The Cincinnati Reds came into Wednesday's finale of their three-game series against the San Diego Padres having just won game two in thrilling extra-inning fashion. Game two of the series finished around 1:30 a.m. for fans on the east coast, meaning the team had a chance to grab two wins on Wednesday. Unfortunately, those dreams are now dead and gone. It was another tight contest with the Padres, but in the end, Fernando Tatis Jr. reminded everyone why he is one of the best in the game, lifting his squad to a 5-4 win. There's definitely time to talk about this bullpen blowing another game, but there also needs to be time to talk about the performance of starting pitcher Brady Singer. Singer's 2026 campaign has been less than memorable. Coming into Wednesday's game, Singer had a 2-6 record with a bloated 5.89 ERA. So, in true baseball fashion, he had his best performance of the year. Can't Blame The StarterJun 10, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Brady Singer (51) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn ImagesThe Reds are basically now needing every starter to go over six innings if this team wants a chance at a victory. Both Andrew Abbott and Chase Burns were pushed past their limits in the series with the Padres. In both occasions, it felt like leaving the starters out there that long would bite the Reds. In reality, the team came out of the situation 50/50.Asking Singer to just go six innings has been a tall task. In his last five starts, Singer had only went six innings once. However, that all changed on Wednesday. When the Reds needed him most, their starter delivered. Jun 10, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Brady Singer (51) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn ImagesSinger battled through six innings in the California hit, dishing out five strikeouts, one walk, and allowing six hits, and just five earned runs. The Reds starter tossed nearly 100 pitches, ending his day with 95.It was the type of performance this team cannot waste, yet they did. A shaky bullpen did what they have done for most of the season, and let this one slip away. Some people may get annoyed with the idea of finding the positives in such times surrounding this franchise. But if we're going to dog players when they're down, then we need to celebrate them when they have a performance like Singer did on Wednesday. The Reds will have Thursday off before getting back to Great American Ball Park for a weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. While a great performance by Singer was had, it really feels like this team wasted a great chance to get back on track.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow