Pirates
Pirates Pummeled 11-5 by Reds in Series Opener in Cincinnati

Bailey Falter was perfect through the first three innings of his start for the Pittsburgh Pirates but the Cincinnati Reds finally got to him in the fourth.
After Falter exited, the Pirates’ bullpen continued to get pummeled by the Reds’ offense in an 11-5 loss at Great American Ballpark on Monday night.
Falter (3-6) was knocked out after the fourth inning after allowing five runs, four of which were earned.
Spencer Steer doubled home a pair, and two batters later, Stuart Fairchild doubled home two more to give the Reds (37-41) a 4-1 lead. Levi Jordan, who was making his MLB debut, hit a sac fly to right for Cincinnati’s fifth run of the inning.
The Reds plated two more runs in the in the bottom of the fifth off of Justin Bruihl. Elly De La Cruz singled home Jonathan India and Steer drove in his third run of the night with a single to center.
De La Cruz capped off a four-run sixth inning for the Reds with a two-run home run to center field. Earlier in the frame, Luke Maile recorded an RBI single and India plated him with a double to left. All four runs were charged to Daulton Jefferies.
Bryan Reynolds put the Pirates (37-41) ahead 1-0 with a single to right field in the third inning. It extended Reynolds’ hitting streak to 21 games, the longest by a Pirates’ player since 2003. Reynolds finished with a pair of hits and reached base three times.
Oneil Cruz hit a 458-foot two-run home run to right-center in the seventh and finished with a pair of hits and three RBIs.
Oneil Cruz 112.3 mph off the bat 🔥
He is slugging 1.028 (37 total bases in 36 ABs) with the pitcher behind in the count this season, 3rd best in MLB; League Avg: .602.#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/iy66nQ5oqJ
— Inside Edge (@IE_MLB) June 25, 2024
Edward Olivares went 3 for 3 with a walk, his second three-hit game of the season. Yasmani Grandal singled home a run for the Pirates in the fifth.
Carson Spiers (1-1) earned his first major-league win thanks to a quality start. He allowed three runs in six innings pitched.
The Pirates loaded the bases in the ninth inning but Nick Gonzales struck out against Justin Wilson to end the game.
Up Next
Mitch Keller (8-4, 3.11 ERA) will start for the Pirates as they look to bounce back on Tuesday night. Hard-throwing right-hander Hunter Greene (5-2, 3.35 ERA) will pitch for the Reds. First pitch: 7:10 ET.
News and Notes
- Right-hander Dennis Santana was removed from the game after being struck with a line drive. He’s being treated for a right arm contusion and is day-to-day.
- The Pirates reinstated Ji Hwan Bae from the 10-day injured list (right wrist sprain) and optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis.