Bucs Back to Old Tricks; Lose To Reds 8-1

Sonny Gray and Chad Kuhl exchanged hitless first innings, with J-Bell the only runner via a free pass. Erik Gonzalez doubled with two gone but was left aboard in the second. The Reds struck first on a Jesse Winker oppo field homer that just snuck into the seats ("Great American Small Park" noted Jameson Taillon on the TV broadcast). A following walk was erased on a 9-6 DP; Gregory gloved a ball at the track and caught Nick Senzel trying to tag up before a K put it to bed. No Bucco noise in the third. A single, steal and passed ball set up a Redleg at third with one away, but Whip worked out of it. In the fourth, Bryan Reynolds tied it with a two-out bomb for his first homer (and RBI) of the campaign, but it was a short-lived rally. The Reds answered quickly when Joey Votto doubled and Winker went deep again (this time, a legit blast) to make it 3-1 Cincy. Tuck singled with an out in the fifth while Cincy went quietly. 

Brandon Waddell made his debut - photo 2018 MLB Pipeline/Pirates

K-Man opened the sixth with a rap, but could get no further than third. Nik Turley took over for Kuhl (five IP, 78 pitches), and gave up a walk while putting up a zero. Nate Jones replaced Gray with two outs in the seventh after Tuck reached, and got Jake on a smoked (104 MPH-EV) liner to left that found leather. Chris Stratton was the next in line and got tattooed, with the capper a three-run, two-out homer by Nick Castellanos that was close to being snagged by a leaping, just-too-short Tucker in center. The guys behind him didn't help the cause much. After another knock, Brandon Waddell got the ball and the third out. Tyler Thornburg tossed a clean eighth. The Reds added against Waddell with two away on back-to-back doubles. Thornburg finished it up with the final score 8-1, Cincinnati.

The Bucs have scored once in the last 16 innings; whatever magic they found in yesterday's second frame has dissipated and the bullpen is getting way overexposed. It's very reminiscent of that miserable dog days run last year when they finished the season 27-50.

Notes:

• Tuck had two of the Bucs' five hits. The team is hitting .211 for the season, with only the Indians behind them. 
• The Pirates are the only MLB club that hasn't won back-to-back games yet this year.
• Pittsburgh starters have thrown 78 innings; the bullpen has tossed 82-2/3 frames. That's skewed a little by the piggyback starts, but a 50-50 split is not the usual goal...