The Cincinnati Reds did not have a position player pitch on Sunday in Pittsburgh. They did not get shelled 9-1, or walk seven consecutive batters in a 17-7 drubbing.
The Reds instead watched their brightest young star turn in precisely the kind of outing they needed after their starters and bullpen had been torched the previous two days by the Pirates. Chase Burns, today’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game, pitched into the 8th inning for the first time in his career, holding the Pirates scoreless
for 7 frames to begin the game while allowing just 2 hits, a walk, and striking out 7.
Despite being at 89 pitches at the end of the 7th, Burns was sent out for the Bottom of the 8th by manager Terry Francona. It was already the longest outing of Burns career, but veteran righty Marcell Ozuna was in the batter’s box, and Burns had handled him twice already on the day. Francona was surely trying to get a quick IP out of his resident ace, wary of leaning on his bullpen yet again on Sunday, but Ozuna fought off a Burns offering for a broken-bat single that ultimately ended Burns’ day.
And, as the weekend fates would have it, reliever Tony Santillan couldn’t keep the Pirates off the board after taking the mound even after getting a roll-over double play to retire that batter. Konnor Griffin smoked a double and later came in to score on a single by Oneil Cruz, the game’s lone run plated for the Pirates, not the Reds.
Cincinnati went easily in the Top of the 9th, and the 1-0 loss wrapped up a sweep by the Pirates at the Reds expense.
Cincinnati’s offense mustered just 4 hits on the day, with Jose Trevino’s double in the Top of the 8th the lone of the extra-base variety. That actually chased Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft and the Reds had runners on 2B and 3B (Spencer Steer had singled in front of Trevino), but the Reds couldn’t get a run across the plate. The key PA came with a pair of outs in that inning and lefty Gregory Soto on the mound in relief, as Francona opted to let TJ Friedl hit instead of pinch-hitting for him with right-handed hitter Dane Myers.
Friedl struck out, and that ended Cincinnati’s lone, best chance.
The Reds head to Chicago later this evening and will take on a rolling Chicago Cubs team that now sits atop the NL Central. Buckle up!
