HOUSTON -- The Reds’ road trip struggles continued from Atlanta to Houston on Friday night.
Nick Martinez pitched well over six innings, but Cincinnati was shut out for the sixth time this season in a 3-0 loss to the Astros.
The Reds have lost six of their last seven games -- including four of five on this seven-game road trip -- to fall two games below .500. Cincinnati has scored one run or fewer four times in those seven games.
“I try to just keep it game to game, because that’s how I feel,” Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said when asked about the current stretch. “I think you can start to get yourself into a bad mood when you start to think like that. Every day is going to be a new day. We’ve got to figure out a way tomorrow to make it a better day.”
Martinez was in and out of trouble throughout the night, but he surrendered three runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts.
“I just kept making pitches,” Martinez said. “Early in the game, there was some missed execution on some of the sliders and fastballs, and they got some base hits. Bad luck happened on some executed pitches. You just have to keep grinding and keep making pitches.”
Martinez wouldn’t say he was “pleased” with his outing.
“Today was one of those days you just have to roll with the punches and keep making pitches,” Martinez said. “I was trying to go deep.”
It marked the fifth time this season Martinez has allowed three runs or fewer.
“His stuff is always very consistent,” Francona said. “I think Houston did a really good job of consistently putting pressure on him. They didn’t strike out. They put balls in play. They got down to first. They put pressure on us the entire night.”
The Reds were patient against Houston’s pitching, drawing five walks, but they had only four hits -- three singles and a double by Tyler Stephenson in the ninth.
Cincinnati never got a runner past second base, finishing 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. The Reds left nine runners on base.
“We did a good job of trying to get [Astros' starter Hunter Brown's] pitch count up,” Francona said. “We competed. It’s a little easier when you’re sitting in the dugout to say, ‘Lay off,’ when that guy is throwing 99 [mph], but we tried. We took five walks, so we had baserunners.”
Things might get a bit worse for the Reds before they get better as Jake Fraley was scratched less than 30 minutes before first pitch with left calf tenderness.
Fraley went through pregame warmups before being scratched. An injured list stint is a possibility, according to Francona.
“We talked to Jake and we were like, ‘We appreciate you trying to push this,’ but what are the chances he plays tonight and he doesn’t feel good tomorrow?” Francona said. “So if we IL him tomorrow, we can push it back three days. He could be available next Friday I believe, and hopefully, feel better. That’s the idea.”
One possibility if Fraley ends up on the injured list is Connor Joe, who was acquired Friday from San Diego for Minor League right-hander Andrew Moore and cash considerations.
Joe has spent the majority of this season with Triple-A El Paso where he hit .267 and drove in four runs in 16 games. He appeared in seven games for the Padres this season, going 0-for-9.
“He’s a guy who can play first and the outfield,” Francona said. “He’s a veteran bat. He’s got a good reputation. I’ve always kind of liked him. I’m thrilled we picked him up. I just need to look at it a little closer.”
For now, Francona is confident the Reds are “going to figure it out.”
His team feels the same way.
“We’re going through it right now,” Martinez said. “Kind of teeter totter, but you can’t give in. You just have to keep working. Don’t fall into that slide. Just keep battling. We’re still showing some heart and competing, so that’s a good sign.”