Most MLB stats sites and media outlets didn’t document it when it actually happened.
But for anybody interested in the specifics of such things, the Cincinnati Reds were officially, mathematically eliminated from postseason contention on Sept. 14 after they lost
this week’s opener of their four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, based on owning none of the tiebreaker advantages in any of the remaining scenarios.That’s not necessarily why six rookies were in the lineup the next day against the Dodgers and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. But that lineup offered at least a glimpse into some of the thinking for the Reds as they play out the string with no more lip service to pay to anything they’re chasing except 2027 redemption.
With
the front office and manager given assurances they’ll be the ones tasked with fixing this year’s mess, which, as of their 4-0 loss to Yamamoto included matching a season low-water mark of 11 games under .500 they hadn’t seen before this year since the year they weren’t trying to win, in 2022.
What do the Reds want to see over these final three-plus series of the season to get the most out of preparing for the winter and next year?
“First, you always want to play the game right,” manager Terry Francona said. “Regardless of who’s playing, play the game right, play the game with respect, and then as a staff we’re just trying to get as much information as we can so we can make better decisions when that time comes. Whenever that is.”
That’s a big part of why outfielders Carlos Jorge and Hector Rodriguez – both of whom debuted in the past seven weeks – have been getting a lot of runway in the lineup. The lefty-hitting Jorge hit leadoff against Yamamoto for the second time in a week.
“The idea is to get ‘em to settle in so we can see who they are,” Francona said cautioning against judging based on first-week or even first-month impressions. “You have to start making evaluations when you’re not the guy’s being quite who he is yet.
“If you try to just make those evaluations in spring training you’re just setting yourself up to make mistakes,” he said.
Meanwhile, series like this week against the Dodgers (and later in the week against the Cubs) amount to initiation by fire for the newbies.
Jorge walked against Yamamoto leading off in this one. But after Elly De La Cruz followed with another walk, Yamamoto retired 21 of the next 22 to turn in another dazzling seven-inning start – and win – against the Reds.
He has allowed only one run in those two starts. A De La Cruz home run in the first start accounted for the run. A De La Cruz double accounted for the only hit off Yamamoto (14-8, 2.51) in the second start.
Reds starter Rhett Lowder, one of the six rookies on this night, might have the most to gain from this final stretch in his first season back from a series of injuries that wiped out his 2025.
Lowder, who impressed during a six-start debut in 2024 (1.17 ERA), struggled much of this season after a good start in April followed by a monthlong shoulder issue in May.
Six days after the champs clobbered him for seven runs in 3 1/3 innings in Los Angeles, Lowder (6-11) responded with five innings with better velocity and missed getting a shot at the sixth because of a 91-pitch workload and long-term considerations.
"I actually thought he was throwing better the last inning," Francona said. "There will be times he goes out there for the sixth inning. I think people forget he hasn't a lot, last year either."
He struck out four, walked three, hit two batters and gave up five hits, but navigated enough traffic to limit the damage to three runs.
The Reds finished with only six base runners in the game – actually, four considering three were De La Cruz on the walk, double and a ninth-inning single.
Two were rookies: Jorge with the walk and third baseman Juan Brito with an eighth-inning single against reliever Brock Stewart (the other was Dane Myers pinch-hitting and drawing a walk in the ninth).
Despite the emphasis on looking ahead at next year, Francona is reluctant to flood the zone with rookies every day the rest of the way.
“We’ll try to balance it out a little bit,” he said. “I don’t think you just run away from guys that have been here all year. I don’t know if I agree with that. You try to balance that the best you can.”
The Dodgers have outscored the Reds 31-7 in sweeping their five meetings this season with two left to play. They've beaten the Reds in 10 straight games overall, including last year's playoffs.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Dodgers shut down Cincinnati again as Reds look ahead to 2027
