Late Pirates homer dooms 3rd place Reds as another one gets away

Brandon Williamson continued his excellent run of form by limiting the Pittsburgh Pirates to just a lone earned run in 5.2 IP, but a late implosion from the Cincinnati Reds bullpen - fueled by some untimely walks and a 3-run homer - sunk them to a 4-2 loss in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader.

The Reds entered play on Sunday in 3rd place in the National League Central as the surging Chicago Cubs had matched the rock-solid Milwaukee Brewers with excellent play so far in August, while the Reds continued their limp through the most important month of the season to date. Key walks from Lucas Sims and Alex Young begat the 3-run homer by Jared Triolo off Young in the Bottom of the 7th - the first such homer of Triolo’s career, for the record - and a game that had looked to be perilously in control throughout clunked its way to a disappointing end.

Will Benson walked and tripled, Matt McLain had a pair of hits and a ribbie, and Spencer Steer continued his torrid campaign of doubling by socking a pair off the wall in right-center in Pittsburgh (and added another single, too). That, though, was simply not enough offense on the day, a disappointing tale given that Pirates starter Mitch Keller entered play having surrendered a whopping 27 ER over his previous 26.2 IP.

Pirates 4, Reds 2, and the once-promising campaign continues to look like a distant memory.