Reds Swept by Brewers, Fall to 3-22 on the Season

The Milwaukee Brewers pounded six home runs, including two by Willy Adames, to beat the visiting Cincinnati Reds 10-5 on May 5th. This loss came less than 24 hours after the Brewers hammered the Reds 18-4 as Milwaukee rolled to a three game sweep of their National League Central rival. The loss also dropped the Reds record to an astonishingly bad 3-22 for the 2022 season.

The Reds have, to say the least, a lot of issues, starting with the fire sale unloading of talent in the off season. Let’s start with the starting pitching. The Reds traded two time All Star Sonny Gray to the Minnesota Twins. Wade Miley, who threw a no hitter last season and had a 12-7 record with a 3.37 ERA, was placed on waivers and scooped up by the Chicago Cubs. Veteran starters Luis Castillo and Mike Minor are both on the injured list; the 34 year old Minor was acquired from Kansas City in the off season and was 8-12 with a 5.05 ERA for the Royals so he may be winding down as a major league starter. Cincinnati’s starters have an awful 8.41 ERA. The Reds current pitching staff is very young and several could stand more time in the minor leagues.

As far as hitting goes, the Reds lost outfielder Nick Castellanos to the Philadelphia Phillies via free agency. Castellanos hit .309 with 34 homers and 100 RBIs last season. The Reds also traded outfielder Jesse Winker to the Seattle Mariners. Winker was another All Star last season, batting .305 with 24 homers and 71 RBIs. Castellanos is 30 and Winker is 28, so they both are hitting their peak production years. Joey Votto, the club’s iconic first baseman, went on the Covid-19 list and missed the series in Milwaukee. Second baseman Jonathan India, last years NL Rookie of the Year, has already been on the Injured List twice this season.

It also didn’t help when, on a radio show on Opening Day, Reds president Phil Castellini essentially told fans they’d have to live with the way the club was handling things, blaming economics of a small market team. Castellini later apologized, but this is certainly starting out as a season to forget.