Justin Dunn is here to rescue the Reds from the Pirates, surely

When all else fails to fail, you can count on the Cincinnati Reds bullpen to come through.

Such was the case on Friday night in the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, as the Reds blew through late leads courtesy of their relief corps in a 5-4 loss that ultimately means absolutely nothing for either club in their respective lost seasons. Tonight, though, the Reds at least have yet another chance to see if righty Justin Dunn can provide any indication that he can be a bridge in the starting rotation until the next wave of next-waves reaches the big leagues and gives us some hope around these parts.

So far, Dunn has failed to capitalize on his early opportunities since emerging from the IL. The 26 year old has allowed 8 ER in 8.1 IP across a pair of abbreviated starts for the Reds, the former Seattle Mariners 1st round pick having surrendered 4 HR in that short span.

The Pirates, meanwhile, will counter with a former 1st round pick of their own in Tyler Beede. Not a former 1st round pick of their own, I should say, as Beede was originally a San Francisco Giants 1st rounder, but the former 1st rounder is now getting his shot with another organization in much the same way Dunn is with the Reds. Low-pressure, low-stakes, and a chance to show he can still cut it at this level, something he’s done quite well in a modified starter/reliever role so far - he’s made just a trio of starts among his 20 appearances with Pittsburgh this year, but has pitched to a tidy 3.49 ERA in 38.2 IP for them this season.

That’s the toed-rubber matchup for this evening, which will begin at 7:05 PM ET. Tune in accordingly for some rockin’ sockin’ baseball action.

Reds Lineup

Buccos Lineup