Cincinnati Reds Shutout 5-0 in Series Opener vs. Padres

This should be fun. Last night of August, the contending San Diego Padres in town, a hot night at Great American Ball Park. If only the Cincinnati Reds were in contention. When they finished April 20-11, it looked like they just might be. You looked at the schedule in September and thought, “Hey, that could be fun.”

Again, it should be. The Reds have Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, and Chase Burns. Two very good hitters and a legitimate ace. Any team with those three players should be a contender. Why aren’t the Reds?

Monday night, it was another ho-hum night at Great American Ball Park. Brady Singer got roughed up and the Reds couldn’t come close to matching the Padres’ offensive activity. It added up to a 5-0 loss where the Reds managed just five hits.

The Reds are now 65-73 heading into September. That means they’re 45-62 since the calendar flipped to May. In addition, the Reds are now tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates, having been shut out 15 times this season.

Takeaways from the Reds’ 5-0 Loss to the Padres

Brady Singer Roughed Up

Monday night was a representation of what this year has been like for the Reds’ right-hander. Singer struggled getting hitters out and keeping traffic off the basepaths.

In just 4 1/3 innings, Singer allowed four earned runs on 10 hits. He didn’t walk any batters, and actually struck out five, but he threw 87 pitches in less than five innings.

It’s been an up-and-down year for Singer. At times, he’s actually looked really good. Other times, though, he’s essentially been ineffective.

Monday was actually the first time Singer pitched fewer than five innings since July 29th. But again, there have been numerous outings where Singer lacked pitching efficiency. It’s led the Reds’ bullpen to pitch more innings than they probably would have liked.

Reds Offense Blanked

Aug 31, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart gestures after hitting a double in the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It can be tough for any pitcher to pitch effectively for a Reds team that has an offense that struggles as much as it has this season. Monday night was no different.

Reds’ hitters struck out 11 times, and they could not produce that big hit to generate runs and get back into the game. Reds batters walked four times, but they only managed five hits.

Padres’ right-hander Michael King pitched six shutout innings and allowed just four hits. King walked three batters, but he struck out six in a 96-pitch effort that yielded 60 strikes.

On Deck

Aug 31, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Fans are silhouetted as the sunset illuminates the clouds beyond the stadium in the fifth inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The series between the Reds and Padres continues Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park.

Reds’ left-hander Nick Lodolo (3-3, 5.24 ERA) will take the mound against Padres’ right-hander Randy Vásquez (10-6, 4.02 ERA).

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

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