Kirk Herbstreit tuned in hoping for a turnaround, but left feeling betrayed by the same old storyline. The Cincinnati Reds, clinging to postseason hopes, opened their series in Colorado with a 3-2 loss to the Rockies on Friday night. Despite a quality performance from their pitching staff, the offense failed to deliver when it mattered most. For Herbstreit, a devoted Reds fan and ESPN analyst, this wasn’t just another frustrating night; it was the tipping point.

What followed wasn’t your standard fan complaint. It was raw and emotional. Herbstreit, who has been watching this team through countless rebuilds and transformations, took to social media to let loose years of frustration. And this time, he didn’t aim at ownership or front-office decisions. Instead, he called out the players directly, forcefully, and with a challenge.

“This ballclub has enough talent to make it to the postseason,” he wrote in an X post. “That’s what’s so frustrating, watching them every day. Their pitching alone gives me a real opportunity. But the hitting obviously has been VERY inconsistent for YEARS and painful to watch.”

The post, which quickly went viral among Reds fans, wasn’t just about one game. It was a boiling-over of years of watching the same movie on repeat, where strong arms deliver, but the bats vanish. Herbstreit didn’t aim at ownership this time. In fact, he went the opposite direction. “I know the easy answer for @Reds fans is to blame ownership for everything—I get it,” he wrote. “But this ballclub has enough talent to make it to the postseason.”

He shifted the spotlight squarely on the players, particularly questioning the lack of an emotional anchor in the clubhouse. “Who is this team’s leader?” he asked. “When was the last time the Reds had an alpha in that locker room? You gotta go ALLLLLL the way back to Scott Rolen.”

That sting wasn’t lost on anyone. Scott Rolen last played for the Reds over a decade ago, and Herbstreit’s suggestion that they’ve lacked leadership ever since is more than a dig; it’s a diagnosis. Even with manager Terry Francona in the dugout, Herbstreit sees a team that drifts when games get tight and no one steps up. The heartbreak in his message came wrapped in sarcasm and self-awareness: “And my dumbass just keeps turning on Fan Duel Sports Network EVERY DAY hoping this nightmare will stop, and it never does.”

What Herbstreit ultimately demands is something no analytics sheet can measure: urgency. Fight. Accountability. “Somebody get PISSED OFF and demand more,” he wrote. “Somebody. Anybody. BE A LEADERRRR!!!!!!!”

The Reds may still have time to turn things around, but after this, they can’t say their fans are the problem. They’re the ones still showing up. Still watching. Still waiting.

Pitching can’t carry the Reds forever

Cincinnati’s arms have been the one saving grace this season, even when the offense sputters. Rookie Chase Burns fired six innings with 10 strikeouts in Friday’s 3-2 loss to Colorado, but Reds hitters managed just five measly hits and left runners stranded in eight of the nine innings. You can feel the pitchers dialing it up, but when top batters like Austin Hays and Gavin Lux go home hitless, those gems just vanish.

A few days earlier, Nick Lodolo spun six innings and eight K’s against the Phillies, yet the offense offered a single run via Kyle Schwarber’s solo homer. They dropped a 5–1 decision, despite Lodolo weaving a masterclass and the bullpen doing its job. That’s not a fluke, it’s a trend: the pitching staff keeps handing polished starts to the team, and the bats deliver duds.

Miami exposed the Reds’ offensive impotence even more starkly. On July 8, Marlins starter Janson Junk stifled them to just one hit and held their bats scoreless over six innings as Cincinnati fell 5–1. Rookie Brady Singer helped dig the hole, but the bigger disaster came on the bases, a mishandled throw by third baseman Noelvi Marte let a run score, and Tyler Stephenson later gifted another with a wild toss. Those are the sort of glaring mistakes you don’t win ballgames with, even when the pitching gives you a chance.

When pitchers like Burns, Lodolo, Singer, and even vets like Andrew Abbott deliver clutch starts week after week, fans expect the lineup to show up. Instead, we’re seeing missed opportunities, mental blunders, and innings wasted. You can’t ride an ace’s arm six out of seven nights and expect wins. Eventually, those silent bats will sink the season, and the franchise might run out of excuses before the headlines do.