Reds blow 7 run lead, lose to Cardinals 12-11

The Cincinnati Reds just took a 7-0 lead against the St. Louis Cardinals, and did so on the offensive prowess of...Tyler Mahle and Ryan Lavarnway?

Yep, you read that right. While Nick Senzel and Derek Dietrich are banged up alongside the IL’d trio of Tucker Barnhart, Curt Casali, and Kyle Farmer, it was Lavarnway who stepped up large in his Reds debut, smacking a double and a pair of dingers while driving in 6 runs on the evening, something no player in Reds history has ever done in their debut since at least 1920.

Unfortunately, the injuries and ineptitude in the Cincinnati bullpen rendered that moot, as they allowed a 10 run inning to the Cardinals to pee that lead away, and their 12-11 loss sends them to a full 9 games back of the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs as we barrel towards the one true trade deadline.

With that in mind, we cast a pod about the devolution of these Reds while it happened right in front of our eyes. We dove into tonight’s collapse, why things haven’t worked out for this otherwise talented group so far this season, and what they might - or should - do before the trade deadline in just 10+ days.

So, hear us out, if you will, by either slamming your mouse on that orange play button just below this text, or by clicking this link and following those same instructions via SoundCloud.