CHICAGO – As the Cincinnati Reds fade further in September with a lowly offense, one of the big picture bright spots has been the performance of rookie starters Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene.
Nearing the completion for one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the Reds’ outlook in the future is much more dependent on how their rookies in the rotation develop than the offensive woes that have plagued the club for the last three weeks.
That is what made the Reds’ 6-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday at Wrigley Field more discouraging. Graham Ashcraft gave up six runs (five earned) and only recorded eight outs in his second start back from the 15-day injured list.