Reds vs Pirates Preview: Week 66 Showdown at PNC

The Reds just grabbed a huge win yesterday, crushing the Pirates 9-7 in an absolute slugfest. Suárez launched a two-run homer in the ninth inning to seal it. Now Brady Singer gets the ball for Cincinnati on Sunday. Singer sits at a strong 2.42 ERA this season. He's got 28 strikeouts under his belt. The Reds are 38-42 overall but riding momentum with a win streak. Singer needs to keep Cincinnati's pitching steady while their offense keeps producing runs.

Mitch Keller faces a tough assignment here. The Pirates' starter is 0-3 with a 6.4 ERA—way too high for a pitcher trying to help his team win. That's a massive difference from Paul Skenes, who the Pirates lean on as their ace. Keller was an All-Star in 2023, so he knows how to pitch at a high level. Sunday is his chance to bounce back and give Pittsburgh's defense something to work with. The Pirates are 41-41, tied up in this series.

Look at the power Cincinnati showed yesterday—three home runs in that win. Stewart, Trevino, and Suárez all connected. The Pirates answered with their own long balls from Lowe and Valdez, but it wasn't enough. Pittsburgh's offense has to match that energy on Sunday. The Pirates have too many key players hurt right now. Oneil Cruz won't return for weeks. Spencer Horwitz is sidelined. When you lose power like that, scoring becomes harder. Cincinnati's bats are rolling, and that's dangerous.