PHILADELPHIA -- As Terry Francona settled into bed late Sunday night, his mind was racing.
The Reds had just dropped two of three in Cleveland, part of a 4-12 May swoon that included 10 losses in 11 road games. As the veteran manager watched the clock tick from 1 to 2 to 3 a.m., he began to jot down some of those thoughts, thinking about how to turn things around -- specifically, what he can do to help his players through this difficult period.
“You want to help, but you don't want to create panic, because that doesn't help anybody,” Francona said. “When you get mad, that doesn't really help anybody except yourself; that's not helpful. I took notes last night when I was lying in bed, just things I think can help that are just like, ‘Hey man, this is who we are, who we can be. This is how we need to play.’
“The other thing is just fighting through frustration, because there's a lot to be frustrated about sometimes. But you’ve got to keep playing. This group, they're really good kids and they care about each other. It hasn't been easy lately.”
Monday night proved to be another frustrating one, as the Reds wiped away an early deficit and took a late-inning lead before watching the bullpen surrender yet another soul-crushing home run.
The end result was a familiar one, as the Reds dropped a 5-4 decision to the Phillies in the series opener at Citizens Bank Park.
“We're right on the cusp of it,” said Graham Ashcraft, who served up Bryson Stott’s pivotal eighth-inning homer. “We're showing signs like we were playing ball at the beginning of the season; we’ve just had some things that aren't going our way. A lot of it's our fault. There are some things we can clean up, and we're working on them. We're getting better, and that's all we can ask for from everybody. We’re not far off.”
Francona knows his team is better than this. A 20-11 start had Cincinnati sitting atop the National League Central at the end of April, but its 4-13 record this month has the Reds back at .500, leaving them in sole possession of last place in the division.
There were some positives on Monday night. Nick Lodolo survived a shaky first inning to post his best start of the season. Sal Stewart, who fizzled out in May after a sizzling April, hit a game-tying home run in the seventh, only his second in the past 21 games. Even Ashcraft looked solid in his first inning of work, though his second inning proved to be a back-breaker for the Reds.
“To be able to punch back is definitely a good feeling,” Lodolo said. “We’re setting ourselves up in position; we’ve just got to finish.”
Francona’s message isn’t necessarily subtle, but it’s always encouraging. He’s been through the battles and knows what it takes to get through the tough times -- and his players know that.
TJ Friedl is off to a tough start this season, and despite a batting average that has been below .200 for all but two days this season, Francona had some advice for him this week.
“I was telling TJ the other day, ‘You’ve got to walk up to the plate with your chest out still,'” Francona said. “'You’ve got to be strong enough mentally to look at the scoreboard and see your batting average and know that's not what you are.’”
Friedl has been in the Majors since 2021, doing his share of damage at the plate during the past three seasons. Still, hearing those words from a manager as accomplished as Francona means something when things aren’t going well.
“He's done a great job of just kind of being there for us,” Friedl said. “Having a Hall of Fame manager really helps, because he's been through it all. He's had good teams, and even good teams go through tough times. We know that you're not going to go through a season where there's not going to be some slumps. We know who we are, and every day is a new opportunity to go out there and show that.”
Despite Monday’s loss, Francona will continue to remind his players of their capabilities. Not hypothetical ones, but their actual performance from only a few weeks ago.
“I actually think that this is when, as a coach or a manager, you earn your stripes,” Francona said. “When they’re going good, you pat them on the back. Now's the time when you want to help, [but] you don't want to hinder.”