Jake Fraley’s Injury Highlights Another Costly Reds Collapse
If the Cincinnati Reds (64-60) come up short in the Wild Card race, their disastrous August series against the Milwaukee Brewers could be remembered as the turning point. Terry Francona’s team had a golden chance to strengthen its playoff position at home, but instead has watched Milwaukee extend its dominance.
Just a night after blowing an 8-1 lead, the Reds lost again, this time 6-5 in 11 innings. Emilio Pagán issued two late walks, Elly De La Cruz committed his 17th error of the year to allow the tying run, and Andruw Monasterio crushed a three-run pinch-hit homer in the 11th inning to give the Brewers their franchise-record 14th straight win.
One of the most painful moments came in the 10th, when Jake Fraley misplayed a William Contreras single and then rolled his ankle, leading to a go-ahead Milwaukee run. His condition is still unclear, but the Reds’ repeated defensive mistakes—three errors in each of the past two games—have been crippling.
Fraley has already been pushing through a torn labrum in his shoulder this season, making this latest injury especially concerning. For the Reds, what could have been a season-defining homestand has turned into a harsh reminder: the franchise has not reached the postseason in a full 162-game season for 12 years.
Cincinnati has repeatedly failed to capitalize on winnable series since the All-Star break, dropping matchups against the Nationals, Braves, and Pirates. Those missed chances are piling up.
The one positive is that the Reds remain only 1.5 games behind the Mets for the final Wild Card spot. To stay alive, Francona’s club will need to cut down on costly mistakes and rally quickly before this skid buries their postseason hopes.
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