Pirates Hold on to Defeat Reds 2-1 For Sixth-Straight Win

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Pirates and manager Derek Shelton celebrated his new extension on Saturday night with a 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park.

Shelton, who was in the last year of his deal, had his contract extended past the 2023 season prior to first pitch.

Ke’Bryan Hayes led off the bottom of the first with a triple after center fielder Jose Barrero attempted and failed to make a highlight-reel play. Bryan Reynolds drove in Hayes on the very next pitch with a sacrifice fly to left to put the Pirates ahead 1-0 early. Hayes finished the game 2 for 4. 

Reynolds later snapped an 0 for 12 skid with a double into the right field corner in the fifth inning and doubled again in his next at-bat in the eighth.

Carlos Santana and Jack Suwinski recorded back-to-back doubles with one out in the fourth inning to extend the Pirates’ lead to 2-0.

Tucupita Marcano had his first multi-hit performance of the year. He finished the game 2 for 3 with a double.

The Reds (7-14) scored for the first time in the fifth inning when Stuart Fairchild singled to center. Center fielder Ji Hwan Bae couldn’t come up with the ball cleanly, allowing Fairchild to move up to second and Jonathan India to score all the way from first base.

The Pirates’ streak of 11 straight quality starts came to an end after it took 96 pitches for starter Rich Hill (2-2) to get through five innings.

Although the streak ended, Hill pitched a good game. He allowed only one run across his five innings, allowed six hits, walked three and tied a season-high with seven strikeouts. Hill lowered his ERA on the year to 4.85. 

Yohan Ramirez came into the game in relief of Hill and left a pair of runners stranded to preserve the Pirates’ lead. In total, the Reds left 10 runners on base.

Ramirez struck out four batters in his two scoreless innings of relief on the mound. Duane Underwood Jr., meanwhile, covered the final two innings en route to his second save of the season.

With the win, the Pirates extended their winning streak to six games, their longest such streak since winning 11 in a row in 2018.

The Pirates (15-7) will attempt to complete their second-straight series sweep on Sunday afternoon. Vince Velasquez (2-2, 5.12 ERA) will be on the mound for the Pirates and will be opposed by flamethrower Hunter Greene (0-0, 4.24 ERA). First pitch: 1:35.