Rhett Lowder's Rough Return Raises Questions About Reds' Rotation

Momentum has been nearly impossible for Cincinnati to hold onto this season, and Saturday afternoon in Denver offered the latest proof.

One day after opening the second half with a convincing 7-2 win over the Rockies, the Reds absorbed a 10-3 beating at Coors Field in a game that got away from them almost immediately.

Rhett Lowder, back in the rotation with Nick Lodolo on the injured list because of a lingering finger blister, was charged with eight earned runs and failed to escape the third inning.

By the time the 24-year-old departed with one out in that frame, eight of Colorado's nine starters had already collected at least one hit.

The damage arrived in a hurry, highlighted by five straight two-out hits in a four-run second inning.

Lowder pointed to the Rockies' approach and his own location when he broke down the outing afterward.

"They were just being ultra-aggressive, and I was probably leaving too many pitches thick," Lowder said.

Manager Terry Francona saw a similar approach, noting the early contact was soft before missed defensive plays snowballed and his starter began elevating mistakes.

The start continued a troubling split for Lowder, who owns a 7.85 ERA in seven starts since the beginning of May despite allowing just one run over seven innings in three recent relief appearances.

The loss dropped Cincinnati to 44-53, a season-high nine games under .500, and the club's 24-42 record since May 1 is the worst in baseball.

The Reds have not won consecutive games since late June, an almost unbelievable drought for a roster that sent two players to the All-Star Game.

The rotation depth problem behind that skid is real, as Lodolo's move to the injured list forced Lowder back into a role where he has struggled all year.

Francona kept his message forward-looking after the game, stressing that the club has to learn from days like this one and simply play better the next afternoon.

The Reds did receive one piece of genuinely good news Saturday, since ace Chase Burns signed a seven-year, $105 million extension hours before first pitch.

The two young pitchers are close friends who arrived in the organization carrying similar expectations, and one of them celebrated a life-changing contract on the same day the other watched his ERA climb again.

Burns has been one of the few dependable arms on the staff, and locking him up gives the front office a foundation to build around.

Cincinnati closes the series in Denver on Sunday afternoon with a chance to take the set, and a road series win would be a small step toward the cleaner baseball Francona keeps asking his young club to play.