Bryan Reynolds is painfully aware of the prolonged struggles he and the Pirates have endured over the season's first 15 games. He also believes he might have a solution. 

"Probably need to get back on the fastball," he'd tell me tonight after the 5-2 loss to the Reds here at Great American Ball Park in which the visitors totaled four hits for a second consecutive night. "I know, for me, I feel like I'm kind of in between, so getting on the heater is going to help us lay off the other stuff and swing at the right pitches we want to swing at instead of thinking about every pitch and swinging at every pitch." 

He's hardly alone.

He went 1 for 4 with a fourth-inning single that helped keep his batting average at .203, but he also struck out swinging twice on pitches either out of the zone or on the outer edge. His swing decisions have put him in a tough place individually. 

But others have contributed to the team's 5-10 start and the worst offensive start in the franchise's 144-year history. Three regulars in tonight's lineup finished with averages at .212 or below: Reynolds, Ke'Bryan Hayes (.212) and Tommy Pham (.128). Three others are in the same situation and are joining Pham with averages below the .200 range: Endy Rodriguez (.190), Enmanuel Valdez (.174) and Alexander Canario (.125). Andrew McCutchen (.257) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (.255) are the cream of the crop with modest statistics.

Collectively, the team remains near the bottom of the league's rankings in a number of offensive categories, including average (.190; 30th), hits (95; T-26th), runs scored (50; T-23rd) and home runs (10; T-24th). They have drawn the sixth-most walks (59) in the league, but they've also compiled the third-most strikeouts (142) among MLB teams. The free passes have certainly helped matters in terms of getting runners on base, putting pressure on opposing pitchers and forcing them to throw more pitches in a particular outing. But what does it matter if strikeouts are going to be common conclusions to at-bats and hits aren't going to follow to help generate run support for the pitching staff? 

It's possible that, at times, guys try to do too much when they're struggling. They go up to the plate with the intention of sending the ball out of the ball park in hopes to sparking something rather than simply looking to make contact. Instead, they put themselves in a position where they're pressing and failing to help the team. Reynolds doesn't think that's the case in this particular situation. 

"I think it might be trying to not get out, trying not to strike out or trying not to mess up," Reynolds said. "I think that's more of it than trying to do too much."

More of an aggressive approach might benefit a group that registered four measly hits for a second straight night and has been limited to four or less runs on a whopping 13 occasions this season. That might not be a bad way to spark some life into the group, especially considering a more passive approach, one dependent on trying to draw walks and waiting out the perfect pitch, played a significant role in last year's team setting a franchise record with over 1,500 strikeouts.

"I would hope we're better than what we've shown, all of us," Reynolds said. "I know we are, we just gotta be less timid and less careful. Just be aggressive."