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It was a scene we've seen way too often lately. The Cincinnati Reds' offense was nowhere to be found and they mustered up just three hits on the night as they fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0.
Let's take a look at the key takeaways:
Andrew Abbott Was Fantastic, Zach Maxwell Impressed
Andrew Abbott was fantastic on Tuesday night, but when your offense doesn't score, it simply doesn't matter. The veteran left-hander pitched into the seventh inning, allowing just two runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out six.
After a doubleheader on Monday, the Reds needed to give their bullpen a break. After Abbott pitched into the seventh inning, Maxwell closed the game out, giving up just one run over his 2 2/3 innings pitched. His command looked much improved as he did not walk a batter and struck out two.
Reds Offense Nowhere to be Found
Aug 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder JJ Bleday (22) scores on a RBI double hit by first baseman Michael Toglia (not pictured) in the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Reds had just three hits on Tuesday, all of which were singles. It was the sixth time in their last 10 games that they've scored one run or less, which is simply an astonishing sentence to type.
"Even though we did a good job with the pitch count, we had nothing to show for it, which is kind of frustrating. They've done a really good job against us. When you look up in the fifth, sixth, seventh innings, and you have three hits a few games in a row...We've got to find a way to score some runs."
If Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart don't produce, this offense simply doesn't score. Before the game, Francona admitted just that.
"When him (Elly) and Sal (Stewart) don’t get hits, it gets pretty glaring for us," Francona told Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie's Chalkboard. That’s a big load for them. Not altogether fair.”
They simply do not have enough offensive talent on this roster and we've seen that all season long.
Up Next
The Reds and Cardinals will play their fourth game of the series on Wednesday night. Chase Burns will start on the mound for the Reds while Matthew Liberatore will start for St. Louis.
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