Cincinnati Reds Bullpen Blows It Again in 5-4 Loss to Philadelphia Phillies

The Cincinnati Reds are now squarely at .500 on the season.

May 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart (27) reacts after scoring against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The losses keep piling up, and now the Cincinnati Reds are right at .500. They were 20-11 on May 1. Since then, the Reds are 4-13.

Monday night, they led the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs. Then, Graham Ashcraft allowed a two-run home run to Bryson Stott that gave the Phillies a 5-4 lead. It would hold up as the final score in a gut-punch loss in the series opener in Philadelphia on Monday night.

Bullpen Blows it.. Again

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Graham Ashcraft (42) delivers a pitch in the eighth inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. Reds own 8-3. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This time, the Reds bullpen allowed two earned runs in 2 2/3 innings and didn't strike out a single Phillies hitter. Ashcraft took the loss, coming within an out of pitching two scoreless innings. But the home run he allowed to Stott proved to be the difference. The Reds bullpen still cannot get the big outs, and it's a maddening identity of this team.

Nick Lodolo Bounces Back Nicely

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo (40) delivers a pitch in the first inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This was the most positive development of the night for the Reds. If they're going to get back into the thick of the National League Central, Lodolo has to pitch like this. Monday night, the Reds' left-hander and 2019 first-round draft pick pitched just like the team needs him to.

Facing a resurgent Phillies lineup, Lodolo pitched 5 2/3 innings of three-run baseball. While he did walk five batters, a career-high, he struck out three and only allowed three hits. Again, only 53 of his 97 pitches were for strikes. But, as Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz has talked about, it's how a pitcher can compete when they don't have their best stuff that sometimes reveals more about them than how they produce on their best days.

Lodolo didn't have his best stuff Monday night. That was evident. But, battling traffic on the bases and sweltering heat in Philadelphia, Lodolo kept the Reds in the game and pitched nearly six innings. That's a positive step. It may not be substantial, but incremental is better than staying status quo or taking steps back.

Sal Stewart Shines at the Plate

May 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart (27) rounds third to advance home and score against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Stewart needed a night like Monday night to regain his confidence, and he delivered with a home run and two hits in four at-bats. That's the Stewart we got so used to seeing in April, and hopefully it's a sign that he's working out of what's seemingly a month-long slump.

On Deck

Chase Burns (5-1, 1.87 ERA) will start against Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo (3-3, 5.07 ERA) Tuesday night in Game 2.

First pitch is at 6:40 E.T. on Reds.TV and 700WLW.