PITTSBURGH — There was no 14-run explosion this time. Not even eight, as the Pirates had averaged over the past five games, all wins. Furthermore, the Pirates saw their quality start streak snapped at 11.
Not that any of it mattered.
The Pirates grabbed a lead early, picked up another run three innings later and used a terrific, lockdown performance from the bullpen — this time with some new faces — to earn a 2-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park.
That’s six in a row for Pirates, who upped their season record to 15-7. It also matches their best winning streak since emerging victorious in 11 straight from July 11-24, 2018. As you’ve probably learned by now, they’re off to their best start since opening 15-6 in 1992.
Rich Hill was good in this one, giving the Pirates five innings of one-run ball. However, his pitch count (96) meant that manager Derek Shelton went to the bullpen before Hill could try for a sixth inning. It was the right move.
As fun as the quality start streak has been, it’s not a real thing. The smart move should be winning the game, and Yohan Ramirez helped the Pirates do that. He delivered two scoreless innings, striking out four.
Duane Underwood Jr., who has owned the seventh inning this season, then finished the game, an absolutely terrific performance from him: two more scoreless innings, no hits, a strikeout and the save.
Facing Luis Cessa, it was a bit surprising the Pirates couldn’t get more offense going. After all, they had scored 41 runs over the past five games, their run differential (+22) was fifth-best in the National League, and they had a couple hitters — Connor Joe, Jack Suwinski and Carlos Santana — on some seriously impressive tears.
At the same time, this is exactly what the Pirates have done.
They’ve won with terrific starting pitching, with those guys pitching to a 2.30 ERA (second in MLB) over the past 11 games. They’ve won with a surprising uptick in offense. And they’ve won when the back end of the bullpen has been in place.
On Saturday, they won without that stuff.
David Bednar, Colin Holderman and Robert Stephenson — the 7-8-9 group over the past two games — were all unavailable. So Ramirez and Underwood Jr. had to step up and take their place.
Furthermore, the Pirates failed to homer Friday and Saturday, though they did enjoy six extra-base hits and now have 76 on the season, trailing only the Rays. But as the Pirates failed to score those runs, they fortunately did enough in the bullpen to preserve a win.
Not the most memorable or breath-taking but one that counts just the same.
AT THE PLATE
It only took the Pirates a couple pitches to snatch a 1-0 lead, as Ke’Bryan Hayes led off the bottom of the first by lining an inside sinker the opposite way for a double. Bryan Reynolds’ sacrifice fly scored Hayes.
Pittsburgh extended that advantage to 2-0 in the fourth when Carlos Santana and Jack Suwinski enjoyed back-to-back doubles, the latter crushing a first pitch change-up from Cessa.
The Pirates had a chance to add to that advantage an inning later, when Hayes singled and Reynolds doubled with two outs. However, Joe flew out to right to end the threat.
ON THE MOUND
Hill had an up-and-down outing, although he did his job and gave the Pirates a chance to win despite having plenty of traffic on the bases. The left-hander also racked up seven strikeouts, five via various forms of his curveball.
One notable moment came in the fourth inning, when Jose Barrero singled with one out then got picked off first when Hill smartly noticed the Reds center fielder was leaning toward second base.
The only run Hill gave up came in the fifth inning, after second baseman Jonathan India led off with a single and scored on a base hit from outfielder Stuart Fairchild, who lined a single to center, and Ji Hwan Bae never really looked it into his glove.
After giving up 10 earned runs over his first two starts, including five home runs, Hill has been touched for just four earned runs (2.12 ERA in 17 innings) and two homers over his last three starts.
UP NEXT
Pirates draw Hunter Greene in the series finale. Greene, Cincinnati’s opening day starter, suffered a right tibia contusion in his last outing.
