1 Thing Cincinnati Reds Still Must Prove After Houston Astros Series
The Reds took a step in the right direction, but they can't be satisfied.
The Cincinnati Reds could not have started May off any worse. They got swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs before falling 10-0 to the Houston Astros on Friday, losing eight straight games before beating the Astros 3-1 on Saturday and 5-0 on Sunday. The Reds now need to make up ground in the NL Central, as they're tied with the Pirates for last place at 22-19, five games behind the Cubs in first.
It's the only division in baseball with all winning teams. Cincinnati had three walk-off losses to Chicago during the losing streak, which shows what the squad needs to clean up moving forward. Reds' Bullpen Must Step Up in Close Games Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brock Burke (49).
© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Cincinnati is 23rd in baseball with a 4. 52 ERA, and the bullpen must do its part to fix that. It can start by performing better in high-leverage spots.
Closer Emilio Pagan blew his third save of the year in Monday's 5-4 loss to the Cubs, right-hander Tony Santillan blew a save in the eighth inning of Tuesday's 3-2 loss, and right-hander Graham Ashcraft blew a save in Wednesday's 7-6 loss. Right-hander Pierce Johnson earned his first save of the year in Saturday's win over the Astros, but that's not enough to undo the errors from the Chicago series. Up next for the Reds is a home series against the Washington Nationals, are eighth in baseball with a .