This is one man’s theory: The road to the offensive futility you saw in the Reds’ Wild Card Series can be traced to Game 3 of the 2018 World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the game – beating the Boston Red Sox, 3-2, in 18 innings.
But the game was a clinic in the all-or-nothing approach to hitting. The Dodgers hit two home runs, struck out 15 times and walked seven. The Dodgers ended up losing the series, 4 games to 1. They struck out 56 times in 189 at-bats.
The Dodgers’ hitting coach was Turner Ward.