Reds Hit Rock Bottom in Humiliating 20-0 Loss to Brewers

Is it the offseason yet?

Sep 5, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott (41) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Reds left Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night, suffering one of the worst losses of the season to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

It was one of those games where the team needed a short memory. Unfortunately, the pain of big losses would continue as the team was absolutely dominated by the Milwaukee Brewers, 20-0, on Friday night. Yes, that says 20 to zero.

With the loss, the Reds fall to 69-78 on the season. It's the season that will never end. Let's break down another game that feels like the same game we've seen 100 times this season.

Early Exit

Aug 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott (41) after the Chicago Cubs score during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott has had a rough stretch recently. Before the game against the Brewers on Friday night, Abbott had lost three of his last five starts. If you were hoping for a turnaround for the left-hander in his start on Friday night, your hopes were quickly dashed.

Abbott was shelled from the start. Reds manager Terry Francona had to make the difficult decision to pull Abbott after just two innings of work. The lefty allowed nine hits, two of which were home runs, and eight earned runs on the day.

Just an all-around disappointing performance for Abbott that left an already overworked bullpen to attempt to pick up the pieces.

It's Never Been More Over

Sep 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) hits a home run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Not that it was going to matter anyway, but the Reds' offense deciding to not show up for this one just made it a lot worse.

In their last outing, the Reds could only put one run on the board while the Dodgers racked up 14. It was nearly the same game on Friday night, but it felt a lot more painful.

I think everyone had a feeling that it could get this bad. Now, the only hope is that they can show a little bit of fight while trying to finish this season.

If a lockout is inevitable in 2027, the lasting memories of the 2026 season for this fan base may make them happy that the game won't be played.

Game Two

Sep 9, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) high fives teammates following the game against the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hopefully, the Reds want to get back on the field as quickly as possible to prove that Friday night's performance doesn't show the true story of this team.

They will get that opportunity in game two of their series in Milwaukee. For the Reds, Brady Singer will be getting the start on the mound. After suffering such an ugly loss, it's hard to imagine that things are going to look any better on Saturday.

Soon enough, this will all be over. For now, we're going to be right here, soaking in all the pain that is being bestowed upon this fan base.

Saturday's game is set for a 7:10 p.m. ET. start.