Reds Edge Pirates in High-Scoring Affair at Great American Ball Park

MLB · FINAL · Great American Ball Park

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
PIT	2	1	0	0	1	0	0	3	0	7	12	1
CIN	2	0	1	2	0	0	0	3	-	8	12	0

Game Recap

The Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Cincinnati Reds 8-7 in a thrilling back-and-forth contest at Great American Ball Park. The Reds secured the win by leveraging a balanced offensive attack and key relief pitching, despite a late surge from the Pirates' lineup. The game featured significant contributions from both sides as the teams battled through pitching changes and key scoring opportunities throughout the nine innings.

Pittsburgh starter Paul Skenes faced difficulty on the mound, surrendering 7 hits and 5 runs across 4.0 innings, including allowing 2 home runs. The Pirates' bullpen attempted to stabilize the situation, with Antwone Kelly providing 3.0 solid innings, allowing only 2 hits and no runs. However, the game turned in the later innings when Wilber Dotel struggled, giving up 3 hits and 3 runs in just 0.1 innings of work, effectively providing the Reds the cushion they needed to maintain their lead.

Cincinnati's Hunter Greene navigated through 6.0 innings, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits. While the Pirates mounted a comeback effort against the Reds' bullpen, including a 2-run rally against Caleb Ferguson and an additional run charged to Pierce Johnson, Emilio Pagan ultimately closed the door in his 1.0 inning of work to preserve the one-run victory for Cincinnati.

Key Performances

The Reds' offense was spearheaded by Sal Stewart, who delivered an explosive performance, going 2-for-5 with a home run and 4 RBIs. JJ Bleday also provided a spark, going 1-for-3 with a home run, 2 runs scored, and 2 walks. Noelvi Marte contributed significantly with 3 hits in 4 at-bats, while Tyler Stephenson added an RBI and scored a run after drawing 2 walks.

On the Pirates' side, Jake Mangum led the charge at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs. Brandon Lowe provided a consistent threat by going 3-for-5 with an RBI, and Nick Gonzales chipped in by going 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Despite these efforts, including Bryan Reynolds going 2-for-5 and Henry Davis adding an RBI, Pittsburgh was unable to complete the comeback.

Box Score