Reds Roll 5-0 As Bucs K 17 Times

Ah, it started quickly and painfully. Charlie Morton walked Drew Stubbs on a 3-2 pitch, and with Joey Votto at bat, tried to keep Stubbs from wandering too far from the bag. He threw away his toss to first, Stubbs ended up on third and soon thereafter jogged home on Votto's knock.

The Bucs loaded the bases with one out against Mat Latos. JT was hit by a pitch, and an out later Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez worked free passes. Casey McGehee caught a two-strike cutter squarely, but lined it right to Todd Frazier at the hot corner. Nate McLouth was caught looking, and the Pirates sent their gift horse back to pasture.

The next frame, Frazier nailed a two out fastball and knocked into the second deck in left to make it 2-0. Latos struck out the side. The third inning continued the Cincy roll.

Zack Cozart walked to lead off, and Stubbs barely dropped a long ball over the railing in center that passed an ump review, and it was 4-0. Two walks by Morton led to two runs scored. Two homers haven't helped the cause either. The Bucs tried to summon some two-out lightning when Walker singled and Pedro drew his second walk, but McGehee tapped back to the mound. Pittsburgh has stranded five men in three frames.

The Reds went down without adding to the tally in the fourth. McLouth singled to open the Bucco half, but never made it to second. The Reds manufactured another run in the fifth when Stubbs led of with a single, stole second, went to third on a fly to center and scored on another. The Bucs put up another zippo on the board.

The Reds stranded a sixth inning double. Pittsburgh went down in order; Latos has 11 K and surrendered two hits. Morton called it a day after going six frames, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks with five K after tossing 97 pitches. Brad Lincoln took the ball.

Cozart welcomed him by rolling a ball into right for a knock. Stubbs followed by grounding an 0-2 curve that caught too much plate into left to put runners at first and second. Lincoln recovered to leave the runners there. Latos headed for the showers after 107 pitches, and JJ Hoover climbed the hill.

McKenry got aboard when Cozart booted his bouncer. An out later, JT took one up the middle to put runners at the corners. Hoover picked up his second K when he whiffed Alex Presley, but Dusty Baker called for Aroldis Chapman to face Walker. We're not sure why, but it worked, as Chapman got Walker to fly out to the track in center.

The eighth went quietly, with Jared Hughes doing the honors for Pittsburgh and Chapman staying on for the Reds and collecting a couple more K. Hughes walked a pair in the ninth but escaped unscathed. alfredo Simon came out to close the deal. He K'ed Josh Harrison and McKenry on six pitches, and Yamaico Navarro flew out to bring the game to an end.

The Pirates get a day off tomorrow, and then Washington with their smokin' hot pitching arrives at PNC Park.

• The Pirates had just three hits, but still managed to strand nine runners.
• The Bucs set their single-game high of the young season in K today, whiffing 17 times.
• At this time last year, Pittsburgh was 13-15. At the same point in 2012, the club is 12-16.
• Just over 20,000 fans attended today, probably the result of the Marathon. If not...
• Indy's Starling Marte left the game today in second inning after being struck in hand by pitch.