The Cincinnati Reds lost to the Miami Marlins 8-1 on Thursday. As a result, the teams split their four-game series in Miami. The Reds' lineup was unable to get anything going for the most part on Thursday, as they recorded just one run on seven hits. Reds manager Terry Francona commented on the lineup's performance after the game, via Chatterbox Sports.

"We want our guys to be aggressive, especially with fastballs," Francona said. "And then they started spinning it down below the bat, and that's when it got a little tough for us."

Sal Stewart continued to swing the bat well, as he hit a home run and went 1-3 in the game. Spencer Steer and Matt McLain both had two hits as well. Nevertheless, scoring runs was a concern on Thursday, and it's been a problem all season long.

Cincinnati is now 8-5 overall this year. Through the Reds' 13 games played, they rank last in all of MLB with only 39 total runs scored.

The ball club's offensive struggles are not especially surprising. The lineup has a number of question marks. Still, with a promising rookie in Stewart, a star in Elly De La Cruz and a reliable veteran in Eugenio Suarez, Cincinnati surely expected to perform better than they have.

Still, the Reds have found ways to win games. The pitching has been strong despite Thursday's eight runs surrendered.

Rhett Lowder, a promising right-handed pitcher, gave up five runs and eight hits in the loss.  Jose Franco entered the game in relief and he surrendered three runs across two innings.

As mentioned, pitching has been a strength overall. Cincinnati is 10th overall in team ERA with a mark of 3.43. The team is 11th in total runs allowed as well. Thursday's contest was simply a challenging overall matchup. The Reds' lineup and pitching had a forgettable performance.

With all of that being said, there is reason to have belief in this Reds team. They are winning games despite Hunter Greene's injury absence. Additionally, Nick Lodolo and Caleb Ferguson have yet to pitch in 2026.

Cincinnati is not a bad team. If the Reds are able to remain in contention throughout the season, however, they should certainly look to add a few bats ahead of the trade deadline. The offense will unquestionably need a boost in order to make a legitimate playoff run.

The Reds' next series is back in Cincinnati against the Los Angeles Angels. It is a three-game series that will begin on Friday. Overall, the team will have a six-game home stand, with a series against the San Francisco Giants following their contests with the Angels.