LOS ANGELES -- The Reds watched the Dodgers celebrate after advancing past them in a two-game sweep of their National League Wild Card Series on Wednesday with an 8-4 victory in Game 2. They were keenly aware of what Los Angeles does best -- scoring runs with a relentless offense.
The situation put in stark relief where the Reds can raise their games next season and where they could consider adding to their roster in the offseason. Clearly, they need to take more advantage of opportunities and improve at situational hitting. It was often an Achilles’ heel for them this season, and a reason they were eliminated.
“I think that’s really what it comes down to. It seemed like every time they got traffic on the basepaths, they cashed those runs in and we didn’t," first baseman Spencer Steer said.
On Wednesday, the Reds were 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine runners -- including eight men over the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
"I just told our guys, we need to do some things better, myself included," manager Terry Francona said. "I would never ask them to try to get better and I'm just going to sit at home. I'm going to look in the mirror, too. That's what we're supposed to do.”
The Reds don't have the star power of the Dodgers, but their biggest star, Elly De La Cruz, was unable to make a big splash in his first postseason. De La Cruz was 0-for-6 with two walks and four strikeouts in the two games. His two RBIs came in Game 1, when he beat out a double play as a run scored and on a bases-loaded walk.
“It was a great experience. We know how it is now and next year we’re going to come prepared to do something special," De La Cruz said.
Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto retired 13 batters in a row and had a 3-2 lead when TJ Friedl hit a leadoff single to right field in the sixth inning that started what could have been a defining rally. Steer followed with a single to center field and Gavin Lux reached on a chopper to third base for an infield hit that loaded the bases with no outs.
Then it fizzled.
Austin Hays grounded to shortstop for a force play at the plate. Yamamoto struck out Sal Stewart as he lunged at an 81 mph curveball. The inning ended when De La Cruz fanned on an 80 mph curveball as Yamamoto evaded damage and went on to record 6 2/3 innings and an MLB career-high 113 pitches.
"It was tough because we had them on the ropes a little bit," McLain said. “[Yamamoto] was making really good pitches. He was good tonight. We’ve just got to be better.”
In the eighth inning against the Dodgers bullpen, after a Stewart RBI single, Cincinnati had the bases loaded again with no outs. One run crossed on a Tyler Stephenson sacrifice fly. With two outs and the bases full a third time, Friedl represented the tying run.
Friedl fought lefty reliever Alex Vesia and worked two balls and two fouls after starting in a 0-2 count. But Friedl was caught looking at strike three to end what would be the last best chance of the season.
“I think the biggest thing is when we’re playing well, we can play with anybody," Steer said. "Obviously the toughest part of our game is playing well consistently. I think that’s one thing we can really learn from, it’s finding that consistency. Specifically on the offensive side of the ball.
"It seemed like our pitching staff really carried us in the latter part of the year when the offense was scuffling. This group, there’s a lot of times where we could have folded. It seemed like things weren’t going our way. And there wasn’t any quit. That’s why we were here. There was no quit in this team. I think that’s a really good characteristic to have.”