It's late. The game was bananas. The Reds lost.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

It's easy to miss the little things that players do to keep their team in a game. Tonight, most of the Reds bullpen did what was necessary to give Cincinnati a chance to win. Jumbo Diaz, Wandy Peralta, Michael Lorenzen, Raisel Iglesias, and Josh Smith all got at least one batter out without giving up a run. Other members of the bullpen *cough* Wood and Cingrani *cough* weren't as fortunate. While the Reds didn't get the win, they wouldn't have had a shot without these five relievers. Not all of their performances were pretty, but they did what you need relievers to do. They kept runs off the board.

Honorable mentions: Ramon Cabrera went 2-4 with 2 RBI (off of a second inning home run); Joey Votto went 2-5 with 1 RBI and scored twice; Scott Schebler went 1-4 with a triple and drove in two runs; Steve Selsky hit his first career home run.

Key Plays

• Pittsburgh jumped on Robert Stephenson early in this one. In the top of the first Andrew McCutchen drove home Josh Bell on a double into left field. Gregory Polanco followed with a home run to give the Pirates a 3-0 lead.
• The Reds got one back in the bottom of the inning. To no one's surprise Joey Votto singled. Adam Duvall followed with a double to give the Reds runners on second and third. Votto came home on a Brandon Phillips single in to left field.
• Cincinnati tied the game at three in the bottom of the second. Eugenio Suarez led off the inning with a walk. Ramon Cabrera hit his second homer of the season into right field. The game was tied at 3.
• The Pirates reclaimed the lead in the fifth. They were able to load the bases against Stephenson with one out. Bob Steve got Gregory Polanco to pop out, but Stephenson hit Jung Ho Kang with a pitch to plate a run.
• Once again the Reds responded quickly. In the bottom of the fifth Jose Peraza singled and advanced to second on a sac bunt (Steve Selsky). Joey Votto drove home Peraza with his second single of the game. With two outs, Brandon Phillips reached on an error. After the Pirates made a pitching change, Scott Schebler plated Votto and Phillips with a triple. Cincinnati now had a 6-4 lead.
• This back and forth game was far from over. Blake Wood entered the game for the Reds in the seventh, and he promptly recorded two outs. However, Gregory Polanco singled, and Jung Ho Kang hit his 19th homer of the season to tie the game yet again.
• Things remained tied until the 10th inning. Tony Cingrani entered the game for Cincinnati and...things did not go well. He walked Jung Ho Kang, gave up a single to Sean Rodriguez, and gave up a bunt single to Francisco Cervelli. The bases were loaded with nobody out. Jordy Mercer singled to drive home a run. Then, for the second time in the inning, a challenge went against the Reds. This time the Pirates overturned a call that would have been a double play. Instead, the Reds kept a run from scoring, but the Pirates kept the bases loaded. David Freese singled to give the Pirates a 9-6 lead.
• Bryan Price was ejected after the second challenge.
• Steve Selsky homered to lead off the bottom of the tenth, but it wasn't enough.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• After a late night at Great American Ball Park these two teams will play two tomorrow. Anthony DeSclafani will make the 12:10 ET start while Brandon Finnegan gets the ball at 6:10 ET.
• For you history buffs out there, on this day (the 16th) in 1988 Tom Browning threw a perfect game.
• Steve Selsky's homer in the tenth inning was the first of his big league career.
• Tunes.