Heaney’s Hiccup Costs Pirates in Second-Straight Loss to Reds

One bad sequence from Andrew Heaney in the third inning was enough to cost the Pittsburgh Pirates in their 5-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Saturday night.

How We Got There

Heaney (0-1) easily navigated his way through the first two innings but got himself in trouble in the third.

With two outs and a runner on second base, Heaney plunked back-to-back hitters to load the bases for Elly De La Cruz. On a 3-2 pitch, De La Cruz hit a 388-foot grand slam to put the Reds (7-8) up 4-0.

Alexander Canario led off the fifth inning with his first Pirate home run, a 402-foot blast to straightaway center. Canario’s homer was the lone run the Pirates (5-10) scored against Andrew Abbott, who was making his season debut.

Plakata! 💥 Primer HR de Alexander Canario como Pirata! pic.twitter.com/vDEHAt7at0

— Los Piratas (@piratasbeisbol) April 13, 2025

After a Canario walk in the seventh, Enmanuel Valdez split the gap in right-center for an RBI double to cut the Reds’ lead in half.

But Valdez giveth and Valdez taketh away. In the bottom of the inning, the Pirates had a double-play ball that would have ended the inning. Instead, Valdez dropped a throw at second from shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa, which not only extended the inning but allowed a run to score.

Emilio Pagán saved his fourth game of the season.

Key Moment

De La Cruz’s big blast was the difference. The Pirates were one pitch away from ending the inning. Instead, the faced a four-run deficit. When the offense can’t get going — or even when they can — that’s a massive swing.

ON HIS BOBBLEHEAD NIGHT ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/eRladdSKXT

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 12, 2025

Star of the Game

Abbott (1-0), who missed the start of the season with a rotator cuff injury, held the Pirates to one run in 5.0 innings. At this point, it feels like the star of the game will be whichever pitcher is facing the Pirates’ offense that day.

Notable Pirates’ Performers

• Andrew Heaney: 6.0 innings, three hits, four runs, two walks, six strikeouts, 89 pitches/56 strikes
• Tim Mayza: 1.2 innings, no hits, no runs, no walks, one strikeout, 23 pitches/17 strikes
• Alexander Canario: 1 for 2, one home run, one RBI, one run, two walks
• Enmanuel Valdez: 1 for 3, one double, one RBI

Stat to Know

De La Cruz’s grand slam off Heaney was the fifth the left-hander has allowed in his career and the first since 4/2/21 to Jose Abreu. Heaney was pitching for the Angels at the time. The other three slams against Heaney all came in 2018.

Noteworthy

• The Pirates recalled C Henry Davis from Triple-A Indianapolis and optioned RHP Chase Shugart.

Up Next

RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (1-1, 5.19 ERA) will get the ball for the Pirates in the series finale on Sunday. Hard-throwing RHP Hunter Greene (1-1, 1.31 ERA) will start for the Reds. First pitch: 6:40 p.m. ET.