‘It’s a part of the game,” Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo said. “I want us to score, but I’m not really thinking about it. I’ve got to do my job regardless. We’ll turn it around. I guarantee you that. The main thing is I’ve got to keep us in the ball game and give us a chance.”
Following Thursday’s loss, the Reds had the fifth-best ERA in MLB. But they had the sixth-worst on-base-plus-slugging percentage (OPS) in MLB.
“We’re not thinking about that,” Reds ace Hunter Greene said. ”It’s not a good mindset to be in over the course of a game. We’ve just got to go out there and stay present and make our pitches. I don’t think any of us are thinking that we’ve got to go out there and be perfect.”
Last Tuesday, Reds No. 5 starter Carson Spiers allowed one run in six innings. Spiers was on the roster bubble heading into spring training, pitched his way onto the Opening Day roster and then had the best outing of his career in his season debut.
Getting a gem from an inexperienced No. 5 starter is usually a pretty good sign. Spiers said that the quality in the Reds’ rotation is helping him take continued steps forward.
“I love the saying that rising tides raise all boats,” Spiers said. “The five of us are rolling right now.”
Greene and Lodolo carried that momentum over the next two days. Greene overpowered the Texas Rangers with one 100 mph fastball after another in a 1-0 Reds’ loss. Then on Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers, Lodolo showed a new side of his game.
He says that he’s able to be a more efficient pitcher than he ever has before. Because of the improved confidence in his changeup, Lodolo is better at challenging hitters early in counts and forcing weak contact. He pitched 6⅔ innings on Thursday, allowing one run.
“It’s hard to expect that every night,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “I expect our guys to try their best all the time. I do think they’re talented enough to be good, and they’re showing that. If that trend continues, these conversations will be a lot more fun.”
Veterans Nick Martinez and Brady Singer round out the rotation as experienced and durable starters who’ve looked like front line starters at several points of their careers.
The Reds’ rotation is going on this run of success even with Andrew Abbott and Rhett Lowder on the injured list. Abbott, coming back from a shoulder injury, could return as soon as next week to the active roster. Lowder, who had a slow ramp up progression in spring training after feeling elbow soreness, could return in May.
The Reds’ rotation is playoff caliber, but there’s still a lot of pressure on the lineup to produce.
“We’ll figure it out together,” Francona said. “I feel strongly about that.”
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