Chase Burns has reached some elite company in his first six starts in the majors. However, the Reds rookie right-hander is still seeking his first big-league win.

The Reds had the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, but they could only come away with one run. They squandered other chances early in the game to take the lead, before the Dodgers ultimately got the big hits in the mid-to-late innings to put the game out of reach.

All that's between the Reds and the 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline on Thursday are three key games against the superstar-laden Dodgers. But as they've often stressed as a club seeking a playoff berth, there was no looking ahead.

During batting practices over the years, Noelvi Marte would often go out to the outfield and shag fly balls. He thought that he did a pretty good job at that, so he always believed that he could play the outfield if he was asked.

The Reds have been searching for long-term consistency since the Big Red Machine days and the early 2010s. This team has the talent to set the franchise up for sustained success, but that's also going to require beating the best teams, like the Dodgers.

The Cincinnati Reds were right to be concerned about Carson Spiers, who is likely heading for surgery and will miss the rest of this season, and more.