Reds vs Pirates Recap: Pirates surge past Reds 9-4

The Cincinnati Reds came into PNC Park looking to bounce back. Just one day earlier, they'd beaten the Pirates 9-7 in an absolute thriller. Pittsburgh was hungry to even the series. Brady Singer took the mound for Cincinnati, but trouble came fast. In the second inning, Esmerlyn Valdez smacked an 81 mph slider into a ground rule double. That brought Nick Gonzales racing home. Then Tyler Callihan stepped up and crushed a 90 mph sinker that sailed 412 feet to right field. The ball rocketed over the wall, and suddenly the Pirates led 4-0. O'Hearn and Valdez both scored on that one swing. The Reds needed to answer back immediately or this game would slip away.

Cincinnati wasn't going down without a fight. In the fourth inning, JJ Bleday stepped in against Mitch Keller. Bleday saw a 93 mph four-seam fastball and drove it to center for a single. That brought both De La Cruz and Stewart sprinting home. Just like that, the deficit dropped to 4-2. The Reds kept pushing in the fifth. Tyler Stephenson doubled down the left field line, and Marte raced home to make it 4-3. Then Edwin Arroyo singled to right, scoring Stephenson to tie the game 4-4. But Pittsburgh answered right back. Ryan O'Hearn crushed an 86 mph cutter 421 feet into right field. One swing put the Pirates back on top 5-4. The game was a seesaw battle.

The Pirates put this game away in the eighth inning with massive power swings. Ryan O'Hearn crushed a 95 mph fastball from Pierce Johnson deep to right-center. The ball flew 384 feet and cleared the wall. Reynolds and Gonzales scored with him, making it 4-8 Pittsburgh. That wasn't even close to the end of the explosion. Moments later, Esmerlyn Valdez stepped up against the same pitcher. He turned on a 94 mph four-seam fastball and absolutely launched it 461 feet to left-center. The ball sailed out and the crowd erupted. That made it 9-4 Pirates, and the game was completely over. Cincinnati couldn't recover. The final score: Pittsburgh 9, Cincinnati 4. The Pirates improved to 42-42. The Reds fell to 39-43. Pittsburgh's bats took over when it mattered most.