Francona Holds Rare Talk as Reds Slide to 31-33 After Cardinals Sweep

The meeting signals urgent effort to halt a bullpen collapse that has left the team thin before a San Diego road trip.

Overview

The Reds were swept in St. Louis on Sunday and have lost four straight games to fall to 31-33, pushing them just below .500.
Manager Terry Francona called an unscheduled, brief meeting that urged belief, urgency and a refusal to let the clubhouse become gloomy after late losses.
Cincinnati's bullpen has repeatedly failed in late innings this season, a weakness that helped trigger an eight-game losing streak in May and the current skid.
The roster is undermined by injuries to key arms and position players, including Hunter Greene, closer Emilio Pagán, setup men Graham Ashcraft and Pierce Johnson, and shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
De La Cruz is progressing in rehab with light jogging and is awaiting an MRI to set a return timetable as the team departs for a challenging West Coast series.