ATLANTA -- Accustomed to winning seasons and playoff baseball throughout his managerial career, including 2025 with the Reds, manager Terry Francona isn't used to making October plans that don't involve postseason games. With the Reds eliminated, Francona instead scheduled golf with friends and babysitting a grandkid.
That's all good stuff, but as Francona lamented with assistant bench coach Mike Napoli, it doesn't feel normal this time of year.
“I hate to sound so jealous," Francona said before Wednesday's game vs. Atlanta. "You look across the field, the Braves are getting ready. The Cubs, Dodgers, they’re all making these plans. The Brewers, the way they’re handling their rotation and things like that. … You miss that a lot.
“There’s a lot of anxiety, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
The season didn't turn out as expected for the Reds, and the same could be said individually for starting pitcher Andrew Abbott, who endured inconsistency following an All-Star season in 2025.
Although not pitching for a playoff berth, Abbott finished his 2026 turning in a season-high seven innings. He gave up two runs, six hits and one walk with six strikeouts, but he came away with a no-decision in a 3-2 Reds loss to the Braves in 10 innings.
“Just put it all together -- it was one of the better days I’ve had," Abbott said. "I needed a good one. I haven’t been able to put it together in August or September throughout my career. And that was really a focus, trying to go out with a bang and try to end it on a good note.”
Abbott, who threw 100 pitches during his 12th quality start of the year, took a shutout into the sixth inning before being burned by a pair of solo home runs.
With two outs in the sixth inning as the Reds led, 1-0, Matt Olson drove Abbott's 1-0 sweeper just out of reach for center fielder Dane Myers for a game-tying homer. The Reds took a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh, but Abbott couldn't hold it. Austin Riley led off the bottom of the seventh by hitting an 0-1 fastball to center field for another game-tying Braves homer.
“I thought Abbott pitched his heart out. I thought he pitched great," Francona said.
Abbott finished 6-11 with a 4.61 ERA over 166 innings, which was one-third of a frame shy from tying his career high. He had not reached five innings in any of his previous four starts, a span in which he had a 10.54 ERA and allowed six homers.
While not the season he wanted, Abbott had other positives in his corner. Namely, he had a career-high 32 starts and didn't miss any time because of injuries.
“I definitely could have been better," said Abbott, who had a 2.87 ERA over 29 starts in '25. "I knew I didn’t throw the ball to the best of my ability. I had, in reality, three really bad games that kind of tanked everything else, but those are going to happen. You just have to learn how to control them. I was able to limit damage in years past, but this year kind of got me. It’s a big growing moment. It’s a big thing on how to rebound, how to respond.
"The biggest thing was staying healthy and making it through, and now we can focus on results."
There was no discounting the value of a strong final start by Abbott in a game that had little consequence for a Cincinnati club that is 73-85 with four games remaining.
"Come Spring Training, I don’t think anybody will remember, but I’d much rather him end that way than getting hit around -- always," Francona said.
“It gives you a good feeling going in that you ended on a high note," Abbott said. "And it also kind of tells you what you were working on towards the end of the season, you continue to work on it in the offseason. I made some mechanical [adjustments]. We slid over on the rubber, little things like that -- just playing around with old video and trying to figure things out and get it to where you at least feel comfortable, and then come back and hopefully it’s good.”
Coupled with Brandon Williamson's six scoreless innings during Tuesday's Reds win, the club has back-to-back quality starts. If the Reds want to make the postseason in 2027, they will need to stack more of those types of performances. Building behind Chase Burns and Abbott, Rhett Lowder, Williamson and Nick Lodolo will be among those who will be counted upon.
"It puts you in the right mind for the rotation coming into next year," Abbott said.