The Reds managed just two hits against Cubs starter Yu Darvish and David Hernandez’s recent struggles continued in Cincinnati’s 5-2 loss to Chicago on Wednesday afternoon, a game Derek Dietrich and Nick Senzel both exited due to injury.
Having dropped five of their last seven, with their three most recent losses by just one run, the Reds – playing the third of a crucial 10-game stretch against NL Central rivals – began the day with a number of banged-up position players (namely, Curt Casali and Kyle Farmer), as well as a shorthanded bullpen (Amir Garrett, Raisel Iglesias).
On the bright side, Reds starter Sonny Gray took the mound at Wrigley Field riding a hot streak, as over his last three starts, he yielded just 13 hits and 3 runs over 21 1/3 innings, in which he struck out 27 batters while walking only five.