Many Questions Surround This Reds Team After Series Loss to Angels

The Reds are in a losing stretch right now.

Cincinnati Reds right fielder Noelvi Marte (4) reacts to a 9-6 loss against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, April 12, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Winning cures all things. Losing opens up questions about all things.

When the Reds woke up Wednesday morning, they were 8-3. Sure, they weren't scoring a lot of runs, but they were winning ball games. They were finding ways to stack wins early in the season. That's what mattered.

Since then, though, they're 1-4 with some ugly losses over that stretch. It's hard to keep a winning streak going. That's why Wednesday night's loss to the Marlins was one where you tip your cap and move on, trying to win the series the next day. The Reds battled in Wednesday's game, getting the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth of a 7-4 loss.

Not only did the Reds not win on Wednesday, but they have since dropped games by final scores of 8-1, 10-2, and 9-6. Mind you, they trailed 9-0 on Sunday in the bottom of the eighth before scoring six runs over the final two innings to put lipstick on the pig.

But for a team that looked so scrappy through their first 11 games, so resilient, where have those things been over the last four games? If only that's just what it was. It ended up being a precursor of a dud weekend.

For all of the goodwill the Reds built up in their five-game winning streak, that's now gone. Only a split with Miami and a home series loss to the Angels. Not to mention, the Reds are only 4-5 at home. The Angels aren't "that" good. They're the kind of team the Reds should be winning series against, maybe even sweeping.

Now, at 9-7 and having lost four of five, questions are mounting. Is the starting pitching even "good?" Is this offense going to start hitting at some point? Who is great besides Elly De La Cruz? What's Noelvi Marte's future with the club? How concerned should we be about TJ Friedl?

Every season, we run into these kinds of questions in April. Before the season ever really gets going, we run into these questions. This season, the Reds have once again prevented themselves from gaining real momentum in April.

Maybe they will respond against the San Francisco Giants this coming week, then go on the road and handle business against the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays. They have gotten off the mat before, including many times last season.

But even with a winning record through 16 games, disaster for this club feels imminent. Are the necessary resources and infrastructure within this organization to withstand this adversity they are facing? Is there enough talent in this club to get back to winning?

These are the questions worth asking when the Reds are in a losing skid. Getting back to winning will cure everything, at least temporarily.