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Saturday becomes a sad day for the Reds

Cincinnati played two games today. They lost them both.

By Eric Roseberry
David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game(s)

Jose Peraza had a combined four hits today. I'd write more, but things really didn't go that well.

Honorable mention: Adam Duvall, Scott Schebler, and Ramon Cabrera all homered today.

Key Plays

Game 1

  • The Pirates jumped all over Anthony DeSclafani in the first inning. Matt Joyce walked, Josh Bell doubled, and Andrew McCutchen hit a two-RBI single to lead off the game. Later in the inning, Francisco Cervelli drove in McCutchen. Pittsburgh scored their final run of the first when Alen Hanson reached on an error. Jung Ho Kang scored on the play (he walked earlier in the inning).
  • Sean Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the top of the third to give the Pirates a 6-0 lead.
  • Cincinnati finally responded in the bottom of the third. Jose Peraza and Hernan Iribarren both reached on singles. Adam Duvall then hit his 31st home run of the season to make it 6-3.
  • Keyvius Sampson replaced DeSclafani in the fifth and didn't fare much better. Cervelli walked and stole second. With two outs Sampson intentionally put Hanson on base to bring the pitcher to the plate. Jameson Taillon made the Reds pay by singling to center. Cervelli scored on the play.
  • The Pirates got ANOTHER run in the sixth. McCutchen and Gregory Polanco both reached on walks. McCutchen scored when Adam Duvall dropped what would have been the third out off the bat of Francisco Cervelli.
  • Eugenio Suarez scored on a Jose Peraza ground out in the bottom of the sixth.
  • Pittsburgh drove in their final two runs of the game in the seventh. Josh Bell drove in Alen Hanson on a ground-rule double. McCutchen then brought home Pedro Florimon on a sac fly.
Game 2
  • Stop me if you've heard this one before. The Pirates scored first in this one. The first three hitters (Rodriguez, Bell, and Frazier) all singled to lead off the top of the second. Eric Fryer drove in Rodriguez on a sac fly to left. Finnegan re-loaded the bases by walking Trevor Williams. Josh Bell then scored on a Scott Schebler error (Jordy Mercer was batting). But that wasn't all! Andrew McCutchen singled and drove in two more runs. It was quickly 4-0 Pirates.
  • In the top of the third...alright the details are going to get sparse from here on out. I feel like you have a sense for how this day went if your'e still reading. Bell single, Frazier single, Fryer single, Trevor Williams walk (yes, the pitcher was walked with the bases loaded. His second drawn walk of the night!), and a run scored.
  • Sean Rodriguez homered in the top of the fourth.
  • Cincinnati did show some fight in the bottom of the fifth. Schebler and Ramon Cabrera led off the inning with back-to-back homers. Steve Selsky and Tyler Holt then hit back-to-back singles. Selsky scored on an Ivan De Jesus Jr. double play ball.
  • The Pirates scored one more in the top of the ninth. I won't tell you how because I don't want to give them the satisfaction.

Tony Graphanio

Game 1

Game 2

Other Notes

  • Let's just put the last 24 hours of Reds baseball behind us.
  • A note that was posted following the first game from everyone's favorite statistician. Joel Luckhaupt decrees, "Jose Peraza is now batting .330, which would be the highest by a Reds rookie (min 150 PA) since Hal Morris hit .340 in 1990.
  • In game one, the Reds tied a season high by issuing 10 walks (h/t Zach Buchanan). They settled down and only walked 9 in game two.
  • In the second game, Matt Magill became the 32nd different pitcher the Reds used this season. They had already set the club record this year.
  • The Reds will wrap up their series with the Pirates tomorrow afternoon at Great American Ball Park. "Thunder" Dan Straily gets the 1:10 ET start for Cincinnati. Pittsburgh will send Ivan Nova to the mound.

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