Reds Rapid Reactions as the Reds are No-Hit by Blake Snell

For the first time since May 7, 2019, the Cincinnati Reds failed to record a hit in a baseball game. After 114 pitches, San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell recorded his first no-hitter as the Reds fell, 3-0.

1. Hits?

Since the All-Star Break, the Reds averaged just over seven hits per game. On two occasions, they managed 12 hits. Since July 9, that number ballooned to seven double-digit hit games.

Against Blake Snell? Zero.

The Reds managed a grand total of three baserunners on the night as their woes against left-handed pitching continue. Heading into the game, the Reds were batting .227/.306/.376 against left-handed starting pitchers.

This Reds lineup has had dry spells where they only have a few hits. On Friday night, it was the team's worst offensive performance of the season.

For the first time in his nine-year career, Snell pitched eight full innings, let alone a complete game. Even against a two-time Cy Young winner, that's an inexcusable performance. Five of Snell's 11 strikeouts were looking.

Since the All-Star Break, Snell has been one of the top pitchers in all of baseball and the Reds just ran into a buzzsaw.

2. A Solid Start From Abbott

With an offense that averages just over four runs per game, the Reds did not help out starter Andrew Abbott . He had to battle back from lengthy at-bats but he hit 90 pitches in the fifth, so David Bell pulled him.

It was the second straight start from Abbott where he did not last five innings and the third in four games. His day ended after 4 1/3 innings as he allowed seven hits and one walk that allowed a pair of runs.

Abbott did strike out eight on the day and produced 13 swings-and-misses on the day.  On any other day, a two-run outing would not be the end of the world. It just so happened that the Reds' lineup forgot to play baseball for the first seven innings, leaving him out to dry.

The Giants jumped on Abbott early and earned both runs in the second, starting with the eight-hole hitter mashing a 420-foot home run to the second deck.

Abbott hasn't been his usual self since the All-Star Break. Hopefully, Derek Johnson can identify what's ailing him and he can get right for the final stretch of the year.

3. Eliminating Peaks and Valleys

The infamous phrase used by Reds' President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall back in 2022 was that the team was working to "eliminate peaks and valleys" with their moves.

Thus far, it's pretty fair to say the peaks and valley have been eliminated and now the Reds are instead on a nice, consistent, 75/80-win plateau.

While criticizing the front office's trade deadline based on one awful outing is shortsided, it's fitting. This is about as good of an indication of what the 2024 team is.

That uphill battle to sneak into the playoffs just got steeper.