The Cincinnati Reds still can’t seem to solve the Milwaukee Brewers. Consequently, the Reds’ deficit in the standings grew again on Monday.
The Reds dropped their series opener to the Brewers, 3-2, at Great American Ball Park. A crowd of 18,711 attended as Cincinnati’s bats went mostly silent for the final eight innings of the contest.
Advertisement
The Reds will need to take the next two games from Milwaukee or Cincinnati will suffer a 12th consecutive series loss to the Brewers.
The defeat dropped the Reds back a half-game in National League Central standings, where the division-leading Chicago Cubs, who were idle on Monday, improved to nine games on Cincinnati after taking the clubs’ weekend series at Wrigley Field.
The Reds have a smaller deficit to climb in the NL Wild Card race, but that field is deep. The NL Central might still be the best possible route to the postseason.
On paper, there’s plenty of time for the Reds to dig themselves out of these deficits, but the calendar flipped to June on Sunday, and Monday marked the 61st game of 2025.
Brewers Christian Yelich (22) celebrates a third-inning home run June 2 at Great American Ball Park. Yelich’s home run gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead and it held up for the victory.
Cincinnati (29-32) on Monday started a six-game homestand against the Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks. The Brewers series also concludes a key stretch of 12 of 15 games against NL Central opposition, and the Reds are so far 5-8 in that period.
Advertisement
The Reds started Monday’s tilt in promising fashion, posting two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The lead could have been more, though, and that proved consequential. After T.J. Friedl scored from second base on Elly De La Cruz’s single, and De La Cruz later scored on a surprise bunt play executed by Spencer Steer, the Reds had runners on second and third with one out. Neither runner would score.
Brewers starting pitcher Aaron Civale was about to settle into the game, and Milwaukee was going to respond.
In the top of the second inning, Cincinnati starting pitcher Brady Singer walked Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz with the bases loaded to drive in Sal Frelick. Brice Turang’s sacrifice fly ended up a double play by Cincinnati to end the at-bat, but Andruw Monasterio crossed home plate on the play to tie the game at two.
Christian Yelich tagged a 417-foot blast of a home run in the third inning off Singer. The drive to straightaway center field came within feet of clearing the batter’s eye.
Advertisement
Singer’s record dropped to 6-4 as he was something of a hard-luck loser based on his final line (five innings, four hits, three earned runs, three walks and four strikeouts).
Civale (1-1) stretched his outing 5 1/3 innings, allowing only the first-inning runs. Trevor Megill closed out the contest for the visitors.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The Reds dropped their series-opener vs. the Milwaukee Brewers