CINCINNATI (WKRC) – The way the Reds are winning right now may not be appealing to fans who like offense, but these are the types of games that Reds didn’t win much last season when they had to scratch and claw their way to the playoffs.

Monday’s 2-0 win over the Miami Marlins gave the Reds a 4-1 record in games in which they have scored two runs or less this season after going 9-45 in such games last season.

They are also 3-0 in one-run games after going 22-22 last season.

Those are big reasons why they have the fourth-best winning percentage in all of Major League Baseball.

These early wins this way can be the difference between not making the playoffs and perhaps winning the National League Central Division.

Sure, the lack of offense so far has been disappointing.

The Reds rank next-to-last in runs scored per game (2.8) and several players are off to very slow starts (TJ Friedl, Tyler Stephenson, Spencer Steer and Ke’Bryan Hayes each have batting averages below .200, while Matt McLain and Eugenio Suarez are barely over .200).

The Reds are winning in spite of that because the starting pitching has been outstanding (a combined 3.00 ERA that is 2.19 if Brandon Williamson’s first start is taken out of the equation), the bullpen has shown depth and they are the only team in MLB to not commit an error this season.

They have had some timely home runs (Eugenio Suarez’s three-run homer in a 3-2 win over Boston and Tyler Stephenson’s two-run ninth inning homer in a 5-3 win over Texas chief among them) and shortstop Elly De La Cruz is doing what stars are supposed to do and that’s carry a heavy load. He has at least one hit in nine of the first 10 games, is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak and has scored at least one run in six straight games.

It’s certainly fair to wonder if the offense will eventually do more, but I believe it will.

It’s also fair to wonder if the league catches up to Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns the more it sees them, but these aren’t two reclamation projects, they are both first round draft picks who passed quickly through the minors for good reason. Eventually the rotation should be bolstered by the return of left-hander Nick Lodolo, arguably their second-best pitcher entering the season, and staff ace Hunter Greene.

There is no need for the Reds to apologize for the way they are currently winning, because winning like this now means you aren’t chasing wins to play catch up as the season progresses.