The Cincinnati Reds’ 7–5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night has sparked debate among fans over who deserves the most blame. One thing is clear, however—the Reds are struggling to play disciplined, mistake-free baseball.
Manager Terry Francona has repeatedly stressed the importance of playing clean games, but the team has fallen short of that standard. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz has been at the center of the issue, committing five errors in his last six games and seven in August alone.
On Friday, De La Cruz was charged with two of the Reds’ three errors. One was an early fielding miscue that was erased when pitcher Zach Littell threw out Jordan Walker attempting to steal second. But the crucial mistake came in the 10th inning. After fielding a grounder from Willson Contreras, De La Cruz made a poor throw that Spencer Steer couldn’t handle. The play allowed Contreras to reach base, a run to score, and the Cardinals to seize the lead. St. Louis would add another run that inning and hold on for the win.
The Reds’ sloppy play extended beyond defense. They gave up three unearned runs, stranded 14 runners on base, and went just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. With the loss, Cincinnati slipped to five games behind the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card standings.
De La Cruz now leads the majors with 22 errors, four more than Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe. While the Reds’ struggles can’t be pinned solely on him, his mistakes have made him the symbol of the team’s failure to play fundamentally sound baseball.
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