Pittsburgh Pirate Slide Continues In 11-6 Loss Against The Cincinnati Reds

The Pittsburgh Pirates post-break woes followed them to the Queen City on Monday night

Monday started with changes for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Prior to the start of their three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds the team traded Monday’s scheduled starting pitcher – Jordan Lyles – to the Milwaukee Brewers. You can read more about that trade here.

Once the game started, the black cloud that has followed the Pirates since the All-Star Break continued to pour. Following a 11-6 loss to the Reds, the Pirates are now 2-15 since the break. This drops their overall record to 46-60.

Monday night’s game got off to a good start for the Pirates. In the 1st inning Starling Marte hit his 18th home run of the season. Marte’s solo blast gave the Pirates a quick 1-0 lead.

With Lyles traded, Alex McRae started for the Pirates. After posting a zero in the 1st inning, the wheels came off in a big way for McRae in the 2nd.

In the bottom of the 2nd inning the Reds scored 10 runs. All nine players in the Reds lineup, including starting pitcher Sonny Gray, scored a run in the inning. McRae failed to get out of the inning and was replaced by Montana DuRapau who was recalled on Monday to replace Lyles on the roster.

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In 1 1/3 innings of work McRae allowed 7 runs, 5 earned, on six hits, two walks, and zero strikeouts. DuRapau did not fair much better. While DuRapau went 3 innings and struck out three, he walked a pair, allowed a home run, and was charged with 4 runs.

After DuRapau, Chris Stratton came into the game. Stratton continued his sneaky good work out of the Pirate bullpen. In 1 2/3 innings of work he allowed a single and struck out a pair. However, he also threw a wild pitch that allowed an inherited runner to score.

The rest of the Pirate offense came via the home run ball. Bryan Reynolds hit a solo home run in the 5th inning. Then in the 6th inning, Colin Moran hit his 11th home run of the season and 3rd grand slam of his career, cutting the Reds lead to 11-6.

Both Michael Feliz and Richard Rodriguez continued their strong work out of the Pirate ‘pen as well. Each pitcher pitched a scoreless inning, and each recorded a strikeout.

Following this loss, the Pirates have now lost nine games in a row. This is the first time they have lost nine in a row since 2011. Those were much darker times for the Pirates, who, unfortunately, currently look a lot more like the pre-2013 Pirates, and not the 2013 – 2018 Pirates that had four winning seasons and three postseason berths.

Game two of the series is scheduled for 7:10 on Tuesday night. Joe Musgrove (4.29 ERA, 4.01 FIP) is scheduled to start for the Pirates. Meanwhile, the Reds plan to send Tanner Roark (3.95 ERA, 4.15 FIP) to the mound. Roark, however, is a name that has been tossed around in trade talks so that is subject to change.