To Pittsburgh, offense is just a word in the dictionary. They’ve now gone 24 straight games without scoring more than four runs. And they’ve lost 17 of their last 21.
Under a barrage of seven doubles, the Reds matched their season’s best with a five-game winning streak and climbed over .500 at 26-25.
The Reds had lost five of Nick Lodolo’s last six starts, mostly because they gave him slim run support, but he painted his sixth quality start Monday.
With a change-up that hugged the knees, Lodolo struck out seven and induced seven ground ball outs, holding the Pirates to one run and four hits over six innings.
But for him, it was not as easy as the score indicates. The Reds only owned a 2-1 lead when he left, but they ravaged the Pittsburgh bullpen for two runs in the eighth and three in the ninth.
Austin Hays produced three hits that included two doubles and a pair of RBIs. Elly De La Cruz also doubled twice, scored twice and drove in two.
But the big news? Will Benson did not hit a home run, ending his streak of homering in four straight games.
And he was 0 for 3 when he led the eighth inning. Did he go for a home run? No, he slapped an opposite field double down the left field line, extending his hitting streak to seven games.
Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller retired the first two Reds, but he walked De La Cruz and Hays doubled to left.
De La Cruz never stopped, scoring from first base.
“It’s hard not to be impressed when Elly scored from first,” said manager Tito Francona. “He’s the only guy in the league, I think, who could do that.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Lodolo struck out the first two Pirates in the bottom of the first, then Bryan Reynolds rolled a 40-foot infield single up the third base line and Joey Bart sent one off the top of the center field wall for a run-scoring double.
It stayed 1-1 until the sixth when the Reds scored a run after they had two outs and nobody on.
Hays beat an infield single to shortstop and took second on a wild throw to first and scored on a double by Gavin Lux to make it 2-1.
That’s the way it stayed until the Reds scored two in the eighth off two-time All-Star closer David Bednar, who has fallen into hard times this season.
De La Cruz poked an opposite-field run-scoring double to left and also produced another run-scoring double in the ninth.
With his three hits, Hays lifted his hitting streak to six games. When Hays was on the injured list, the Reds offense was dormant, but since his return it has flourished. All nine Reds reached base Monday during their 12-hit night.
Asked how much Hays has helped the Reds this season, Francona said, “A ton. I didn’t answer that very good, but a ton. When he was on the IL, it wasn’t just his hitting, it was his presence, his professionalism, his base-running.
“He’s a guy who can hit in the middle of the order (fourth) and it’s not too much for him,” he added. “We love him.”
Hays did have a slow start after coming off the injured list and his timing was off.
“It’s just timing, my timing was a little bit off when I first came off the IL,” he said. “We worked hard to make sure I was on time for the fastballs so I can react to the breaking balls.”
And he is relishing in the team’s sudden potency.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“Everything’s better when you’re winning,” he said. “Your home life is better, the locker room is more fun with music, traveling is better...everything is better when you’re winning.”
The Reds also not only played flawless defense, they played spectacular defense with Highlight Reel plays by first baseman Spencer Steer, third baseman Santiago Espinal and second baseman Matt McLain.
Francona, always one to play the cautious role, is enjoying what he is seeing...in the moment.
“I don’t think we should get too carried away,” he said. “I said before the game, we just want to win this game and I thought we did a good job.
“We played a good game,” he added. “Lodolo gave us six solid innings and we went to some different guys when we were ahead and they did a really good job.”
He was speaking about the much-used and fatigued bullen. Set-up man Tony Santillan and closer Emilio Pagan both appeared in all three games against the Cleveland Guardians and were unavailable.
So Francona used Lyon Richardson in the seventh, Scott Barlow in the eighth and Brent Suter in the ninth. Those three retired nine of the last 11 and the two that reached did it with an infield single and a walk.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Francona had Graham Ashcraft warming up for the ninth, but when the Reds scored three in the top of the ninth, he wanted to save Ashcraft and had Suter rush in.
Suter retired the last three Pirates on five pitches, three ground balls.
“Suter is the only pitcher in the league who can get ready that quick,” said Francona.”It let us stay away from Ashcraft.”
The Reds swept three from the Pirates earlier this season in Great American Ball Park, but there was some trepidation about playing in PNC. They had lost 39 of their last 57 games in PNC.
NEXT GAME
Who: Reds at Pirates
When: Tuesday, May 19, 6:40 p.m.
TV: FanDuel Sports
Radio: 1410-AM
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