This one was decided before Pittsburgh's lineup turned over twice. Cincinnati scored three runs in the first, one in the second and three more in the third, and by the time the Pirates found their footing, the deficit was already 0-7. The Reds cruised from there, winning 10-2 at Great American Ball Park.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| CIN | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 10 | 10 | 0 |
Chase Burns was the driving force on the mound, working 6.0 innings and allowing just 1 run (1 earned) on 2 hits while striking out 9 with 2 walks. He improved to 13-1 on the season, carrying a 2.35 ERA. The Reds bullpen closed it out from there, covering 3.0 innings and allowing 1 run.
Sal Stewart opened the scoring with a solo homer to left in the first inning, a 420-foot shot that gave Cincinnati the lead for good. Stephenson doubled home Bleday later in the frame, and Lowe added a single to score Stephenson, capping a three-run first. Ke'Bryan Hayes went deep in the second, a 429-foot blast to center, and the Reds broke it further open in the third when McLain's sacrifice fly brought in Lowe before De La Cruz singled in Myers and Marte. Cincinnati tacked on more in the fourth via doubles from Lowe and Myers, and Stephenson's homer in the eighth put the finishing touch on the scoring.
Mitch Keller lasted just 2.0 innings for Pittsburgh, allowing 7 runs, all earned, on 6 hits with 4 walks. He fell to 6-8 with a 5.29 ERA. The Pirates bullpen did steady things afterward, covering 6.0 innings and allowing 3 runs, but the early hole was too deep. Bryan Reynolds drove in a run with a single in the fourth, and Jared Triolo's single in the eighth brought home another, but Pittsburgh's offense never threatened a real rally against a lineup and pitching staff that had already dictated the terms.
The win snapped a losing streak for Cincinnati, which improved to 53-58. Pittsburgh, held to just 4 hits on the night, fell to 56-57 with the loss. Keller entered the game 19 innings shy of 500 career innings pitched and two wins shy of 50 career victories, marks that will have to wait for his next turn.