KSReds: Cincinnati Reds Take Two of Three From Pirates

And this one belongs to the Reds! Those words haven’t been used much this season, just five times in 28 games to be exact, so there is reason to celebrate the weekend series win. After getting rained out at Great American Ball Park on Friday evening, the Cincinnati Reds won two out of three games on Saturday and Sunday to win their first series of the season against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Cincinnati will remain at GABP for a three-game set against National League Central foe, the Milwaukee Brewers. Luis Castillo will take the mound at 6:40 p.m. EST on Monday evening making his 2022 season debut. Castillo has been rehabbing a sore shoulder in the Reds minor league system. Hunter Greene and Vladimir Gutierrez will also make starts this week in Cincy.

Reds Snap Losing Streak, Split Saturday Double Header

When you are off to one of the worst starts to a season in Major League Baseball history there isn’t anything much better than a rainout. You can’t lose if you don’t play the game.

The Cincinnati Reds were already scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday and now will have an extra game to make up with the Pittsburgh Pirates after Friday’s postponement. Fortunately for Reds fans, playing the games on Saturday worked out okay as Cincinnati would split the doubleheader to snap their ugly nine-game losing streak.

Game one of the double-dip saw the Reds strike early and then light up the scoreboard late. Tyler Stephenson got the Reds on the board first with a two-RBI double in the bottom of the first. On the mound, Connor Overton turned in his second strong outing for the Reds. The 28-year-old right-hander threw five and one-third innings allowing two runs on six hits. He would exit with the score tied at two apiece in the sixth.

Cincy blew the game open in the bottom of the eighth with seven runs to pull away from the Pirates. Stephenson had another two-RBI double, Tyler Naquin had a bases-clearing double, and Brandon Drury also doubled to score a run. The Reds would wind up winning 9-2 as Hunter Strickland struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth.

Game two wasn’t as friendly to the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates blasted three home runs in the top of the first to build a 4-0 advantage. Bryan Reynolds struck first with a solo home run. Then, Yoshi Tsutsugo and Diego Castillo went back-to-back to balloon the lead. The four-run lead proved to be enough for the Pirates, but Cincinnati did claw their way back into the game.

The Reds answered immediately in the bottom half of the first with a pair of runs. Brandon Drury and Mike Moustakas came through with run-producing hits to cut the deficit in half. Pittsburgh would add three more runs in the fourth, but the Reds answered once again. Drury smacked a three-run homer to right field to make it a two-run game. However, that is as close as the game would get. The Pirates went on to take game two of the day 8-5.

Colin Moran Drives in Six Runs to Win Series

Diane's son Colin is feeling pretty grand❗️ pic.twitter.com/bxNtZaMHwy

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 8, 2022

The Cincinnati Reds have won their first series of the season. It may have been shortened series thanks to Friday night’s rainout, but it is a win nonetheless. After splitting the doubleheader on Saturday, Colin Moran blasted a pair of home runs, including six RBI, to lift the Reds over the Pirates 7-3. The Mother’s Day victory moved Cincinnati’s record to 5-23 on the season.

Pittsburgh was holding on to a 2-0 lead through five and a half innings before the Reds bats got hot. Tommy Pham walked with the bases loaded to make it a one-run game. Then, Colin Moran sent one 400-feet into the right-field bleachers, clearing the bases for a grand slam home run. Moran added a two-run shot for some insurance in the bottom of the eighth to set the final score at 7-3.

Tyler Mahle tossed five innings on the mound but needed 106 pitches to do it. He allowed just one hit, a two-run home run to Michael Perez in the second, and struck out six batters. The pitch inefficiency continues to plague Mahle’s starts, but the overall result wasn’t bad on Sunday afternoon. Art Warren, Dauri Moreta, and Hunter Strickland were all excellent in relief to secure the victory.