You can point to a number of different torpedoes that sunk the 2021 Cincinnati Reds. Seasons as long as 162 games provide ample opportunity for failure, and with 79 losses on the books, there were certainly plenty of reasons why things went south. The bullpen rightly held much of the early blame, while the untimely injury to Jesse Winker seemed to sap the will of the offense late.
As things petered out completely late in the season, though, it was the stretch that saw the Reds up against left-handed starter after left-handed starter that seemed to sink them on the biggest of stages, when their backs were against the same wall as the writing.