The pouring ran, lightning and tornado sirens weren't exactly ideal conditions for scouts and baseball executives hoping to get a look at Cincinnati Reds players they might make a move for.
With less than two days ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline at 6 p.m., the Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates played through all that and more through five-and-a-half innings before the umpiring crew finally signaled for the tarp around 8:20 p.m.
But for more than five innings, the weather was deemed suitable, even when Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott was visibly slipping off the mound at Great American Ball Park during a costly, rain-soaked third inning.
One of the final games the current Reds roster will play together prior to a possible trade-deadline sell-off
was marred by the weather. The Pirates took the contest 4-1, and the visitors did the most damage against Abbott in the water-logged third inning.
Abbott walked four in the third. Two walks came with no outs and the bases loaded, allowing the Pirates to go ahead 2-0. A groundout drove in a third run for Pittsburgh in the frame.
Fighting what looked like a slick mound at times, Abbott battled to get through five innings, allowing only the three runs that crossed in the third inning. He finished with five walks and three hits against one strikeout.
The Reds' are scheduled to play their final home game ahead of the trade deadline Sunday, Aug. 2 against the Pirates at 1:40 p.m.
That could very well be the final time several current players take to the field or don the Reds uniform.
Among the Reds facing trade speculation, pitcher Brady Singer made his final start ahead of the deadline July 29 against the Cleveland Guardians.
Nathaniel Lowe went 1-for-4 against the Pirates, as did Eugenio Suárez, who doubled in the seventh inning. Catcher Tyler Stephenson was on the bench in favor of Jose Trevino.
Reliever Caleb Ferguson tossed a scoreless ninth inning for Cincinnati while other possible trade candidates, Brock Burke and Pierce Johnson, didn't enter the Aug. 1 game.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds drop game to Pirates marred by weather, punch-less offense
