Terry Francona’s Questionable Late Decision Looms Large in Reds’ 8-4 Loss

A miserable eighth inning cost the Reds on Saturday night.

Aug 7, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) walks back to the dugout after her making a pitching change against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Reds went into Saturday hoping to clinch a winning week and the series against the Miami Marlins. 

Brady Singer looked like the pitcher he has been over his last 10 starts, consistent but still gave up his fair share of hits. He finished with eight hits in six innings, four strikeouts, two walks, and three earned runs. Two of his hits were home runs.  Let’s talk about what went wrong in the Reds’ 8-4 loss to the Marlins. 

Tito’s Questionable Move To Sam Moll Bites Him 

The Reds went into the eighth inning with a 4-3 lead. Francona turned to Tejay Antone to start the inning. Unfortunately, Antone did not have command in this one. He hit the first batter, Owen Cassie. He gave up a single to put runners on the corners with no one out and promptly gave up a sacrifice fly to allow the tying run to score. He was pulled after he hit the next batter to put runners on first and second. 

That’s when Francona turned to lefty Sam Moll. Moll has a 7.59 ERA over his last 15 games with eight walks and a 2.34 WHIP. Francona played the lefty matchup, and it bit him. The Marlins turned to a pinch hitter to bring in a right-handed batter. Moll walked Agustín Ramírez to load the bases. He did force a ground out, where Elly De La Cruz made a great play to get the lead runner at the plate on a force play. The next batter singled to bring in two runs to give Miami a 6-4 lead. He allowed another RBI single to the next batter before he was pulled for Pierce Johnson. Moll allowed two hits in 1/3 of an inning with a walk. 

This is a questionable move to bring in Moll in this spot. Moll came in with the bases loaded in the Nationals series last week and promptly unloaded the bases. Francona’s move to Moll was just a bad move. Brock Burke and Julian Garcia pitched on consecutive days, so the bullpen is a little thin, but Johnson is making a lot of money not to be trusted in that spot. 

Reds Go Back To Back In The Fifth

Aug 15, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds third baseman Ke'bryan Hayes (3) runs to third on a double hit by second baseman Matt McLain (not pictured) in the third inning against the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Reds have lived and died by the long ball this season. They are currently in the top five in Major League Baseball in home runs. 

Ke’Bryan Hayes took the second pitch he saw off of Marlins starter Ryan Gusto 392 feet into the left-field seats just inside the foul pole to tie the game at three. After the fourth pitch of the McLain’s at-bat nearly hit him up and in, he lined a middle-middle fastball 383 feet at 107 miles per hour into the seats in left field to take a 4-3 lead. He went 3-for-4 and finished a triple shy of the cycle. 

Hayes is slashing .250/.250/.438 over his last seven games and has two home runs this month. McLain, still hitting inconsistently, has shown better plate discipline over his last seven games, drawing four walks over his last 20 at-bats. 

Luis Mey May Be Figuring It Out

Jun 5, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Mey (47) looks on during the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mey took over for Singer in the top of the seventh. He allowed back-to-back singles to lead off the inning, but he then struck out Hernandez on eight pitches. He struck out the next Marlins hitter, Griffin Conine, on three pitches. Conine challenged the called third strike, but the call was confirmed. 

Since being recalled on August 5, Mey has not allowed a run in 5 2/3 innings pitched. He has not walked a batter and has eight strikeouts. 

Mey has the potential to be an elite back-end bullpen arm. His fastball reaches triple digits, and his slider has great bite. If he can become more consistent, he will be a massive arm in the bullpen for years to come. 

Reds Look to Take Series On Sunday

Nick Lodolo will make his second start since returning from the injured list on Sunday. He faces off against Eury Perez. Perez is 6-9 with a 3.39 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Batters are hitting just .204 against him. Opposing batters are hitting .278 against Lodolo. 

The Reds fall to 59-63 on the season, now six games out a playoff spot in the Wild Card.