Reds Offense Goes Silent, Former Teammate Dominates in 5-0 Loss to White Sox

A night to forget for the Cincinnati offense.

Aug 11, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) scores the go ahead run against the Chicago White Sox during the tenth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the Cincinnati Reds are going to make a run at the postseason, they're going to need to win about 10 straight games. The win streak did not start on Wednesday, as they fell to the White Sox 5-0, dropping to 57-62 on the season.

Let's take a look at the takeaways of Wednesday's loss:

Luis Castillo Dominates Former Team

Aug 6, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Luis Castillo (58) reacts after coming off the mound against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Former Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo turned back the clock on Wednesday night and dominated Cincinnati's lineup.

Castillo tossed seven scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. He walked two and struck out 10. It was the first time this season he's struck out double-digit batters in a game.

The Reds had just two hits on the night, both by Sal Stewart.

Rhett Lowder Stays Solid

Aug 5, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Rhett Lowder throws against the Athletics in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rhett Lowder usually isn't a pitcher that is going to "wow" you, but he has put a nice string of starts together. On Wednesday night, he continued that. While he would have liked to get through six innings, Lowder gave up just two runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. One run scored after he left the game on a home run surrendered by Julian Garcia.

Lowder walked a batter, punched out four, and threw 59 of his 94 pitches for strikes.

The White sox added two runs off new Reds reliever Ron Marinaccio in the eighth.

Up Next

The Reds will go for the series win on Thursday afternoon at 2:10 ET. Left-hander Andrew Abbott will start on the mound for the Reds. Right-handed pitcher Davis Martin will take the bump for the White Sox.

News and Notes

• Reds have been shut out 11 times this year, tied for the 4th-most in MLB.
• The Reds did not have a runner in scoring position all night long.
• The Reds left three men on base on Wednesday night.
• TJ Friedl is 0 for his last 21 and has not gotten a hit since the All-Star break.
• The Reds are 24-47 when the opponent scores first.
• The Reds are now just 32-40 in night games this season.
• The Reds are 13-46 when they score three or fewer runs.
• The Reds are 12-23 when they do not hit a home run this season.

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