Cincinnati Reds Need to Exorcise Some Demons Against Milwaukee Brewers

Reds have struggled mightily against the Brewers in recent seasons. They enter the weekend series with a 2-4 record.

Apr 2, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) reacts after a play in the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

It’s time for the Cincinnati Reds to get the Milwaukee Brewers-sized monkey off their back. The Brew Crew have dominated the Reds over the last two seasons.

The past two years of this current Reds team have been marked by exciting baseball, but inconsistent baseball. Good performances, at times, haven’t translated to wins, especially against the leaders of the division.

The Reds are 7-19 against the Brewers in the last two seasons.

Terry Francona was brought in to elevate this young roster and the Brewers are his first big hurdle. As much as the lineup has struggled in the first six games of this season, they’ve really struggled in the 26 games against Milwaukee from 2023-2024.

In those 26 games, the Reds have a team batting average of .201 and an OPS of .615. Those are the kind of numbers you would consider sending a player down to Triple-A for…but it’s the entire Reds lineup.

The two best hitters against the Brewers these past two seasons have been Elly De La Cruz and surprisingly, Jake Fraley. It could be just what the doctor ordered for Fraley, who's struggling right now.

De La Cruz has slashed .250/.305/.500 in 22 games against the Brewers with five homers, 10 RBI, and seven steals. Fraley has slashed .254/.319/.492 in 19 games with four homers, seven RBI, and six steals.

Meanwhile, the Brewers have been okay at the plate against Reds pitching for the last two seasons. Cincinnati pitchers have allowed Milwaukee hitters to slash .240/.322/.414. While that’s not bad, that is still better than the Reds hitters have produced off Brewers pitching.

The Reds need to perform well in Milwaukee to get some mojo back for the season, but they also need to show that they can hang with the Brewers. They have not done a good job of that for awhile now.

The Reds play the Brewers on Thursday night at 7:40 p.m. ET.