Bullpen Blues Give the Reds 7-4 Win

Slow start for Chad Kuhl; a bopped batter and the obligatory Joey Votto knock an out later. But two whiffs calmed down the Reds, even if it took 20 pitches. The Bucs had more luck against Sal Romano. With two gone, Starling and J-Bell singled and both scampered home (Bell was DOA at the plate, but the short hop relay got through the catcher) on Corey-D's two-bagger. Chad did better in the second; a one-out walk was erased around-the-horn. Colin Moran walked and Jordy singled to open the Buc half; the bases were quickly jammed when a bunt was misplayed. A sac fly plated a run and Fraze's flare brought in another before the music stopped. Another walk put Kuhl in hot water with an out in the third when it was followed by a double on a ball misread by Fraze in right. A sac fly chased in a run and a Red was stranded at third following a wild pitch. The Buccos had two aboard with two out after Eli and Jordy raps, but Chad was up and couldn't cash them in.

Chad K'ed his way out of  a couple of jams. (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

It was a 1-2-3 fourth for Kuhl with two whiffs; Romano tossed a clean, nine-pitch frame. The Reds opened the fifth with a single and bunt; an RBI knock was followed by a four-pitch walk. Uncle Ray paid a visit with Votto up while stirring the pen into action. A single loaded the bases - Joey drilled a well-placed full count pitch into left - but two K's later, it was over without any further damage. And at 98 pitches, Chad's night will be over, too. Romano's in a groove now; he tossed another short (12 pitches) and quiet frame. Kuhl's line: two runs on five hits with three walks, a wild pitch and seven K as Dovydas Neverauskas climbed the hill in the sixth. Dovy got an out before a double (another ball Fraze misplayed) and single put Reds on the corners. A whiff and a walk loaded 'em up with two gone. Falling behind Eugenio Suarez, 2-1, he served up a meatball and the resulting two-run single tied the game. Kevin Quakenbush took the ball for Romano and kept the Buc bats quiet for a third straight frame; that's 10-in-a-row for Cincy pitching.

Michael Feliz started the seventh for Pittsburgh and ended it three batters later. Wandy Peralta got the call and ran the skein to 13 straight outs. George Kontos got his turn, and the Redlegs started with a single and bunt. Billy Hamilton's infield single put runners at the corners with Jesse Winker, who has tortured the Pirates this series, at the dish. Second was stolen, natch, but Winker's liner found J-Bell's glove. It only delayed the inevitable; Suarez homered and it was 7-4 Queen City. Peralta again faced three Bucs, fanning two. Now they use Tyler Glasnow; where was he in the sixth? He put up a zippo with a walk and a whiff. Raisel Iglesias came in for the save. Red Beard broke the hitless streak with a leadoff single, then got picked off while three runs down in the ninth; he and Kimera Bartee both should be spanked. The next two outs were routine; the Reds got their second win of the camapign and Iglesias got his second save of the campaign.

Corey D stayed hot with two more RBIs tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

The Reds were bound to get a timely hit sooner or later, but geez - the starters can't get to the seventh, and the middle bullpen is a shambles, yet Clint uses Tyler Glasnow as a mop-up dude. Bad fielding and base running continue. Hey, 6-2 is a great start; it's just hard to believe it will be sustainable as is. But still, it is a club with room to grow. They're not gonna outhit everyone everyday, so how quickly the pitching staff matures will be the key as the season rolls along.

Notes:

• Jordy had two more hits; he's enjoying a pretty nice series, going 6-for-11 with a couple of walks.
• With Polanco out, Steven Brault pinch-hit off a three-man bench. He grounded out to first.
• The Pirates have walked 14 batters and thrown four wild pitches in the three games against Cuncy.
• Tonight's paid attendance was 14,336.
• Joey Votto has played 103 games v Pittsburgh and reached base safely 204 times per updated @StatsbySTATS. Tough to dislike the guy, even if he owns Bucco pitching - the Canadian-born 1B inked "Humboldt Broncos" on his spikes tonight to honor the victims of that terrible hockey bus crash yesterday.
• Joe Musgrove will start throwing again early next week. Looks like Steven Brault has a spot in the rotation for awhile, assuming after the layoff that the Bucs will give Musgrove a couple of rehab starts before removing him from the DL. 
• Indy's Tyler Eppler kept up the strong hurling in the early going, tossing 5-2/3 scoreless innings while giving up six hits and walk with 10 K in a 10-0 win over Columbus.
• Gerrit Cole tossed seven shutout innings tonight, giving up five hits with no walks & 11 K.