The Cincinnati Reds just got absolutely clobbered, falling 20-0 to the Milwaukee Brewers in a game that felt more like a cruel joke than actual baseball, especially after their nightmare travel day. This wasn’t just a loss, it was a total collapse, a blowout so bad the Brewers clinched an eighth playoff berth in nine seasons and are now staring down a fourth consecutive National League Central title by Monday. For the Reds, who started the season with big playoff expectations, this rout pushed them nine games under .500, matching their season’s lowest point.
From Vegas Layover to a Two-Inning Nightmare
Imagine this: you’re the Reds, already struggling with the world-champion Dodgers, and then your charter plane out of Los Angeles has engine trouble, forcing an unexpected detour and layover in Las Vegas at the Bellagio. Manager Terry Francona even joked, “Can you imagine if we’d landed in, like, Pocatello, Idaho?” Well, Milwaukee probably felt worse. By the time they hit American Family Field, it was a straight-up crapshoot, and they rolled snake eyes. This game went sideways so fast it was wild. Reds starter Andrew Abbott had his worst career start, getting pulled before the Reds even had their eighth at-bat! The lefty faced 15 batters in just two innings, giving up eight earned runs on nine hits. Brice Turang smashed a three-run homer, and Jake Bauers followed up with a two-run shot just three batters later. The Brewers cleaned out Cincinnati in two innings flat; they had batted around twice by the end of the fifth inning, already up 17-0.
A Season in Freefall: Catcher Pitching and the Grim Reality
This 20-0 shellacking was the Reds’ second straight blowout loss to two of the league’s best teams, following a 14-1 drubbing by the Dodgers. They’re now 0-4 on this six-game road trip. The free-fall from first place in early May has been brutal, leaving a team with decades-high playoff hopes needing an improbable 11-4 finish just to avoid a losing season with only 15 games left to play. Things are so dire that catcher Jose Trevino actually took the mound for the second straight game, meaning he’s got more pitching appearances than Hunter Greene this season. Even red-hot Elly De La Cruz couldn’t escape the misery; he struck out twice, walked, and didn’t hit a home run, ending his five-game home run streak. That marked the franchise’s second-longest streak, just shy of Joey Votto’s seven-game run in 2021.
The Brewers, on the other hand, made it a party. A team that entered the day with the fewest home runs in the majors somehow cranked out four dingers in this game, including Garrett Mitchell’s grand slam off Luis Mey in the fifth inning. They’re making a strong statement and are poised to finish strong. For the Reds, they face an uphill battle to save face and avoid a truly demoralizing losing season.
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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