Nothing about this one was settled quietly. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh traded the lead five times, and the game's fate hinged on a bases-shaking eighth inning that produced seven combined runs before the Reds finally came out ahead, 8-7.

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Sal Stewart was at the center of it. He went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs, including the two runs he drove in himself with a two-run shot to center in the fourth inning that put Cincinnati ahead 3-5. He added a single in the eighth that plated two more runs and tied the game before later scoring himself on the play that gave the Reds the lead for good.

The decisive sequence came in the eighth. Pittsburgh had surged ahead 7-5 on consecutive singles from Mangum and Lowe, but Cincinnati answered immediately. Stewart singled to center to bring home both Marte and McLain, tying the game at 7-7. Then Lowe grounded into a fielder's choice at third, and Stewart scored on the play as Pittsburgh's Lowe committed an error at second base, putting Cincinnati ahead 7-8 for good.

Pittsburgh starter Paul Skenes worked four innings and allowed 5 runs on 7 hits with 4 walks, striking out 7, while reliever Wilber Dotel took the loss after recording just one out and allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, on 3 hits. Reds starter Hunter Greene lasted six innings, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. Emilio Pagan picked up the win after a scoreless inning of relief, striking out one, and improved to 4-1 on the season with an ERA of 4.63.

Bryan Reynolds, Nick Gonzales and Brandon Lowe each had multi-hit games for Pittsburgh, and Jake Mangum added a solo homer among his 2-for-4 night with 2 RBIs, but the bullpens combined to allow 6 runs in the deciding eighth. The win pushed Cincinnati's win streak to two games as the Reds improved to 52-57, while Pittsburgh dropped its fourth straight to fall to 55-56.

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