MID-WEEK ROUND-UP: Reds Waste Golden Opportunity to Win Series Against Seattle Mariners

CINCINNATI -- Local 12's Bob Herzog summed up the Reds brutal 11-7, 10-inning loss to the Seattle Mariners in the best, and most gut-punching, way possible.

They all only count as a single notch in the “L” column, but that loss sure felt worse than most #Reds
— Bob Herzog (@Bob_Herzog) April 17, 2025

This series was there for the taking, and the Reds gave it away. On Thursday, four errors, a blown save in the ninth inning, and six combined runs allowed in the ninth and 10th innings cost the Reds a chance to win the series and finish the home stand with a record over .500.

The Reds went 4-2 on this homestand, but it could have been better.

Here are some other takeaways from the Reds series loss against the Seattle Mariners.

Takeaways from the Reds-Mariners Series

1. There’s been a lot of discussion regarding Austin Hays being called for batter’s interference, which resulted in Elly De La Cruz being called out while stealing second base.

It was a controversial call, one that, personally, I disagree with. Did Hays interfere with Mariners catcher Caleb Raleigh throwing down to second base to catch De La Cruz stealing? Perhaps, but why is De La Cruz out as well? Couldn’t that rule be revised to where the runner, De La Cruz in this case, would just be sent back to first?

Here’s the other point I’ll make on this: Whenever teams put themselves in a position where the officials, in this case the umpires, have to make the correct or favorable call for them to win, it will never end well. Just ask the 2018 New Orleans Saints about that.

The Reds had chances and missed opportunities earlier in the game on Wednesday night that could have prevented them from being in that position in the eighth inning.

2. While the Reds lineup has its limitations, it does have some versatility.

In the first game against the Mariners, the Reds found ways to put runs on the board both via the long ball and by having a good eye at the plate. Austin Hays put the Reds ahead 6-4 in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run home run. Then, in the bottom of the eighth, Matt McLain walked with the bases loaded and Elly De La Cruz delivered an RBI groundout to extend the Reds' lead to 8-4.

The RBIs from McLain and De La Cruz came after a ground-rule double and back-to-back walks loaded the bases. The Reds ability to play small ball was the catalyst that doubled their lead with the game still hanging in the balance.

3. Good for Jake Fraley. He's had a rough start to the season, but his toughness and resilience should never be questioned. Let's not forget he played through injury in the pennant chase back in 2023, and he's also faced a lot of adversity in his personal life.

Against the Mariners, Fraley sandwiched a 0-3 night on Wednesday with a combined 5-9 in the games on Tuesday and Thursday. His biggest hit, without question, was his go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning in Thursday's game.

Could this be the series that snaps Fraley out of his early-season slump? That remains to be seen. His defense has been mercurial, but the highlight-reel plays outweigh the bad plays he makes in right field. Fraley is not someone to give up on yet.

4. Is Christian Encarnacion-Strand becoming an injury-riddled player?

I don’t know any kind of back injury that goes away quickly. Rather concerning for CES
— Jeff (@jefffcarr) April 17, 2025

He missed most of last year with a forearm injury, and he's now on the injured list for a back injury. Our Jeff Carr makes a good point. Back injuries can be tricky to navigate, and Reds fans already don't have a lot of faith in the team's training staff.

Encarnacion-Strand came up to the Reds with enormous potential with his ability to hit for power. He's shown flashes of that power potential, but injuries have prevented him from consistently showing that potential.

Encarnacion-Strand's health is now a key storyline to monitor this season.

5. For as much as starting pitching is vital to the Reds being a contender in 2025, their defense holds the key to this season. What happened in the last two games cannot consistently continue, especially on Thursday.

The Reds had four errors on Thursday, and two of them came in the top of the 10th inning alone. When the Reds' defense is good, this team wins ball games. When the Reds' defense boots ground balls and commits errors, they lose games that are there for the taking.

This team has the potential to be a good defensive team, but it has to be consistently good. It can't just be good for a handful of games. Defense is the key to the entire season.

6. Should Elly De La Cruz be moved to center field, or a corner outfield position? Stay tuned for a future look at that proposition here at Inside the Reds.