Final Score: Pirates 4 Reds 2
Why The Pirates Won: Thanks to great pitching, the Pirates won their 3rd game in a row. They had a 4-run 2nd inning highlighted by a big 2-out, 2-run homer by Oneil Cruz. Johan Oviedo had another interesting 4 and 2/3 innings. He gave up 2 runs on just 2 hits; however, one hit was a 2-run homer by Elly De La Cruz. He struck out 7 but walked 3. For whatever reason, he was not allowed to get the third out of the 5th inning, having thrown only 82 pitches. The Reds helped out by getting thrown out at 2nd base on a ball that bounced away from new catcher Rafael Flores. He made a spectacular play to throw out the runner. This was the beginning of many missed opportunities for the Reds. The AAA boys did okay. They went 3 for 12 with a run scored and 3 strikeouts. It was the pitching staff that shone again. The bullpen gave up 3 hits over the last 4 innings. They struck out 3 with no walks. Hunter Barco made his major league debut. He was obviously nervous but hung in there, giving up 0 runs on 2 hits.
Key Moments Of The Game: As good as the Pirate pitching was, the Reds batters were definitely pressing. Against Barco, they had the 1st and 3rd with 2 outs. Matt McLain rolled over a slider to ground out to short to end the inning. This pattern would prove even more costly in the last 3 innings. To start the 7th, Will Benson struck out on a pitch that was so bad it hit him and rolled to the backstop. One out later, Sal Stewart rolled over a sinker to short for a double play. In the bottom of the 8th, the Reds opened with a single. One out later, Miguel Andujar took an inside fastball and grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. The bottom of the 9th saw the nightmare continue. The Reds got a one-out walk. McLain did it again. This time he took an outside slider and pulled it right to third. The 5-4-3 double play was routine and the game was over. The uptight Reds grounded into double plays in 3 consecutive innings. Contending for a playoff spot is a bitch, man.
Next Game: Tonight Reds in Cincinnati. The big guns go tonight. Paul Skenes faces Hunter Greene. For whatever reason, the Pirates have not done badly against Greene. This comes under the heading of a must-win for the Reds. Right now, they trail the Mets by one game in the wild card. The Diamondbacks are tied with the Reds. If the Reds lose tonight and the Mets win, then they would be 2 games back with just 4 to play. The Reds will have to find a way to beat the best pitcher in baseball. It is a big chore for a team that is really feeling the pressure. At least we have an interesting game to watch down the stretch.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 