Pirates Blow Late Lead, Fall to Reds 6-5 in Extra Innings

PITTSBURGH— The Pirates dropped the game and the series against the Cincinnati Reds, splitting their doubleheader with a 6-5 extra innings loss. Bryan Reynolds hit a pair of home runs but the Pirates’ bullpen couldn’t hold on to a late-inning lead. 

Recap:

Three of Pittsburgh’s (53-65) first four batters reached: a Bryan Reynolds homer, an Andrew McCutchen walk and a Jack Suwinski double. Henry Davis hit a sacrifice fly to open a 2-0 lead.

Cincinnati (62-58) tied the game with a two-out rally in the second, with catcher Luke Maile continuing his hot weekend at the plate with a two-run double. 

The Pirates wasted no time taking the lead back, as Liover Peguero led off the bottom of the frame with a homer.

Reds’ infielder Elly De La Cruz did Peguero one better in the third with a 442-foot bomb that made it 3-3.

Davis doubled, Endy Rodríguez singled, and Peguero gave Pittsburgh a 4-3 lead with another single in the fourth.

Called up for the second game of the doubleheader, 27th man Cody Bolton entered with one on and no outs in the sixth. He forced a double play, then allowed two singles and a walk to juice the bases. After a series of borderline pitches were called balls, home plate umpire Nic Lentz tossed Pirates’ manager Derek Shelton, pitching coach Oscar Marin and bench coach Don Kelly from the game. Bolton then forced a lineout to escape the frame unscathed.

After being incensed by another close call in the fifth inning, Reynolds hit his second home run of the game in the seventh, putting Pittsburgh up 5-3.

Lead Lost

Joey Votto led off the eighth with a double, taking third on a wild pitch. Davis allowed a fly ball to slip out of his glove, letting the Reds pull within a run free of charge. A double tied the game 5-5.

After a pop up fell in no man’s land between second and right, Cincinnati’s Manfred Man scored on a fielder’s choice in the tenth.

Reds’ right-hander Daniel Duarte retired the side for the save in the bottom of the frame.

Key Moment:

The Reds rallied to tie the game with one out in the eighth, eventually going on to win.

Star of the Game:

Reynolds, who went 2-for-5 with two home runs. He also robbed De La Cruz of extra bases with a sliding catch in the ninth.

Stat of Interest:

Reynolds’ multi-homer game was the second of his season and fifth of his career.

Noteworthy:

Bryan Reynolds has four home runs in the last seven days, going 10-for-26 in that time.

Andre Jackson allowed his first earned runs as a Pirate, giving up three across 3.2 innings.

Peguero’s home run marked the second by a Pirates’ rookie on the day following Jared Triolo’s first career homer. 

Up Next: 

The Pirates head to Queens to take on the New York Mets at 7:10 pm Monday. Pittsburgh hasn’t announced their starter, while the Mets will roll with right-hander Carlos Carrasco (3-6, 6.42 ERA).