Run-starved Pirates pursue series win over Reds

A day after snapping a four-game losing streak, the Pittsburgh Pirates will try to string together back-to-back wins for the first time in nearly a month when they host the Cincinnati Reds in the rubber match of a three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.

The Pirates will give the ball to left-hander Andrew Heaney (2-3, 3.02 ERA), who will oppose right-hander Brady Singer (5-2, 5.01).

Pittsburgh finally achieved the result it was hoping for on Tuesday, but the game played out like many of the team’s contests this season.

The Pirates again struggled to find offense, but another great start from Bailey Falter delivered a 1-0 victory that snapped the Reds’ five-game winning streak. Pittsburgh got its lone run from a Bryan Reynolds RBI single in the sixth inning, and it needed its pitchers to be sharp.

The Reds squandered opportunities to score in multiple innings, including a chance in the ninth, when TJ Friedl led off with a single after a 10-pitch at-bat.

Cincinnati manager Terry Francona chose to stick with the next scheduled batter, Santiago Espinal, who came into the at-bat versus David Bednar with a .552 OPS against right-handed pitchers. Espinal proceeded to ground into a double play, and Bednar got Elly De La Cruz to fly out to end the game.

“I think Espi is one of our best hitters and I was trying to give (Gavin) Lux some needed time,” Francona said. “If Espinal comes out, Lux is at third. I was trying not to do that.”

Bednar said, “I think those are the spots you want to be in. You want to beat those guys and take home a win.”

It was only the Pirates’ fifth victory in their past 22 games, their fourth win in 11 games since Don Kelly took over as manager.

“Every day is a new day, we have another opportunity tomorrow and the guys came out tonight and competed,” Kelly said postgame.

After a couple of rough outings in which he allowed four runs each time, Heaney bounced back with a couple of strong starts.

In his most recent outing, on Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies, he allowed one run on four hits and three walks in five innings while striking out two. The Pirates scored three runs after Heaney departed to put him in position for a possible win, but Pittsburgh’s bullpen collapsed in an eventual 8-4 loss.

Heaney is 2-1 with a 2.60 ERA in three career starts against the Reds. He took a loss at Cincinnati on April 12 after allowing four runs — all on a De La Cruz grand slam — in six innings.

Singer, who came to the Reds in a trade with the Kansas City Royals last November, recovered from his worst start of the season to earn a win in his latest outing.

On May 10, Singer was pounded for seven runs in 2 1/3 innings against the Houston Astros. However, on Friday he allowed three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out four in five innings against the Cleveland Guardians.

Singer is 2-1 with a 6.32 ERA in three career starts against Pittsburgh. He defeated the Pirates on April 11, when he yielded three runs on two hits in five innings.

The Pirates placed reliever Colin Holderman on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with right thumb inflammation, and they selected the contract of right-hander Isaac Mattson. Infielder Nick Gonzales (left ankle fracture) was transferred to the 60-day IL.

–Field Level Media