the kicker: just six days after the Dodgers clobbered him for seven runs in 3 1/3 innings in Los Angeles, Lowder (6-11) responded with his seventh quality start of the season, his fourth since April. Yeah, it was a loss, but he still punched out four, walked three, and hit two batters. Talk about resilience! These Dodgers and the upcoming Cubs series are basically an initiation by fire for these newbies. It’s all about building for 2027 now, and the Reds are getting a long look at who they’ve got for the future.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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