The first inning hadn’t even come to a close, and it already felt like a lost cause.
Tyler Mahle was getting squeezed. Joey Votto couldn’t field. The pitch count ticked toward 30. The Dodgers drew first blood. The game seemed over before the Reds had gotten three outs.
If you think I’m being overdramatic, consider this: Yes, it’s been a difficult six weeks of cheering on the Reds and their woeful .289 winning percentage. Still, I’m guessing that most of you reading this live within what’s considered a reasonable radius of Great American Ball Park, where – despite their recent ineptitude – the Reds still managed to win 154 out of 323 games in the four years leading up to the 2018 season.