Andrew Abbott on Reds’ loss to Cubs, stretch run of 2025 season
Cincinnati Reds starter Andrew Abbott (8-2) lost for the first time since June 4 and allowed four earned runs for only the fourth time in 20 starts.
CHICAGO – This is how quickly the worm turns in baseball:
Less than 15 hours after getting booed off the mound for the pummeling he took at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds hitters, newly acquired Chicago Cubs reliever Andrew Kittredge needed just nine pitches to strike out all three Reds he faced in the seventh inning of the Reds’ 6-1 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Aug. 6.
The Reds got out of Chicago with a needed series win.
But the loss on sweeper day with their All-Star starter, Andrew Abbott, on the mound was at least a reminder of how tough the road shapes up on their path to possible October baseball.
The Reds opened the day three games out of playoff position with the toughest remaining schedule (on paper) remaining in the National League. They had 47 games left as they headed to Pittsburgh for a four-gamer against the last-place Pirates.
After that, it’s 22 of the final 43 against playoff-positioned Milwaukee (six), Chicago (four), Philadelphia (three), San Diego (three), the New York Mets (three) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (three).
Only the Orioles have a tougher remaining schedule in the majors.
“We knew it was going to be an uphill battle in the second half at least with the schedule,” said Abbott (8-2), who pitched two outs deep into the seventh despite allowing four earned runs for just the fourth time in 20 starts.
“But we just put our heads down and go to work and try to win series,” he said. “The ultimate goal is just to continue to stack wins however we can get them. Obviously, we would have loved to come out of here with a sweep. But turn our heads to Pittsburgh and go handle some business there.”
That series represents its own risky business with the Pirates starting their two best pitchers out of the chute, including All-Star starter Paul Skenes (2.02 ERA) in Thursday’s opener against the Reds’ Brady Singer.
Behind that comes a gauntlet next week at home against the Phillies and Brewers.
“We’re in a good spot,” second baseman Matt McLain said. “Having the toughest schedule, or whatever it is, is a great opportunity for us. Because you play those teams in October, you play the best teams.
“We want to play our best ball down the stretch, and we want to play it against good teams. We want to play it against all teams, but playing good against good teams can give you more confidence.”
Adding to the challenge of the final seven weeks for the Reds are a pair of three-city road trips that include five stops to or near the west coast.
On the other hand, the Reds have stayed out of long losing streaks this season thanks to strong starting pitching. In fact, they’re the only team in the majors that hasn’t been swept in a series this year; their 37 sweepless series to open the season is a franchise record by five (NL-champion 1970 team).
They’ve won eight of 13 and 14 of 23 despite the loss in the Cubs finale – matching their high-water mark of six games over .500 until that loss.
And despite losing starter Nick Lodolo for a two-week IL stint because of a finger blister, the Reds might get Opening Day starter Hunter Greene back from a groin injury before then. Greene’s scheduled to make a rehab start Friday, after which he’ll be evaluated for a possible return.
Abbott’s 6 2/3 innings Wednesday, which followed a seven-inning Reds debut for recently acquired Zack Littell, helped restore the strength of a bullpen crushed by back-to-back days of unplanned bullpen games caused by a rain-suspended game in Bristol, Tennessee, Sunday and Lodolo’s second-inning blister Monday.
“You know your stuff’s not pristine, not what you normally want it to be,” Abbott said, “but it’s not an excuse for diving early, diving after five innings. You just put your head down and work.
“Those guys in the pen have been dawgs for us. We’re trying to eat up as much as we can so those guys can rest. That’s going to be big down the stretch for us.”
Abbott gave up two home runs for only the third time this season, but both were solo shots, by Seiya Suzuki in the sixth and Dansby Swanson in the seventh.
“Didn’t think he had his best command, especially early,” manager Terry Francona said. “Saying that, you look up and he’s at 6 2/3 and he gave up three (before Luis Mey allowed an inherited runner to score). He just competes and he changes speed. Even early, when he wasn’t commanding it, he could throw his breaking ball in for a strike to get back in the counts. It’s just hard for guys to put a big streak together against him.”
A ninth-inning run prevented the Reds’ first wrong-way shutout since May (2-0 to the Cubs in the same place).
Cubs rookie Cade Horton no-hit the Reds until Austin Hays’ two-out double in the fourth (off the underside of the left-field basket and caroming high off the back of left fielder Ian Happ). They managed just one more single, by TJ Friedl, in the sixth before Friedl and Elly De La Cruz both singled in the ninth.