KSReds: Cincinnati Reds Bats Go Cold, Swept by Pirates

On3 imageby:Brandon Ramsey04/23/23

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Allowing just 12 runs across four games should equate to at least a couple of wins. However, the Cincinnati Reds only scored six runs combined in those four games. The lack of offense led to a four-game sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cincinnati has now lost six straight to fall to 7-15 while Pittsburgh has won seven straight to move to 16-7. These two National League Central teams are trending in polar opposite directions.

Things just kept getting worse throughout the series against the Pirates. After nearly completing a comeback on Thursday night, the Reds scored just two runs on Friday and one run on Saturday. Then, the series culminated with an ugly four-hit shutout on Sunday in a 2-0 loss.

The Reds will mercifully head back to Great American Ball Park for some interleague play against the Texas Rangers. Nick Lodolo is set to go on Monday even with a 6:40 p.m. EST first pitch. He will be looking to bounce from his first poor start of the season. Luke Weaver and Graham Ashcraft will take the ball on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The Rangers enter the series with a 14-7 record having won six of their last seven games.

Late Comeback Attempts Falls Short

Luke Weaver made a spot start in the Cincinnati Reds rotation on Thursday night and it did not go well. He was smacked around for four runs in the first inning including back-to-back home runs to Connor Joe and Jack Suwinski. That early 4-0 lead proved to be all the Pittsburgh Pirates needed.

There was nothing happening at the plate for the Reds until Jason Vosler singled up the middle in the seventh to score Jake Fraley. Jonathan India and Spencer Steer each drove in runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 4-3. Pittsburgh brought the infield in with a runner on third and just one out, but Cincinnati couldn’t push the tying run across the plate. The one-run loss dropped the Reds to 7-12 on the season.

Lack of Run Support Dooms Reds Once Again

It wasn’t Graham Ashcraft’s best outing of the season. However, allowing just two runs in five innings certainly gives your ball club a chance to win. Walks from the bullpen and some sloppy defense allowed two more runs to cross on the way to a 4-2 win for the Pirates.

At the plate, the Cincinnati Reds managed just five hits on the evening. Mitch Keller kept the Reds bats quiet through six innings of work, moving to 2-0 on the season. The two runs came via a Nick Senzel RBI single and a Jose Barrero sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. It was a story once again of too little offense to back up a “good enough” performance by the pitching staff.

Reds Offense Remains Cold in Another One Run Loss

When your pitching staff only allows two runs you should expect to win the game. That was even more important on Saturday with Luis Cessa as the starting pitcher. There are only going to be so many opportunities to win when someone not named Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, or Graham Ashcraft is pitching. The Cincinnati Reds pitching staff did their job on Saturday, as they did all series, but came away with nothing to show for it.

Ke’Bryan Hayes led the game off with a triple and Bryan Reynolds brought him home on a sacrifice fly. Jack Suwinski doubled in a run in the fourth to make it 2-0 and that would be all the run support Pittsburgh would need. Cincinnati answered with a run in the top of the fifth, but they couldn’t claw any closer than that 2-1 score. Another frustrating loss in a very frustrating series against the Pirates.

Cold Bats Hit Rock Bottom in Sixth Straight Loss

The Cincinnati Reds’ offense just kept getting worse during their four games in Pittsburgh. They couldn’t win with three runs on Thursday, two runs on Friday, or one run on Saturday. Obviously, the goose egg on the scoreboard on Sunday afternoon didn’t get it done either. The Reds wasted a strong outing from Hunter Greene by scratching together just four hits and striking out 13 times.

Vince Velasquez dominated the Reds lineup, allowing just two hits while striking out 10 in seven shutout innings. The Pirates pushed one across in the first inning and Jack Suwinski continued his strong weekend with a RBI double in the eighth. However, that insurance run would prove unnecessary as Colin Holderman and David Bednar slammed the door shut.

Just as the Reds have dropped six straight games the Pittsburgh Pirates have now won seven straight. They are tied atop the National League Central with a 16-7 record.

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2024-03-27