Reds believe they can reverse course following fifth straight series loss

CINCINNATI -- While spending nearly a month on the injured list, Reds catcher and team leader Jose Trevino didn't talk to players about the club's struggles and mounting losses. Trevino would only give feedback if asked directly.

“To be honest, it’s kind of hard to speak when you’re not playing," Trevino said after being activated for Sunday afternoon's game vs. the Diamondbacks after being out since May 17 with a left hamstring injury. "For the most part, you just observe and just watch. You learn a lot from watching.”

What did the veteran Trevino see from watching?

“We’re better," he replied before the game without elaborating, seeming to imply better than recent performances have shown.

If there's another gear to be had, the Reds need to find it. A 5-3 loss to the Diamondbacks in the rubber game at Great American Ball Park meant dropping their fifth consecutive series and 12 out of the last 16 games.

The Reds (33-37) haven't had consecutive victories since a three-game winning streak May 23-26.

"We’re kind of just missing like one play in each game," starting pitcher Andrew Abbott said. "Whether it’s a clutch hit to bring in runners, whether it’s defensive stuff. It’s kind of different game to game. For the most part, the energy and effort is always there. The confidence in the team is always there. We haven’t had that kind of step up yet. I think we know that we need that to do, but it’s an easier said than done kind of thing.

“I think as a team with the veterans and the core that we have, it’ll turn its way. We just have to weather the storm and kind of turn it ourselves if we need to.”

Where must improvement come from?

Offense

The Reds haven't scored more than five runs in a game since a 6-4 win over the Braves on May 31. For the Arizona series, seven runs were scored in total for the three games.

“Inconsistent is very fair [to say]," manager Terry Francona said. "Runs are harder to come by than we want them to be. It’s not a lack of effort. It’s a little bit challenging at times.”

May 31 also happened to be the day the team's best player, Elly De La Cruz, strained his right hamstring. The club has gone 3-9 in De La Cruz's absence.

"The other team is not going to give us a win," said left fielder JJ Bleday, who hit a first-inning solo homer to right-center field. "We’ve got to show up ready to take every pitch, win every at-bat. Right now, we’re having a hard time stacking at-bats fluidly throughout the game.

“We’re getting guys on base, but the hard part for us is getting guys in. No outs, one out, two outs, hitting with guys in the scoring position is a skill and we just got to find a way to keep the pressure on the pitcher in those situations and not chase and get something to hit that we can drive.”

Starting pitching

While Brady Singer and Abbott each worked six innings in the previous series at San Diego, the Reds have gotten only one start of seven innings all season. That was from Chase Burns on May 3 at Pittsburgh.

On Sunday, Abbott completed only five innings, because he threw 95 pitches. But the only run he gave up was Tommy Troy's third-inning leadoff homer to left field on a 1-0 changeup.

“I threw a lot of just not quality pitches," Abbott said. "Just easy decisions on takes for them. Then they added in a lot of foul balls as well and that just kind of drove the pitch count up. I was fortunate to get through five.”

Bullpen

The issues for Reds relievers is well documented at this point. The group is 28th out of 30 clubs with a 5.02 ERA, while several key members are missing.

Cincinnati had a 2-1 advantage in the top of the sixth inning, when reliever Tejay Antone surrendered a two-run homer to Geraldo Perdomo for an Arizona lead. After Noelvi Marte's homer in a third straight game tied it up in the bottom half, the Diamondbacks retook the lead on Gabriel Moreno's homer to right field off Zach Maxwell.

The Reds are banking that Trevino's return is just the beginning of reinforcements on the way. De La Cruz has been increasing his baseball activity and closer Emilio Pagán (left hamstring) and reliever Pierce Johnson are set to face hitters in live BP this week. Starter Hunter Greene is on target to return sometime in July.

“We’ve definitely got the pieces," Trevino said. "Everybody has seen that. We just got to put this thing in the right direction.”