'We keep fighting': Reds seek to build on late rally in key division stretch

CINCINNATI – Facing the Brewers for the first time in 2026, the Reds painfully learned it wasn't much different than playing against them in 2025 … or 2024, or 2023, or 2022, or 2021.

Dating back to '21, Cincinnati has dropped 18 of the last 21 series against the Brewers. That included first-place Milwaukee completing the three-game series sweep on Wednesday by handing Cincinnati a nail-biting 6-5 loss at Great American Ball Park.

“They’re a good baseball team," said catcher Jose Trevino, who entered in the eighth inning and hit a leadoff single in the ninth. "We’ve been in a lot of those games though. We just need that one thing to click. I don’t think we hope for it. I think we just go and get it.”

More concerning in the bigger picture than Milwaukee: the Reds (37-42) have dropped 14 of their last 21 games to fall to 12 1/2 games out of first place in the National League Central and 5 1/2 games back from the final NL Wild Card spot.

Cincinnati also is 2-16 against its division rivals. Up next are the Pirates, against whom the Reds are 1-5.

"Ultimately, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. Good baseball could be right around the corner and we've just got to keep showing up every single day playing hard, never give up," said starting pitcher Rhett Lowder, who gave up three runs over 5 2/3 innings. "That’s how we should approach it as a team. Get punched in the face, and then you just gotta get back up. There’s way too many games to just give up.”

Cincinnati's starting pitchers Brady Singer and Nick Lodolo combined for 11 scoreless innings in the first two games. Lodolo's start ended after four innings after being hit by a Jackson Chourio comebacker on Tuesday.

But the Reds were held to one run on four hits and zero walks in two losses, producing just five baserunners while striking out 27 times.

On Wednesday, Cincinnati notched 11 hits and drew 11 walks, but also left 16 men stranded.

"I’d rather give ourselves chances. I know we left a lot on. It’s better than not having anybody on," manager Terry Francona said.

When Blake Dunn hit an RBI double down the right-field line to score Noelvi Marte in the bottom of the sixth inning, it was the first hit with a runner in scoring position for either team – in the bottom of the 25th inning – of the series. The two clubs were a combined 0-for-29 with runners in scoring position before that.

Milwaukee's first hit with a runner in scoring position didn't happen until the top of the seventh inning, when pinch-hitter Andrew Vaughn's bases-loaded double scored three runs off reliever Sam Moll.

Lowder gave up all of his runs in the top of the third inning on back-to-back two-out home runs by William Contreras and Jake Bauers. He allowed eight hits and one walk with six strikeouts, but hung in there.

“The third was tough but he got it together and got us to a point where you feel like you’ve got a chance," Francona said. "We were very limited with our bullpen tonight with what we could do."

The Reds were trailing, 6-1, in the seventh inning when they scored one run in the seventh and three runs in the eighth that included Spencer Steer's two-run homer to center field to make it a one-run game. Steer is mired in a 6-for-58 slump, but four of his hits have been home runs.

In the bottom of the ninth inning against Brewers reliever Joel Kuhnel, the bases were loaded with one out when Dane Myers grounded to shortstop for the game-ending double play.

"They’re hard to beat because they challenge you in so many ways," Francona said. "We just have to be more consistent in a number of areas.”

The Reds will get another crack at Milwaukee with four road games next week.

“Look at what we did tonight," Trevino said. "That’s more like who we are. We don’t give in. We keep coming back. We keep fighting. I thought the guys played great tonight. We showed a lot of fight. We just need to keep doing that. From a team standpoint, [it's] just pulling in the same direction. We’re not going to do this individually. It’s way too hard to do that.

“I think we just need to stick to the approach of we’re a team, we’re here for each other, we need to be here for each other. We need to play for each other. It’s not about individuals. It’s about us, together.”