Nightmare Seventh Inning Brutally Leads Reds to 6-5 Loss vs. Blue Jays

The Cincinnati Reds kicked off their final series of the 2026 season against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

Coming off of a series win on the road over the Atlanta Braves, the Reds attempted to keep the good vibes going into Friday. Unfortunately, the bullpen did not get the memo. In a brutal seventh inning, the Reds blew a three run lead and ultimately lost a 6-5 heartbreaker at the Rogers Centre.

With the loss, the Reds move to 74-86 on the season. Let's take a closer look at how this one fell apart for the Reds.

Shaky Start Turns Into Solid Finish

Nick Lodolo's final start of the season got off to a rocky start. The Reds left-hander allowed two runs in the first inning. It felt like things were only going to get worse, but Lodolo managed to turn the ship around quickly.

After a disappointing first inning, Lodolo did not allow another run before his exit in the bottom of the sixth.

Reds manager Terry Francona allowed Lodolo to come back out in the sixth with nearly 90 pitches on his tab, but he was quickly pulled after hitting the first batter of the inning. With one on the hook at his exit, reliever Luis Mey was able to get the Reds out of the inning without any more damage being done.

The bad news for Mey was that he stuck around for the seventh inning, which ended up being the one that changed the game.

Lodolo's final start finished after five innings, where he allowed seven hits, two runs, struck out 3, and walked two on 92 pitches.

Lodolo needed to see something positive before his 2026 season came to a close. Now, the goal is to see a healthy Lodolo in 2027.

Tough Seventh

Sep 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Mey (47) throws against the Atlanta Braves in the tenth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mey came back out in the seventh. With a 5-2 lead, the Reds quickly saw a deficit on the scoreboard. The Blue Jays would add four runs in the seventh, and the one run lead earned in the inning was just enough to secure the win for the home team.

Mey's day would finish in the seventh where he allowed all four runs scored by the Blue Jays.

It Could've Been Enough

Sep 25, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) breaks his bat as he hits an RBI single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Before Mey's implosion in the seventh, the Reds' offense was doing their part to lead the team to a victory.

Elly De La Cruz achieved another major milestone in the game, stealing his 30th base on the season, which put him in rare Reds history as one of the handful of players to have 30 home runs and 30 steals in a season.

Eugenio Suarez decided to show off the bat as well. The Reds slugger drilled his 26th home run of the season to start the offensive groove for the Reds.

The top of the third inning is when the Reds really flexed their offensive muscles. The team was able to add four runs in the inning, but as we know, it ended up not being enough.

Up Next

It's playing for pride at this point, and the Reds have another chance to earn a victory on Saturday. Rhett Lowder will be on the mound for the Reds in game two. The right-hander will be taking on Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage.

First pitch is set for 3:07 p.m. ET.

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