- Cincinnati Reds first MLB team in 64 years to lose three straight 1-0 games
- Nestor Cortes allows only one hit across six innings after disastrous Yankees start
- Brewers capitalize on Nick Lodolo's fourth-inning fielding error for sole run
In a stunning display of pitching resilience, Nestor Cortes silenced critics with a masterful six-inning performance Thursday night at American Family Field. The Milwaukee Brewers left-hander, humiliated during his previous outing against the Yankees, limited Cincinnati to a single hit while striking out six batters. This dominant showing comes exactly five days after Cortes surrendered home runs on his first three pitches - a statistical anomaly last seen in 2019.
The Cincinnati Reds continue rewriting MLB record books for all the wrong reasons. Their current 1-0 loss streak marks the longest such sequence since the Philadelphia Phillies' May 1960 campaign. Historical data reveals only six occurrences of this peculiar three-game shutout pattern, with four happening before the live-ball era. Manager David Bell's squad now joins the 1908 St. Louis Cardinals and 1917 Philadelphia Athletics in this unwanted fraternity.
Milwaukee's victory hinged on strategic small-ball execution. Rookie Jackson Chourio sparked the fourth-inning rally with a ground-rule double before advancing on Lodolo's fielding miscue. Sal Frelick delivered the decisive RBI single with two outs - a textbook example of clutch hitting that's becoming rare in today's home-run obsessed game. The Brewers' bullpen preserved the narrow lead with three scoreless relief innings, showcasing their NL Central-best 2.98 ERA in late-game situations.
Industry analysts note several concerning trends for Cincinnati:
- 26% drop in hard-contact rate with runners in scoring position
- Bullpen's 4.11 ERA ranks 24th league-wide
- 15% increase in defensive errors since April
Regional Impact: Milwaukee's pitching development system deserves recognition for Cortes' turnaround. The Brewers' proprietary PitchLab technology, implemented across their Wisconsin minor league affiliates, helped Cortes refine his slider spin rate by 178 RPMs since his Yankees debacle. This Midwestern innovation hub continues producing cost-effective pitching talent, crucial for small-market teams competing against big spenders.
As the series continues, all eyes remain on Cincinnati's offensive struggles. The Reds haven't scored in 27 consecutive innings - their longest drought since 2015. With Milwaukee's pitching staff boasting a 1.89 ERA at home, Cincinnati faces mounting pressure to adjust their launch-angle focused approach against low-ball specialists.