The Cincinnati Reds used a late-inning offensive burst to break open a tight game and defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-1 in the opener of their three-game series. Strong outings from starting pitchers Nick Lodolo and Mitch Keller kept things even through six innings before Cincinnati’s bats came alive against Pittsburgh’s bullpen.
Final Score:
- Reds (25-24): 7 runs, 12 hits, 0 errors
- Pirates (15-33): 1 run, 5 hits, 1 error
- Winning Pitcher: Nick Lodolo (4-4)
- Losing Pitcher: Mitch Keller (1-6)
The Reds struck first in the opening frame when Elly De La Cruz walked and scored from first on a double by Austin Hays. The Pirates quickly answered with their own two-out rally, as Bryan Reynolds singled and scored on Joey Bart’s double off the center-field wall to tie it 1-1.
The game settled into a pitching duel with both Lodolo and Keller racking up strikeouts and getting key defensive plays behind them. Santiago Espinal and Spencer Steer made notable defensive stops for the Reds in the fifth.
In the sixth, a defensive miscue by the Pirates helped Cincinnati regain the lead. Hays reached second on an infield single and errant throw, then scored on a bloop double by Gavin Lux to make it 2-1. Lodolo finished his outing after a clean sixth, logging 89 pitches with seven strikeouts.
Lyon Richardson handled the seventh inning for Cincinnati, working around an infield single with a double play. The Reds’ offense then exploded in the eighth: TJ Friedl reached with an infield single and scored on a double by De La Cruz, followed by an RBI single from Hays to stretch the lead to 4-1.
In the ninth, Cincinnati piled on more insurance runs. Will Benson doubled and scored on a Matt McLain sac fly. Friedl added an RBI single, and De La Cruz capped the scoring with his second RBI double of the night.
Brent Suter closed out the game in the bottom of the ninth with just five pitches, securing the win and pushing the Reds above .500 as they kicked off their road trip.
