Pirates Have Forgettable Performance vs. Reds on Otherwise Memorable Day

PITTSBURGH — All the excitement from the Pittsburgh Pirates pregame Hall of Fame festivities was short-lived. The Pirates recognized Barry Bonds, Jim Leyland and Manny Sanguillen as the three inductees in the class of 2024 on the field prior to first pitch. 

But once the festivities concluded and the game started, the Pirates were dismantled by the Cincinnati Reds, falling 10-2 at PNC Park in front of a sellout crowd at PNC Park on Saturday night.

Recap

The Reds (63-67) put up a four-spot in the top of the first inning against Jake Woodford (0-6). After back-to-back walks with one out, TJ Friedl singled home the first run of the game and Spencer Steer followed with a two-run double. Ty France capped off the big opening frame with a sacrifice fly.

The Pirates (61-68)cut the Reds’ lead in the second inning on a river ball. Rowdy Tellez connected on a two-run home run into the Allegheny for his 11th home run of the season. 

Cincinnati responded with four more runs in the fourth. Dominic Smith scored on a Will Benson single and Elly De La Cruz drove in a run with a single.

Following De La Cruz’s single, Hunter Stratton relieved Woodford. With two in scoring position, Stratton delivered a wild pitch, allowing one run to score, and catcher Joey Bart’s return throw ticked off Stratton’s glove and headed towards the backstop, which resulted in a second run. In going to retrieve the ball, Stratton slipped awkwardly and crashed up against the wall. He received medical attention and was taken off the field in a medical cart with what appeared to be a left leg injury.

The Reds scored two more runs in the sixth inning off of Ben Heller. De La Cruz and Tyler Stephenson both recorded RBI-singles to extend Cincinnati’s lead to the final tally of 10-2.

Key Moment

Steer’s double in the first inning ensured the Reds would have a big opening frame and served as an early knockout punch.

Star of the Game

Reds rookie starter Julian Aguilar (1-0) held the Pirates to two runs in six innings pitched and earned the first win of his career.

Stat to Know

Woodford had allowed one earned run across 11 innings through his first two starts with the Pirates. Over his last two, the right-hander has been tagged for 12 earned runs in 7.1 innings. 

Noteworthy

• With a fourth-inning double, Oneil Cruz extended his on-base streak to 16 games, the second-longest by a Pirates’ player this season.
• In addition to hitting a home run, Rowdy Tellez pitched a scoreless top of the ninth inning. It was his second-career pitching performance.

Up Next

The Pirates and Reds will conclude their four-game on Sunday afternoon. Luis Ortiz (5-4, 3.56 ERA) will pitch for the Pirates while the Reds have yet to announce a starter. First pitch: 1:35 ET.