The Cincinnati Reds fell 6-5 to the St. Louis Cardinals on June 22, 2025, on a walk-off single. Despite Elly De La Cruz's efforts, the loss raises questions.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was the kind of loss that stings a little more. After a gritty, back-and-forth battle with the rival St. Louis Cardinals, the Cincinnati Reds fell 6-5 in 11 innings on a walk-off single by Yohel Pozo. The defeat at Busch Stadium not only drops the Reds to 4th in the NL Central but also serves as a painful microcosm of the team's biggest challenge: finding enough consistent offense to support its stellar young pitching.
While the farm system churns out arms like Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, and Nick Lodolo, the struggle to develop consistent homegrown hitters casts a long shadow over the team's future.
Sunday's game had all the makings of a classic divisional slugfest. Andrew Abbott, who entered with a sparkling 1.84 ERA, battled through his start against Miles Mikolas. The offense, led by the ever-electric Elly De La Cruz (now with 16 homers and 50 RBIs) and the steady bat of TJ Friedl (.294 AVG), did just enough to push the game into extras. But when it mattered most, the bats went silent and the bullpen, a source of strength for much of the year, finally cracked, allowing the Cardinals to celebrate a walk-off win that felt like a major momentum swing in the series.
The inability to get that one big hit in the 10th or 11th inning feels deeply connected to the themes of the Reds' latest June prospect report. The update praised the organization's incredible success in developing front-line starting pitching, with Abbott himself being a prime example alongside Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo. However, it also sounded a familiar alarm: the system is struggling to produce impactful, everyday hitters, particularly in the outfield. This imbalance is playing out in real-time at the major league level, where the team hovers around .500, often waiting for a big blast from De La Cruz to save the day.
The good news from the farm is that the pitching pipeline is still flowing. Top prospects Chase Burns and Chase Petty are reportedly nearing MLB-readiness, with Rhett Lowder not far behind once he returns to full health. This embarrassment of riches on the mound presents the front office with a critical choice as the trade deadline approaches. With the team treading water, do they become sellers and trade from their pitching depth to acquire the young, controllable hitting the system lacks? Or do they push their chips in, hoping prospects like Alfredo Duno and Tyson Lewis develop faster than expected, and try to buy a rental bat for a playoff push?
This loss to the Cardinals is more than just one game in a long season. It's a snapshot of a team at a crossroads. The Reds have the top-end talent and the starting pitching to compete with anyone, but their offensive inconsistency continues to hold them back. With the trade deadline looming, the front office faces a franchise-defining decision: trust the current core and the arms on the way, or make a bold move to balance the roster for a serious run. The next few weeks will determine the identity of the 2025 Cincinnati Reds.
