Inside The Reds

Cincinnati Reds End Losing Streak, Will They Overcome Slow Start to 2025 Season?

The Reds bats broke out in a big way Saturday night in Milwaukee

Alex Frank

Apr 5, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cincinnati Reds catcher Jose Trevino (35) is greeted by center fielder Blake Dunn (59) after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Apr 5, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cincinnati Reds catcher Jose Trevino (35) is greeted by center fielder Blake Dunn (59) after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
In this story:

CINCINNATI -- Prior to the start of Saturday night's game at Milwaukee, Reds second baseman Matt McLain was scratched from the lineup for the second-straight game.

McLain has been dealing with hamstring tightness the past couple of days, and it kept him out of Friday night's starting lineup. He did, though, pinch hit in the top of the ninth and drove a ball deep to center field for a long flyout.

Despite being without McLain Saturday night, the Reds bats broke out in an emphatic way. Backed by four home rus, the Reds mashed 14 hits to outlast the Brewers 11-7 and snap their four-game losing streak.

Eight of the nine Reds players in the starting lineup had at least one hit with four players having multiple hits, and Blake Dunn, TJ Friedl and Jose Trevino all hit their first home runs of the season in the win.

Through nine games, the Reds are 3-6. That's not where Reds fans wanted them to be, but it is still early enough to overcome the slow start to the season.

While injuries shouldn't be an excuse for starting 3-6, they are worth mentioning. They're worth mentioning in the sense that key players getting healthy could help get this Reds club back in the thick of the National League Central race.

If the Reds bats can sustain the ability to score, that's going to immensely help their starting pitching that is going to continue to be really good. That combination can be what gets the Reds consistently in the win column.

One of those wins could come Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee, where the Reds can earn a series split against the Brewers. Even though the Reds would still only be 4-6, a series split against the Brewers would look a lot better than losing three out of four and falling to 3-7 with three games in San Francisco next week.

The Reds bats showed much-needed signs of life on Saturday night. They don't have to score 11 runs every night. They just have to score enough runs to back up a pitching staff that is off to a really good start this season.

It's still early enough for the Reds to overcome this slow start to the season. Saturday was the first step towards doing so. Now, it's about this Reds team establishing consistency and getting healthy. Those two things are the keys to the Reds having the kind of season fans are hoping they can have this season.

Published
Alex Frank
ALEX FRANK

Alex Frank brings his passion for Reds Baseball and sports media to Reds On SI. With a commitment to original, detailed and accurate reporting and inside, Alex keeps Reds fans informed with the latest breaking news and other information fans need to know about their favorite team. Alex has years of experience, covering the NFL, NCAA and more for a plethora of outlets including SB Nation, CLNS Media, Associated Press, The Wright Way Sports Network, Chatterbox Sports and The Front Office News. While a student at the University of Cincinnati, Alex served as Bearcast Media's Sports Director for three years while hosting weekly talk shows and podcasts and broadcasting Bearcats Football and Men's Basketball games.

Home/Cincinnati Reds Analysis