PITTSBURGH — Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell was asked before Sunday’s opener of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates whether the sudden two days off in three days Thursday and Saturday put some of the relief pitchers in a position of almost too much rest.
The answer was quick and came with a smirk.
“No,” Bell said. “We’re not at that point yet. Maybe with the next two days off this week (Monday and Thursday), we could get into that situation. That would be a good thing.”
Until then, the beleaguered Reds bullpen continued to creak and crack in Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Pirates in the opener despite a scheduled day off Thursday and a rainout Saturday.
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After a dominating 5 2/3 innings from rookie Brandon Williamson, a two-out walk in the sixth brought out Bell from the dugout for a pitching change — and brought about the demise of the Reds in the game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Lucas Sims walked the first batter he faced before getting out of the sixth-inning jam with a 2-1 lead, but after walking the leadoff man in the seventh, Sims was done.
Three batters later, so were the Reds — thanks to a three-run, pinch-hit home run from rookie Jared Triolo off Reds lefty Alex Young, who set the stage for Triolo with a one-out walk of his own.
Maybe those days off this week will eventually ease the wear and tear of a bullpen that has thrown more innings than any bullpen in the National League except for the those of the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies.
But until then, it’s starting to look like the rotation reinforcements of Hunter Greene in a week and Nick Lodolo 10 days behind that might be too little too late. Not to mention the lone trade deadline addition of depth reliever Sam Moll looking like too little at that time.
Sunday’s damage meant that since the start of the Reds’ recently concluded 1-5 homestand, the bullpen has allowed 16 earned runs in 26 innings (5.54 ERA) and been charged with the Reds’ last three losses.
By contrast, the Reds’ rotation over the past five games: 6 innings per start with a 1.84 ERA and 2-0 record — the Reds’ only two wins this month.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bullpen cracking, Cincinnati Reds fading, lose 9th of 11 in Pittsburgh
